Current Travel Health News

Cameroon notified the WHO of an outbreak of Yellow Fever in December 2011 in the North Region of the country. A total of 23 cases, including 7 deaths, have been reported to have occurred since October 2011.

 

(Source: WHO 3 February 2012)

Ghana notified the WHO of 3 cases of Yellow Fever in December 2011. The symptom onset of the first case was on 11 October 2011. A total of three laboratory-confirmed cases, including two deaths, have been reported.

(Source: WHO 3 February 2012)

The UK Health Protection Agency (HPA) received notification of 11 cases of Legionnaires' Disease in English tourists, and a further 4 Spanish cases, associated with a hotel in Calpe, Costa Blanca, Spain. All but one of the Spanish cases occurred in January 2012 and 3 of the English cases were reported to have died from their infection. Control measures had been implemented and the hotel had been closed to all guests as of 2 February 2012 while investigations were ongoing.

 

(Source: NaTHNaC 3 February 2012)

Six cases of Legionnaires' Disease were linked to the Best Western Sovereign Hotel in New York, the USA. The guests who became ill stayed at the hotel between September and December, 2011. All cases recovered. The hotel had taken remedial measures and the health department did not close the hotel.

(Source: Promed Mail 5 February 2012)

An outbreak of Typhoid Fever affecting 4 396 people with 9 deaths was reported in Zambia for the past 3 months. The affected areas included Kalabo, Mufurila, Nakonde and Lusaka.

 

(Source: ProMED-mail 9 February 2012)

Seven people had been reportedly died of Lassa Fever in Taraba State of Nigeria, following an outbreak a couple of days ago.

(Source: ProMED-mail 11 February 2012)

As widespread violent clashes occurred in many cities across Syria, including Daraa, Latakia, Damascus, Baniyas, Aleppo, Homs and Hama, resulting in serious casualties, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government has raised the Outbound Travel Alert (OTA) for Syria to Black. Residents are urged to avoid all travel to the country. Those already there should attend to their personal safety and avoid protests and large gatherings of people.

For more information, please visit the OTA webpage.

(Source: Security Bureau, Government of Hong Kong SAR 26 April 2011)

Following the hostage taking incident in the Philippines which had caused casualties, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government has raised the Outbound Travel Alert (OTA) for the Philippines to Black. Hong Kong residents are urged to avoid all travel to the Philippines. Those already there should attend to their personal safety and stay alert.

For more information, please visit the OTA webpage.

(Source: Security Bureau, Government of Hong Kong SAR 20 September 2010)