Current Travel Health News

Dengue fever is an endemic disease in most Southeast Asian countries including Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam and the Philippines. Travellers visiting these places are advised to protect themselves against mosquitoes all year round.

The recent dengue fever activity in Asia has been more severe. Various popular tourist attractions among Hong Kong people including Thailand, Singapore, Taiwan and Indonesia, observed recent persistent increase in the number of dengue fever cases. Other neighbouring Asian countries such as Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Malaysia, the Philippines, Pakistan and India, also recorded rising dengue fever activities.

Outbreaks of dengue fever were observed in Guangdong province in China, Brazil, Costa Rica, Columbia, Paraguay and the Dominican Republic in the recent year.. It was expected that dengue fever activities will continue to rise in coming months in Central America, Mexico and the Caribbean.

Travellers planning to travel in these areas should take precautions against the disease.

Cumulative reported number of dengue cases since 01/01/2013 *

	Cumulative reported no. of cases since 01/01/2013	Source of information and date of report
Australia	1,665	World Health Organization, 25 December 2013
Brazil	1,451,432	World Health Organization, 13 December 2013
Cambodia	16,722	World Health Organization, 25 December 2013
China   Guangdong province	753	Department of Health of Guangdong Province, 15 October 2013
India	55,063	Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, India, 28 October 2013
Lao PDR	44,098	World Health Organization, 25 December 2013
Malaysia	39,222	World Health Organization, 25 December 2013
Mexico	221,271	World Health Organization, 13 December 2013
New Caledonia	10,548	World Health Organization, 25 December 2013
Philippines	166,107	World Health Organization, 25 December 2013
Singapore	22,529	Singapore National Environment Agency, 5 January 2014
Sri Lanka	31,413	Ministry of Health, Sri Lanka, 2 January 2014
Taiwan	851	CDC, ROC (Taiwan), 5 January 2014
Thailand	150,934	Ministry of Public Health, Thailand, 25 December 2013
Vietnam	60,588	World Health Organization, 25 December 2013

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 long-sleeved clothing 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;
*	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.

The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health (DH) verified with the National Health and Family Planning Commission (NHFPC) today (January 9) a human case of avian influenza A(H7N9) affecting a woman aged 51 in Zhejiang.  

To date, a total of 152 human cases of avian influenza A(H7N9) have been confirmed on the Mainland. They are in Zhejiang (53 cases), Shanghai (34 cases), Jiangsu (29 cases), Guangdong (10 cases), Jiangxi (six cases), Fujian (five cases), Anhui (four cases), Henan (four cases), Beijing (two cases), Hunan (two cases), Shandong (two cases) and Hebei (one case).

WHO has been informed by Canada of a laboratory-confirmed case of human infection with avian influenza A(H5N1) virus in a previously healthy adult, who was first symptomatic on 27 December 2013 and died 3 January 2014. The person visited Beijing, China, from 6 to 27 December 2013 and returned to Canada on 27 December 2013. This is the first case of human infection with avian influenza A(H5N1) virus reported in Canada and the first confirmed human case in the Americas Region.

Globally there have been a total of 649 cases and 385 deaths reported, including this latest case.

WHO has been informed of an additional laboratory-confirmed case of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome in Oman. Globally, from September 2012 to date, WHO has been informed of a total of 178 laboratory-confirmed cases of infection with MERS-CoV, including 75 deaths.

The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health (DH) received notification today (January 8) from the National Health and Family Planning Commission (NHFPC) of an additional human case of avian influenza A(H7N9) in Jiangsu affecting a woman aged 54.

To date, a total of 151 human cases of avian influenza A(H7N9) have been confirmed on the Mainland. They are in Zhejiang (52 cases), Shanghai (34 cases), Jiangsu (29 cases), Guangdong (10 cases), Jiangxi (six cases), Fujian (five cases), Anhui (four cases), Henan (four cases), Beijing (two cases), Hunan (two cases), Shandong (two cases) and Hebei (one case).

 The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health (DH) was notified by the Health and Family Planning Commission (HFPC) of Guangdong Province today (January 8) of an additional human case of avian influenza A(H7N9) affecting a woman aged 51.

To date, a total of 150 human cases of avian influenza A(H7N9) have been confirmed on the Mainland. They are in Zhejiang (52 cases), Shanghai (34 cases), Jiangsu (28 cases), Guangdong (10 cases), Jiangxi (six cases), Fujian (five cases), Anhui (four cases), Henan (four cases), Beijing (two cases), Hunan (two cases), Shandong (two cases) and Hebei (one case).

 The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health (DH) was notified by the Health and Family Planning Commission (HFPC) of Guangdong Province today (January 7) of an additional human case of avian influenza A(H7N9) affecting a man aged 31.

 To date, a total of 149 human cases of avian influenza A(H7N9) have been confirmed in the Mainland. They are in Zhejiang (52 cases), Shanghai (34 cases), Jiangsu (28 cases), Guangdong (nine cases), Jiangxi (six cases), Fujian (five cases), Anhui (four cases), Henan (four cases), Beijing (two cases), Hunan (two cases), Shandong (two cases) and Hebei (one case).

The Taiwan Centers for Disease Control (Taiwan CDC) has received reports concerning 14 clusters of diarrheal illness in travelers that recently visited South Korea from the Tourism Bureau and local travel agencies. Taiwan CDC has obtained the list of 412 travelers involved in the clusters of diarrheal illness. Among them, 246 people experienced symptoms that include diarrhea, stomachache and vomiting. Of the people who experienced symptoms, norovirus has been detected in the stool specimens of four people. 

The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health (DH) was notified by the Health and Family Planning Commission (HFPC) of Guangdong Province today (January 6) of two additional human cases of avian influenza A(H7N9).

 To date, a total of 148 human cases of avian influenza A(H7N9) have been confirmed on the Mainland. They are in Zhejiang (52 cases), Shanghai (34 cases), Jiangsu (28 cases), Guangdong (eight cases), Jiangxi (six cases), Fujian (five cases), Anhui (four cases), Henan (four cases), Beijing (two cases), Hunan (two cases), Shandong (two cases) and Hebei (one case).

A 37-year-old man in Singaraja, North Bali of Indonesia died from rabies .

A total of 22,101 cases of dengue fever were recorded in Singapore by the end of the 52nd week of 2013, which was 4.8 times higher than that of the same period in 2012.