Travel Health Service Year 2014

Current Travel Health News

Travel Health News

Travel Health News Digest (1 July 2014 - 7 July 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

872

World Health Organization, 3 June 2014

Brazil

515,663

World Health Organization, 26 June 2014

Cambodia

482

World Health Organization, 3 June 2014

Guangdong

Taiwan

11

209

Department of Health of Guangdong Province, 13 June 2014
CDC, ROC (Taiwan), 7 July 2014

India

3,763

Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, India, 30 June 2014

Lao PDR

640

World Health Organization, 3 June 2014

Malaysia

33,456

World Health Organization, 3 June 2014

Mexico

29,522

World Health Organization, 26 June 2014

New Caledonia

286

World Health Organization, 3 June 2014

Philippines

21,690

World Health Organization, 3 June 2014

Singapore

9,337

Singapore National Environment Agency, 4 July 2014

Sri Lanka

19,052

Ministry of Health, Sri Lanka, 7 July 2014

Thailand

10,707

Ministry of Public Health, Thailand, 2 July 2014

Vietnam

3,820

World Health Organization, 3 June 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.

 

Kazakhstan: Crimean-Congo Haemorrhagic Fever

10 people were suspected suffering from Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever in Kazakhstan.

 

(Source: ProMED-mail 12 July 2014)

 

Pakistan: Crimean-Congo Haemorrhagic Fever

8 people died from Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever in Pakistan over last 3 months.

(Source: ProMED-mail 12 July 2014)

 

Namibia: Malaria

Namibia has reported 5966 cases of malaria in Omaheke, Kunene, Erongo, Hardap and Karas regions between January and March in 2014.

(Source: ProMED-mail 12 July 2014)

 

Vietnam: Japanese Encephalitis

Japanese Encephalitis is plaguing in 31 provinces and cities in Vietnam, having affected 325 people and killed 5 of them in 2014.

(Source: ProMED-mail 11 July 2014)

 

Taiwan: Japanese Encephalitis

Taiwan confirmed on the 9th case of Japanese Encephalitis in 2014. It involved a 66-year-old woman from Pingtung County.

(Source: Centers for Disease Control, R.O.C. (Taiwan) 10 July 2014)

 

USA: Plague

On 8 July 2014, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment laboratory in USA identified a case of pneumonic plague .

(Source: Pro-MED mail 10 July 2014)

 

Guinea: Ebola virus disease [Update]

As of 8 July 2014, the Ministry of Health (MOH) of Guinea has reported a cumulative total of 409 cases of Ebola virus disease (EVD), including 309 deaths. Cases have been reported from Conakry, Guekedou, Macenta, Kissidougou, Dabola, Djingaraye, Kouroussa, Boffa and Télimélé.

(Source: World Health Organization 10 July 2014)

 

Sierra Leone: Ebola virus disease [Update]

As of 8 July 2014, Sierra Leone has reported a cumulative total of 337 cases of Ebola virus disease (EVD), including 142 deaths. Cases have been reported from Kailahun, Kambia, Port Loko, Kenema and Western.

(Source: World Health Organization 10 July 2014)

 

 Liberia: Ebola virus disease [Update]

As of 8 July 2014, the total number of Ebola virus disease (EVD) reported in Liberiais 142 including 88 deaths. Cases have been reported from Lofa, Montserrado, Margibi and Nimba.

(Source: World Health Organization 10July 2014)

 

Nepal: Cholera

Two people died, and more than 1500 were infected from the cholera that spread in Gaidatar VDC of Rautahat, Nepal over the last 3 months.

(Source: ProMED-mail 9 July 2014)

 

Nepal: Typhoid Fever

The number of people suffering from typhoid fever is on the rise in the Saptari district of Sagarmatha, Nepal.

(Source: ProMED-mail 8 July 2014)

 

Philippines: Measles

About 47,000 cases of measles (36,493 suspected cases and 10,676 confirmed cases) and 77 measles deaths were reported in the Philippines from January 1 through June 20, 2014. Most cases are in people from Metropolitan Manila, Calabarzon, and Central Luzon.

(Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 7 July 2014)

 

Mainland: Avian Influenza, human

 The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health (DH) received notification from the National Health and Family Planning Commission of an additional human case of avian influenza (H7N9) affecting a man aged 55 hospitalised in Hunan as of yesterday (July 7).
 
 A total of 436 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), Guizhou (one case) and Hebei (one case).

(Source: The Centre for Health Protection of the Department of Health 8 July 2014)

 

Guinea: Ebola virus disease [Update]

As of 6 July 2014, the Ministry of Health (MOH) of Guinea has reported a cumulative total of 408 cases of Ebola virus disease (EVD), including 307 deaths. Cases have been reported from Conakry, Guekedou, Macenta, Kissidougou, Dabola, Djingaraye, Kouroussa, Boffa and Télimélé.

(Source: World Health Organization 8 July 2014)

 

Sierra Leone: Ebola virus disease [Update]

As of 6 July 2014, Sierra Leone has reported a cumulative total of 305 cases of Ebola virus disease (EVD), including 127 deaths. Cases have been reported from Kailahun, Kambia, Port Loko, Kenema and Western.

(Source: World Health Organization 8 July 2014)

 

Liberia: Ebola virus disease [Update]

As of 6 July 2014, the total number of Ebola virus disease (EVD) reported in Liberia is 131 including 84 deaths. Cases have been reported from Lofa, Montserrado, Margibi and Nimba.

(Source: World Health Organization 8 July 2014)

 

Taiwan: Dengue Fever

Taiwan reported first local case of Dengue Haemorrhagic Fever affecting a 44-year-old man living in Fengshan district of Kaohsiung City.

(Source: Centers for Disease Control, R.O.C. (Taiwan) 8 July 2014)