Travel Health Service Year 2014

Current Travel Health News

Travel Health News

Travel Health News Digest (7 October 2014 - 13 October 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

1,245

World Health Organization, 23 September 2014

Brazil

534,787

World Health Organization, 7 October 2014

Cambodia

2,349

World Health Organization, 23 September 2014

Guangdong

Taiwan

30,325

4,871

Department of Health of Guangdong Province, 12 October 2014
CDC, ROC (Taiwan), 13 October 2014

India

5,218

Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, India, 31 July 2014

Japan

292

National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Japan, 7 October 2014

Lao PDR

1,432

World Health Organization, 23 September 2014

Malaysia

72,603

World Health Organization, 23 September 2014

Mexico

67,997

World Health Organization, 7 October 2014

New Caledonia

105

World Health Organization, 23 September 2014

Philippines

59,943

World Health Organization, 23 September 2014

Singapore

16,019

Singapore National Environment Agency, 10 October 2014

Sri Lanka

32,101

Ministry of Health, Sri Lanka, 7 October 2014

Thailand

27,541

Ministry of Public Health, Thailand, 7 October 2014

Vietnam

15,401

World Health Organization, 23 September 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.

 

USA: Ebola virus disease [Update]

USA reported a confirmed case of Ebola virus disease (EVD). The case is a healthcare worker in Texas who had provided care for the Dallas index patient.

(Source: Centres for Disease Control and Prevention 12 October 2014)

 

Mainland: Dengue Fever [Update]


As of 12 October, a total of 30,325 cases of Dengue Fever had been recorded in Guangdong, Mainland this year. Guangzhou alone reported 25,732 cases. The numbers of cases in other places in Guangdong are as follows: Foshan 2,602 cases, Zhongshan 417 cases, Jiangmen 356 cases, Zhuhai 254 cases, Dongguan 173 cases, Shenzhen 148 cases, Zhaoqing 146 cases, Yangjiang 116 cases, Zhanjiang 107 cases, Qingyuan 84 cases, Shantou 65 cases, Jieyang 33 cases, Maoming 28 cases, Chaozhou 25 cases, Heyuan 14 cases, Huizhou 9 cases, Yunfu 6 cases, Shanwei 5 cases and Shaoguan 5 cases.

(Source: Department of Health of Guangdong Province 12 October 2014)

 

Guinea: Ebola virus disease [Update]

Guinea has reported a cumulative total of 1,350 cases of Ebola virus disease (EVD), including 778 deaths.

(Source: World Health Organization 10 October 2014)

 

Sierra Leone: Ebola virus disease [Update]

Sierra Leone has reported a cumulative total of 2,950 cases of Ebola virus disease (EVD), including 930 deaths.

(Source: World Health Organization 10 October 2014)

 

 Liberia: Ebola virus disease [Update]

The total number of Ebola virus disease (EVD) reported in Liberia is 4,076 including 2,316 deaths.

(Source: World Health Organization 10 October 2014)

 

Uganda: Marburg Haemorrhagic Fever [Update]

Uganda notified a confirmed fatal case of Marburg Haemorrhagic Fever. The case is a healthcare worker with no travel history beyond Mpigi, no contact with a person with similar illness. He had not eaten bush meat nor had had contact with bats in the last 4 weeks.

(Source: World Health Organization 10 October 2014)

 

USA: Enterovirus Infection [Update]

From mid-August to 10 October 2014, a total of 691 people from 46 states and the District of Columbia of the United States of America were confirmed to have respiratory illness caused by EV-D68. The 46 states are Alabama, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.

(Source: Centres for Disease Control and Prevention 10 October 2014)

 

Mainland: Dengue Fever [Update]

As of 11 October, a total of 28, 851 cases of Dengue Fever had been recorded in Guangdong, Mainland this year. Guangzhou alone reported 24,485 cases. The numbers of cases in other places in Guangdong are as follows: Foshan 2,490 cases, Zhongshan 405 cases, Jiangmen 345 cases, Zhuhai 242 cases, Dongguan 160 cases, Zhaoqing 132 cases, Shenzhen 131 cases, Yangjiang 113 cases, Zhanjiang 98 cases, Qingyuan 76 cases, Shantou 58 cases, Jieyang 30 cases, Maoming 26 cases, Chaozhou 25 cases, Heyuan 13 cases, Huizhou 9 cases, Yunfu 5 cases, Shanwei 4 cases and Shaoguan 4 cases.

(Source: Department of Health of Guangdong Province 11 October 2014)

 

Mainland: Dengue Fever [Update]

As of 9 October, a total of 26,270 cases of Dengue Fever had been recorded in Guangdong, Mainland this year. Guangzhou alone reported 22,378 cases. The numbers of cases in other places in Guangdong are as follows: Foshan 2,243 cases, Zhongshan 374 cases, Jiangmen 322 cases, Zhuhai 211 cases, Dongguan 132 cases, Shenzhen 121 cases, Zhaoqing 117 cases, Yangjiang 99 cases, Zhanjiang 81 cases, Qingyuan 65 cases, Shantou 46 cases, Maoming 27 cases, Chaozhou 14 cases, Jieyang 13 cases, Huizhou 6 cases, Heyuan 7 cases, Shanwei5 cases, Yunfu 5 cases and Shaoguan 4 cases.

