Current Travel Health News
Travel Health News Digest (15 April 2014 - 21 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.
Malaysia: Middle East Respiratory Syndrome
The Department of Health (DH) is today (April 17) closely monitoring a death case of
Middle East Respiratory Syndrome in
Malaysia. According to the health authority of Malaysia, the male patient, aged 54, returned from Mecca in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on March 29. He developed fever, cough and shortness of breath around April 8 and 9. He was admitted to a local hospital for treatment on April 10 but his condition deteriorated and he died on April 13. Contact tracing and medical surveillance are under way.
This is the first case of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome in Malaysia and also the first case in Southeast Asia.
(Source: The Centre for Health Protection of the Department of Health 17 April 2014)
Philippines: Middle East Respiratory Syndrome
The Department of Health (DH) is today (April 17) closely monitoring a case of
Middle East Respiratory Syndrome in the
Philippines. The health authority of the Philippines revealed that the patient was a male health-care worker (HCW). He had contact with a previously confirmed fatal patient in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). His nasal swab specimen tested positive for Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus in the UAE. He returned from the UAE on April 15 and remained asymptomatic. He and his contacts have been put under quarantine.
This is the first case of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome in the Philippines.
(Source: The Centre for Health Protection of the Department of Health 17 April 2014)
United Arab Emirates: Middle East Respiratory Syndrome
The Department of Health (DH) is today (April 16) closely monitoring a cluster of 10 additional cases of
Middle East Respiratory Syndrome reported to the World Health Organization (WHO) by the United Arab Emirates. According to the WHO, they are all healthcare workers (HCWs) in Abu Dhabi and were identified following contact tracing of a previously confirmed patient from Abu Dhabi who died on April 10. All of them are now in stable condition.
This brings the latest global number of confirmed cases of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome to 238, including 92 deaths.
(Source: The Centre for Health Protection of the Department of Health 16 April 2014)
Mainland: Avian Influenza, human
The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health (DH) yesterday (April 15) received notification of one additional human case of
avian influenza A(H7N9) in Hunan from the National Health and Family Planning Commission. A total of 408 human cases of avian influenza A(H7N9) have been confirmed in the Mainland, including Zhejiang (138 cases), Guangdong (102 cases), Jiangsu (49 cases), Shanghai (41 cases), Fujian (22 cases), Hunan (21 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 16 April 2014)
Mainland: Avian Influenza, human
The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health (DH) yesterday (April 14) received notification of one additional human case of
avian influenza A(H7N9) in Jiangsu from the National Health and Family Planning Commission. A total of 407 human cases of avian influenza A(H7N9) have been confirmed in the Mainland, including Zhejiang (138 cases), Guangdong (102 cases), Jiangsu (49 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 15 April 2014)
Guinea: Ebola virus disease [Update]
As at 14 April 2014, the Ministry of Health of
Guinea has reported 168 clinically compatible cases of
Ebola virus disease, including 108 deaths. Cases have been reported from Conakry, Guekedou, Macenta, Kissidougou, Dabola and Djingaraye.
(Source: World Health Organization 14 April 2014)
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia & United Arab Emirates: Middle East Respiratory Syndrome
WHO has been informed of an additional 16 laboratory-confirmed cases of infection with
Middle East Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) from
Saudi Arabia and the
United Arab Emirates (UAE). 15 cases were from Saudi Arabia and 1 case was from UAE. Globally, from September 2012 to date, WHO has been informed of a total of 228 laboratory-confirmed cases of infection with MERS-CoV, including 9
2 deaths.
(Source: World Health Organization 14 April 2014)
Mainland: Avian Influenza, human
The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health (DH) yesterday (April 11) received notification of one additional human case of avian influenza A(H7N9) from the Health and Family Planning Commission of Guangdong Province. A total of 406 human cases of
avian influenza A(H7N9) have been confirmed in the Mainland, including Zhejiang (138 cases), Guangdong (102 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 12 April 2014)