Travel Health Service Year 2014

Current Travel Health News

Travel Health News

Travel Health News Digest (25 November 2014 - 01 December 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

1,334

World Health Organization, 18 November 2014

Brazil

574,612

World Health Organization, 6 November 2014

Cambodia

3,091

World Health Organization, 18 November 2014

Guangdong

Taiwan

44,894

13,858

Department of Health of Guangdong Province, 24 November 2014
CDC, ROC (Taiwan), 1 December 2014

India

21,772

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

Japan

325

National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Japan, 25 November 2014

Lao PDR

1,611

World Health Organization, 18 November 2014

Malaysia

84,682

World Health Organization, 18 November 2014

Mexico

95,252

World Health Organization, 6 November 2014

New Caledonia

316

World Health Organization, 4 November 2014

Philippines

73,815

World Health Organization, 18 November 2014

Singapore

17,372

Singapore National Environment Agency, 28 November 2014

Sri Lanka

39,978

Ministry of Health, Sri Lanka, 27 November 2014

Thailand

34,927

Ministry of Public Health, Thailand, 24 November 2014

Vietnam

17,766

World Health Organization, 18 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.

 

Bosnia: Measles

In the last 17 weeks, there were a total of 511 measles cases in Bosnia.

(Source: ProMED-mail 30 November 2014)

 

Slovenia: Measles

A measles outbreak was declared in Slovenia on 27 November and 5 out of 11 suspected cases had been confirmed by laboratory tests.

(Source: ProMED-mail 30 November 2014)

 

Brazil: Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever

A fatal case of Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever was reported in Brazil with possibility of contracting the disease from Mata Negra of Sao Paulo.

(Source: ProMED-mail 29 November 2014)

 

Dominican Republic: Cholera

Thirteen people have been admitted to the hospitals of Juan de Herrera and San Juan de la Maguana in Dominican Republic related to symptoms of cholera.

(Source: ProMED-mail 29 November 2014)

 

Mainland: Avian Influenza, human

The Centre for Health Protection of the Department of Health has been notified by the Health and Family Planning Commission of Guangdong Province of a confirmed human case of avian influenza A(H7N9) today (November 28) affecting a 31-year-old woman in Dongguan, Guangdong Province. The patient, who is in critical condition, is currently receiving treatment in a hospital in Guangzhou. 

To date, 444 human cases of avian influenza A(H7N9) have been confirmed on the Mainland in Zhejiang (139 cases), Guangdong (110 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 28 November 2014)

 

French Polynesia: Chikungunya Fever [Update]

According to the Health Department of French Polynesia, 11,229 people were affected by Chikungunya Fever while 2 deaths were newly reported in the past week.

(Source: ProMED-mail 27 November 2014)

 

Thailand: Scrub Typhus

 

The Ministry of Public Health of Thailand reported 5 fatal cases and 8000 more scrub typhus cases so far in 2014.

(Source: ProMED-mail 26 November 2014)

 

South Africa: Rabies

A suspected human case of rabies infection was reported in October 2014 in South Africa. The case was a 52-year-old man from Limpopo province.

(Source: ProMED-mail 26 November 2014)

 

Guinea: Ebola virus disease [Update]

Guinea has reported a cumulative total of 2,134 cases of Ebola virus disease (EVD), including 1,260 deaths.

(Source: World Health Organization 26 November 2014)

 

Sierra Leone: Ebola virus disease [Update]

Sierra Leone has reported a cumulative total of 6,599 cases of Ebola virus disease (EVD), including 1,398 deaths.

(Source: World Health Organization 26 November 2014)

 

Liberia: Ebola virus disease [Update]

The total number of Ebola virus disease (EVD) reported in Liberia is 7,168 including 3,016 deaths.

(Source: World Health Organization 26 November 2014)

 

Mali: Ebola virus disease [Update]

Mali has officially reported a cumulative total of 7 confirmed cases and 1 probable case of Ebola virus disease, with 6 deaths.

(Source: World Health Organization 26 November 2014)

 

Mali: Ebola virus disease [Update]

Mali's Ministry of Health has confirmed an additional 2 new cases of Ebola virus disease. The first, confirmed on 22 November, occurred in the 23-year-old fiancée of the 25-year-old nurse who attended the Grand Imam from Guinea and died of Ebola on 11 November. The second new case is a 27-year-old man and part of a family of previously confirmed and deceased patients.

(Source: World Health Organization 25 November 2014)

 

Madagascar: plague [Update]

Madagascar officials have raised the death toll from a recent plague outbreak to 47 as the bacterial disease spreads through the country and towards the capital Antananarivo.

(Source: ProMED-mail 25 November 2014)

 

Benin: Lassa Fever

The Benin government announced on 21 November 2014 that 2 people have died of Lassa Fever.

(Source: ProMED-mail 24 November 2014)

 

Samoa: Chikungunya Fever [Update]

There have been more than 2500 cases of Chikungunya Fever in Samoa.

(Source: ProMED-mail 24 November 2014)

 

India: Avian Influenza, poultry

An outbreak of highly pathogenic H5 avian influenza virus infection was reported in a duck farm of Kerala, India.

(Source: World Organisation for Animal Health 25 November 2014)