Current Travel Health News
Travel Health News Digest (8 April 2014 - 14 April 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 |
455 |
World Health Organization, 25 March 2014 |
Brazil |
18,580 |
World Health Organization, 8 April 2014 |
Cambodia |
152 |
World Health Organization, 25 March 2014 |
Guangdong
Taiwan |
2
59 |
Department of Health of Guangdong Province, 14 March 2014
CDC, ROC (Taiwan), 14 April 2014 |
India |
1,203 |
Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, India, 28 February 2014 |
Lao PDR |
250 |
World Health Organization, 25 March 2014 |
Malaysia |
21,967 |
World Health Organization, 25 March 2014 |
Mexico |
3,298 |
World Health Organization, 8 April 2014 |
New Caledonia |
106 |
World Health Organization, 25 March 2014 |
Philippines |
11,019 |
World Health Organization, 25 March 2014 |
Singapore |
4,215 |
Singapore National Environment Agency, 13 April 2014 |
Sri Lanka |
7,205 |
Ministry of Health, Sri Lanka, 11 April 2014 |
Thailand |
4,466 |
Ministry of Public Health, Thailand, 9 April 2014 |
Vietnam |
2,373 |
World Health Organization, 25 March 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.
Japan: Avian Influenza, poultry
The agriculture ministry announced on 13 April 2014 a suspected outbreak of H5
avian influenza that killed at least 1100 chickens at a farm in Kumamoto Prefecture of
Japan, prompting the prefectural government to order the culling of 112 000 chickens kept there and at another nearby farm run by the same operator.
(Source: ProMED-mail 13 April 2014)
Dominican Republic: Chikungunya Fever
The
Dominican Republic Ministry of Health confirmed the outbreak of
Chikungunya Fever in the island and the majority of cases are in San Cristobal province.
(Source: ProMED-mail 13 April 2014)
USA: Hantavirus Infection
The Texas Department of State Health Services in
USA reported a case of
Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome found in a local resident.
(Source: ProMED-mail 13 April 2014)
Canada: Pertussis
According to Alberta Health Services of
Canada, 34 cases of
pertussis have been reported in southern Alberta since the beginning of 2014.
(Source: ProMED-mail 11 April 2014)
Jordan: Middle East Respiratory Syndrome
On 9 April 2014, the Ministries of Health of
Jordan notified the World Health Organization (WHO) of an additional laboratory-confirmed case of infection with
Middle East Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV).
Globally, from September 2012 to date, WHO has been informed of a total of 212 laboratory-confirmed cases of infection with MERS-CoV, including 88 deaths.
(Source: World Health Organization 11 April 2014)
Liberia: Ebola virus disease [Update]
As of 10 April 2014, the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare of
Liberia has reported a cumulative total of 5 laboratory confirmed cases and 20 suspected cases of
Ebola virus disease (EVD),
(Source: World Health Organization 10 April 2014)
Guinea: Ebola virus disease [Update]
As at 9 April 2014, the Ministry of Health of
Guinea has reported 158 clinically compatible cases of
Ebola virus disease, including 101 deaths. Cases have been reported from Conakry, Guekedou, Macenta, Kissidougou, Dabola and Djingaraye.
(Source: World Health Organization 10 April 2014)
Mainland: Avian Influenza, human
The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health (DH) yesterday (April 10) received notification of three additional human cases of
avian influenza A(H7N9) from the Health and Family Planning Commission of Guangdong Province. A total of 405 human cases of avian influenza A(H7N9) have been confirmed in the Mainland, including Zhejiang (138 cases), Guangdong (101 cases), Jiangsu (48 cases), Shanghai (41 cases), Fujian (22 cases), Hunan (20 cases), Anhui (12 cases), Jiangxi (six cases), Beijing (four cases), Henan (four cases), Guangxi (three cases), Shandong (three cases), Guizhou (one case, imported from Zhejiang), Hebei (one case) and Jilin (one case).
(Source: The Centre for Health Protection of the Department of Health 11 April 2014)
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia: Middle East Respiratory Syndrome
The Department of Health (DH) is today (April 10) closely monitoring four additional cases of
Middle East Respiratory Syndrome reported to the World Health Organization (WHO) by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). This brings the latest global number of confirmed cases of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome to 211, including 88 deaths.
