Current Travel Health News
Travel Health News Digest (2 September 2014 - 8 September 2014)
Take precautions against dengue fever when travelling abroad
Dengue fever is now endemic in more than 100 countries in Africa, the Americas, the Eastern Mediterranean, Southeast Asia and the Western Pacific. This includes various popular tourist destinations for Hong Kong people including the Philippines, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore.
Travellers planning to travel in these areas should take precautions against the disease.
Cumulative reported number of dengue cases since 01/01/2014 *
|
Cumulative reported no.
of cases since 01/01/2014 |
Source of information and date of report |
Australia |
1,147 |
World Health Organization, 12 August 2014 |
Brazil |
688,287 |
World Health Organization, 2 September 2014 |
Cambodia |
1,520 |
World Health Organization, 12 August 2014 |
Guangdong
Taiwan |
148
1,667 |
Department of Health of Guangdong Province, 15 August 2014
CDC, ROC (Taiwan), 8 September 2014 |
India |
5,218 |
Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, India, 31 July 2014 |
Japan |
103 |
National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Japan, 27 August 2014 |
Lao PDR |
1,147 |
World Health Organization, 12 August 2014 |
Malaysia |
53,246 |
World Health Organization, 12 August 2014 |
Mexico |
51,954 |
World Health Organization, 2 September 2014 |
New Caledonia |
105 |
World Health Organization, 12 August 2014 |
Philippines |
35,264 |
World Health Organization, 12 August 2014 |
Singapore |
14,280 |
Singapore National Environment Agency, 5 September 2014 |
Sri Lanka |
29,109 |
Ministry of Health, Sri Lanka, 5 September 2014 |
Thailand |
21,845 |
Ministry of Public Health, Thailand, 2 September 2014 |
Vietnam |
9,331 |
World Health Organization, 12 August 2014 |
Remark:
* Dengue reporting systems vary by country.
Travellers should stay vigilant against dengue fever and adopt the following personal preventive measures against mosquito bite:
| * |
Always wear loose, light-coloured long-sleeved tops and trousers; |
| * |
Stay in air-conditioned residence or places with mosquito screens; |
| * |
If mosquito screen or air-conditioning is absent, aerosol insecticide and bed nets are advised; |
| * |
Use insect repellents containing DEET on exposed skin and clothing; |
| * |
Use insect repellents containing DEET apart from applying sunscreen while staying in beaches; |
| * |
Re-apply insect repellents according to instructions during the trip; |
| * |
Carry a portable bed nets and apply permethrin on it as well as to clothes if travelling to rural areas where dengue fever is prevalent. |
Travellers returning from areas where dengue fever is prevalent should seek medical advice as soon as possible if they feel unwell and provide travel details to their doctors.
Cameroon: Poliomyelitis
Two new wild
poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) cases have been confirmed in the East Region of
Cameroon.
(Source: World Health Organization 6 September 2014)
Mainland: Dengue Fever
Mainland Guangdong Province has outbreak of
dengue fever. Guangzhou, Foshan, Zhongshan, Jiangmen etc. are at
high risk for dengue fever. In Guangzhou the main urban centre such as Yuexiu District, Baiyun District, Nansha District, more than 100 cases of dengue fever have been recorded.
(Source: Guangdong Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention 5 September 2014)
Japan: Dengue Fever [Update]
Japan reported 66 epidemiological linked local cases of
dengue fever at Yoyogi Park and surrounding areas in Tokyo.
(Source: National Institute of Infectious Diseases 5 September 2014)
Vietnam: Measles
According to the World Health Organization, about 10,850 suspected
measles cases were reported in
Vietnam as of August 4, 2014.
(Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 2 September 2014)
Philippines: Measles
According to the World Health Organization, 40,169 suspected cases of
measles, including 14,702 confirmed cases and 88 measles deaths, were reported in the
Philippines from January 1 through July 20, 2014.
(Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 2 September 2014)
Japan: Dengue Fever [Update]
Japan reported 55 epidemiological linked local cases of
dengue fever at Yoyogi Park and surrounding areas in Tokyo.
(Source: National Institute of Infectious Diseases 4 September 2014)
Guinea: Ebola virus disease [Update]
As of 31 August 2014, the Ministry of Health (MOH) of
Guinea has reported a cumulative total of 771 cases of
Ebola virus disease (EVD), including 494 deaths.
(Source: World Health Organization 4 September 2014)
Sierra Leone: Ebola virus disease [Update]
As of 31 August 2014,
Sierra Leone has reported a cumulative total of 1216 cases of
Ebola virus disease (EVD), including 476 deaths.
(Source: World Health Organization 4 September 2014)
Liberia: Ebola virus disease [Update]
As of 31 August 2014, the total number of
Ebola virus disease (EVD) reported in
Liberia is 1698 including 871 deaths.
(Source: World Health Organization 4 September 2014)
Nigeria: Ebola virus disease [Update]
As of 31 August 2014, the total number of
Ebola virus disease (EVD) reported in
Nigeria is 21 including 7 deaths.
(Source: World Health Organization 4 September 2014)
Russia: Tickborne Encephalitis
On 24 August 2014, there were 333 registered suspected cases of tickborne encephalitis in Russia including 45 cases in children.
[Editor's note: Tickborne Encephalitis is a viral infection. It is transmitted by bite of infective ticks or by consumption of infected milk. Patients may present with fever, malaise, headache, muscle pain, nausea, vomiting, neck stiffness, confusion, and paralysis. In general, 1 to 2 percent of the cases died of the disease. Travellers should adopt measures similar to anti-mosquito measures to avoid tick bite and avoid consumption of unpasteurised milk. Vaccine is available in some endemic area.]
(Source: ProMED-mail 3 September 2014)
Mainland: Avian Influenza, human
The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health (DH) today (September 3) received notification from the National Health and Family Planning Commission (NHFPC) of two cases of human infection of
avian influenza A(H7N9) affecting a woman and a man aged 66 and 53 respectively in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. The woman passed away last month.
According to the NHFPC's information, the two cases were sporadic and were not epidemiologically linked.
A total of 438 cases were confirmed in the Mainland, including Zhejiang (139 cases), Guangdong (109 cases), Jiangsu (56 cases), Shanghai (41 cases), Hunan (24 cases), Fujian (22 cases), Anhui (17 cases), Jiangxi (eight cases), Shandong (five cases), Beijing (four cases), Henan (four cases), Guangxi (three cases), Jilin (two cases), Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region (two cases), Guizhou (one case) and Hebei (one case).
(Source: The Centre for Health Protection of the Department of Health
3 September 2014)
Nigeria: Ebola virus disease [Update]
In addition to the previously affected Lagos area, the health authorities of
Nigeria reported that three
Ebola virus disease cases were identified in Port Harcourt in that country.
(Source: The Centre for Health Protection of the Department of Health
2 September 2014)
Japan: Dengue Fever [Update]
As of 2 September 2014,
Japan reported 34 local cases of
dengue fever. Patients recalled they have visited Yoyogi Park in Tokyo. Most of them had mosquito bites.
(Source: National Institute of Infectious Diseases 2 September 2014)
Ghana: Cholera [Update]
The number of
cholera cases reported in the Greater Accra Region in
Ghana was 7800. Outbreaks of cholera also hit Cape Coast, Volta Region and Eastern Region of Ghana.
(Source: ProMED-mail 2 September 2014)