(Source: Department of Health of Guangdong Province 9 October 2014)

 

Spain: Ebola virus disease

Spain notified a confirmed case Ebola virus disease (EVD). The case is a female healthcare worker with no travel history to West Africa but who participated in the medical care of an EVD case in a Spanish citizen, who had been infected in Sierra Leone and evacuated to Madrid, Spain.

(Source: World Health Organization 9 October 2014)

 

Guinea: Ebola virus disease [Update]

Guinea has reported a cumulative total of 1,298cases of Ebola virus disease (EVD), including 768 deaths.

(Source: World Health Organization 8 October 2014)

 

Sierra Leone: Ebola virus disease [Update]

Sierra Leone has reported a cumulative total of 2,789 cases of Ebola virus disease (EVD), including 879 deaths.

(Source: World Health Organization 8 October 2014)

 

 Liberia: Ebola virus disease [Update]

The total number of Ebola virus disease (EVD) reported in Liberia is 3,924 including 2,210 deaths.

(Source: World Health Organization 8 October 2014)

 

Mainland: Dengue Fever [Update]

As of 8 October, a total of 24,489 cases of Dengue Fever had been recorded in Guangdong, Mainland this year. Guangzhou alone reported 20,788 cases. The numbers of cases in other places in Guangdong are as follows: Foshan 2,176 cases, Zhongshan 352cases, Jiangmen 306 cases, Zhuhai 188 cases, Dongguan 125 cases, Shenzhen 108 cases, Zhaoqing 107 cases, Yangjiang 94 cases, Zhanjiang 77 cases, Qingyuan 53 cases, Shantou 42 cases, Maoming 21 cases, Chaozhou 14 cases, Jieyang 12 cases, Huizhou 7 cases, Heyuan 7 cases, Shanwei 6 cases, Yunfu 5 cases and Shaoguan 1 case.

(Source: Department of Health of Guangdong Province 8 October 2014)

 

Mainland: Dengue Fever [Update]

As of 7 October, a total of 23,146 cases of Dengue Fever had been recorded in Guangdong, Mainland this year. Guangzhou alone reported 19,631 cases. The numbers of cases in other places in Guangdong are as follows: Foshan 2,083 cases, Zhongshan 335 cases, Jiangmen 297 cases, Zhuhai 178 cases, Dongguan 121 cases, Shenzhen 101 cases, Zhaoqing 92 cases, Yangjiang 90 cases, Zhanjiang 64 cases, Qingyuan 47 cases, Shantou 41 cases, Maoming 21 cases, Chaozhou 13 cases, Jieyang 9 cases, Huizhou 7 cases, Heyuan 6 cases, Yunfu 5 cases, Shanwei 4 cases and Shaoguan 1 case.

(Source: Department of Health of Guangdong Province 7 October 2014)

 

Uganda: Marburg Haemorrhagic Fever [Update]

The ministry of health of Uganda has confirmed that there are 8 suspected cases of the Marburg Haemorrhagic Fever from Kasese, Mpigi and Kampala districts.

(Source: ProMED-mail 7 October 2014) 

 

South Africa: Avian Influenza, poultry [Update]

Outbreak of H7N1 low pathogenic avian influenza virus infection was reported in Western Cape Province, South Africa. A total of 58 birds were affected.

(Source: World Organisation for Animal Health 7 October 2014)

 

Mainland: Dengue Fever [Update]

As of 6 October, a total of 21,527 cases of Dengue Fever had been recorded in Guangdong, Mainland this year. Guangzhou alone reported 18,192 cases. The numbers of cases in other places in Guangdong are as follows: Foshan 1,997 cases, Zhongshan 315 cases, Jiangmen 284 cases, Zhuhai 172 cases, Dongguan 117 cases, Shenzhen 93 cases, Yangjiang 78 cases, Zhaoqing 79 cases, Qingyuan 50 cases, Shantou 39 cases, Zhanjiang 51 cases, Maoming 21 cases, Chaozhou 9 cases, Jieyang 9 cases, Heyuan 6 cases, Yunfu 6 cases, Shanwei 3 cases, Huizhou 4 cases and Shaoguan 2 case.

(Source: Department of Health of Guangdong Province 6 October 2014)

 

Zimbabwe: Anthrax

On 3 October 2014, Zimbabwe reported an outbreak of anthrax affecting 3 people in Gwanda.

(Source: ProMED-mail 6 October 2014)

 

South Sudan: Leishmaniasis [Update]

South Sudan reported rising number of Leishmaniasis cases to 4624 and 260 new cases have been recorded since September 2014.

(Source: ProMED-mail 6 October 2014)