(Source: The Centre for Health Protection of the Department of Health 10 April 2014)
Guinea: Ebola virus disease [Update]
As at 9 April 2014, the Ministry of Health of
Guinea has reported 157 clinically compatible cases of
Ebola virus disease, including 101 deaths. Cases have been reported from Conakry, Guekedou, Macenta, Kissidougou, Dabola and Djingaraye.
(Source: World Health Organization 9 April 2014)
Russia: Haemorrhagic Fever with Renal Syndrome
(Source: ProMED-mail 9 April 2014)
USA: Hantavirus Infection
The Southwest Utah Public Health Department in
USA has confirmed a case of
Hantavirus infection in Kane County.
(Source: ProMED-mail 9 April 2014)
Nepal: Influenza
A significant increase in the number of patients with influenza-like illness was noted over the past several weeks in Kathmandu,
Nepal. Of these, 27 cases were confirmed with
influenza A(H1N1).
(Source: ProMED-mail 9 April 2014)
Mainland: Avian Influenza, human
The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health (DH) is closely monitoring, as of yesterday (April 8), an additional human case of
avian influenza A(H7N9) in Anhui according to the latest report of the Mainland health authorities. A total of 402 human cases of avian influenza A(H7N9) have been confirmed in the Mainland, including Zhejiang (138 cases), Guangdong (98 cases), Jiangsu (48 cases), Shanghai (41 cases), Fujian (22 cases), Hunan (20 cases), Anhui (12 cases), Jiangxi (six cases), Beijing (four cases), Henan (four cases), Guangxi (three cases), Shandong (three cases), Guizhou (one case, imported from Zhejiang), Hebei (one case) and Jilin (one case).
(Source: The Centre for Health Protection of the Department of Health 9 April 2014)
Japan: Measles [Update]
In
Japan, there were 231
measles cases reported in weeks 13 of 2014. Since 2014, the highest cumulative measles cases were Tokyo.
(Source: National Institute of Infectious Diseases 8 April 2014)
UK: Scarlet Fever [Update]
Between 24 and 30 March 2014, 883 cases of
scarlet fever were confirmed in
UK. A total of 5012 new cases have now been reported since the season began in September 2013, compared with an average of 1420 cases reported for the same period in the previous 10 years.
(Source: ProMED-mail 8 April 2014)
Ghana: Ebola virus disease [Update]
The Ministry of Health of Ghana has excluded Ebola virus disease in a 12 year-old girl who died of an acute febrile illness in Kumasi City.
(Source: World Health Organization 7 April 2014)
Sierra Leone: Ebola virus disease [Update]
The Ministry of Health and Sanitation of Sierra Leone has confirmed that 2 suspected cases of viral haemorrhagic fever are laboratory confirmed as Lassa fever which is endemic in Sierra Leone.
(Source: World Health Organization 7 April 2014)
Liberia: Ebola virus disease [Update]
As of 7 April, the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare of Liberia has reported a cumulative total of 5 laboratory confirmed cases and 16 suspected and probable cases of
Ebola virus disease (EVD), including 10 deaths.
(Source: World Health Organization 7 April 2014)
Guinea: Ebola virus disease [Update]
As at 7 April 2014, the Ministry of Health of
Guinea has reported 151 clinically compatible cases of
Ebola virus disease, including 95 deaths. Cases have been reported from Conakry, Guekedou, Macenta, Kissidougou, Dabola and Djingaraye.
(Source: World Health Organization 7 April 2014)
Chad: Measles
2 511 cases of
measles were reported in N'djamena,
Chad since January 2014.
(Source: ProMED-mail 7 April 2014)
Ethiopia: Measles [Update]
More than 5,000 suspected cases of
measles were reported in
Ethiopia.
(Source: ProMED-mail 7 April 2014)
Canada: Measles [Update]
There were outbreaks of
measles across
Canada in 2014. The number of cases recorded in British Columbia, Calgary, Ottawa and Saskatchewan were 288, 4, 2 and 4 respectively.
(Source: ProMED-mail 7 April 2014)