Travel Health Service Year 2014

Current Travel Health News

Travel Health News

Travel Health News Digest (11 November 2014 - 17 November 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

1,320

World Health Organization, 4 November 2014

Brazil

574,612

World Health Organization, 6 November 2014

Cambodia

2,757

World Health Organization, 4 November 2014

Guangdong

Taiwan

44,696

11,884

Department of Health of Guangdong Province, 17 November 2014
CDC, ROC (Taiwan), 17 November 2014

India

21,772

Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, India, 29 October 2014

Japan

319

National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Japan, 11 November 2014

Lao PDR

1,577

World Health Organization, 4 November 2014

Malaysia

84,682

World Health Organization, 4 November 2014

Mexico

95,252

World Health Organization, 6 November 2014

New Caledonia

316

World Health Organization, 4 November 2014

Philippines

67,781

World Health Organization, 4 November 2014

Singapore

17,057

Singapore National Environment Agency, 14 November 2014

Sri Lanka

37,414

Ministry of Health, Sri Lanka, 14 November 2014

Thailand

33,053

Ministry of Public Health, Thailand, 12 November 2014

Vietnam

21,381

World Health Organization, 4 November 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.

 

Egypt: Avian Influenza, human

The Ministry of Health in Egypt has announced 2 cases of human infection with avian influenza A(H5N1) and bringing the number of cases of the disease to 6 in this year. The first case is a 3-year-old child in Minoya Governorate and the second case is a woman aged 19 in Assiut Governorate.

(Source: ProMED-mail 16 November 2014)

 

Mainland: Avian Influenza, human

The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health (DH) today (November 15) received notification from the National Health and Family Planning Commission of two cases of human infection of avian influenza A(H7N9) affecting a woman aged 54 in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region and a woman aged 45 in Jiangsu. The 54-year-old woman passed away early this month.

To date, 443 human cases of avian influenza A(H7N9) have been confirmed on the Mainland in Zhejiang (139 cases), Guangdong (109 cases), Jiangsu (58 cases), Shanghai (41 cases), Hunan (24 cases), Fujian (22 cases), Anhui (17 cases), Jiangxi (eight cases), Beijing (five cases), Shandong (five cases), Henan (four cases), Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region (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 15 November 2014)

 

Guinea: Ebola virus disease [Update]

Guinea has reported a cumulative total of 1,919 cases of Ebola virus disease (EVD), including 1,166 deaths.

(Source: World Health Organization 14 November 2014)

 

Sierra Leone: Ebola virus disease [Update]

Sierra Leone has reported a cumulative total of 5,586 cases of Ebola virus disease (EVD), including 1,187 deaths.

(Source: World Health Organization 14 November 2014)

 

Liberia: Ebola virus disease [Update]

The total number of Ebola virus disease (EVD) reported in Liberia is 6,878 including 2,812 deaths.

(Source: World Health Organization 14 November 2014)

 

Mali: Ebola virus disease [Update]

Mali’s Ministry of Health has confirmed the country’s second fatal case of Ebola virus disease. The case occurred in a nurse who worked at a privately-run clinic in the capital city, Bamako. The nurse, who was showing Ebola-like symptoms, was isolated on the evening of 10 November following suspicions of Ebola infection in a patient from Guinea who was treated at the clinic in late October. The nurse died during the night of 11 November.

(Source: World Health Organization 12 November 2014)

 

Guinea: Ebola virus disease [Update]

Guinea has reported a cumulative total of 1,878 cases of Ebola virus disease (EVD), including 1,142 deaths.

(Source: World Health Organization 12 November 2014)

 

Sierra Leone: Ebola virus disease [Update]

Sierra Leone has reported a cumulative total of 5,368 cases of Ebola virus disease (EVD), including 1,169 deaths.

(Source: World Health Organization 12 November 2014)

 

Liberia: Ebola virus disease [Update]

The total number of Ebola virus disease (EVD) reported in Liberia is 6,822 including 2,836 deaths.

(Source: World Health Organization 12 November 2014)

 

Portugal: Legionnaires' Disease

An outbreak of Legionnaires' Disease has killed 5 people and infected more than 230 others in Portugal.

(Source: ProMED-mail 11 November 2014)

 

Mainland: Dengue Fever [Update]

As of 10 November a total of 44,117 cases of Dengue Fever had been recorded in Guangdong, Mainland this year. Guangzhou alone reported 36,646 cases. The numbers of cases in other places in Guangdong are as follows: Foshan 3,497 cases, Zhongshan 661 cases, Jiangmen 543 cases, Zhuhai 490 cases, Shenzhen 395 cases, Zhaoqing 271 cases, Qingyuan 279 cases, Dongguan 269 cases, Yangjiang 269 cases, Zhanjiang 220 cases, Shantou 201 cases, Chaozhou 115 cases, Maoming 89 cases, Jieyang 80 cases, Heyuan 26 cases, Huizhou 34 cases, Shaoguan 15 cases, Yunfu 9 cases and Shanwei 8 cases.

(Source: Department of Health of Guangdong Province 10 November 2014)