Current Travel Health News

There had been reports of an unidentified illness spreading in Quang Nai Province of Vietnam since last year. It was lately found that Rickettsial Diseases could be the cause. So far at least 19 people had been killed and 172 had been injured by the disease in Quang Nai Province.

(Source: ProMED-mail 27 April 2012)

There had been 97 cases of Cryptosporidiosis reported since last month's outbreak at Edgewater Resort and Water Park in Duluth, Minnesota, the United States. Of them, 22 cases were laboratory confirmed. The investigation of the outbreak is still in progress.

(Source: ProMED-mail 21 April 2012)

There was a Cholera outbreak in Santiago Province of the northern Dominican Republic affecting more than 200 people with one death reported.

(Source: ProMED-mail 23 April 2012)

There were 3 more new cases of Legionnaires’ Disease reported over 21-22 April 2012 in Auckland, New Zealand bringing the total over the past 9 weeks to 15. Of them, one person had died. The cases spread all over Auckland. There was probably more than one source.

(Source: ProMED-mail 25 April 2012)

Loreto Region of Peru was having outbreak of Leptospirosis because of the ravages of the highest river water levels in the past 25 years. Cases reported by early March 2012 had increased by 427 per cent when comparing with 2011.

(Source: ProMED-mail 25 April 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)

For more information, please visit the World Health Organization webpage.