Current Travel Health News
Travel Health News Digest (28 October 2014 - 3 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 |
1,294 |
World Health Organization, 21 October 2014 |
Brazil |
534,787 |
World Health Organization, 7 October 2014 |
Cambodia |
2,757 |
World Health Organization, 21 October 2014 |
Guangdong
Taiwan |
43,010
8,981 |
Department of Health of Guangdong Province, 3 November 2014
CDC, ROC (Taiwan), 3 November 2014 |
India |
13,911 |
Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, India, 29 September 2014 |
Japan |
315 |
National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Japan, 28 October 2014 |
Lao PDR |
1,561 |
World Health Organization, 21 October 2014 |
Malaysia |
80,578 |
World Health Organization, 21 October 2014 |
Mexico |
67,997 |
World Health Organization, 7 October 2014 |
New Caledonia |
105 |
World Health Organization, 21 October 2014 |
Philippines |
67,781 |
World Health Organization, 21 October 2014 |
Singapore |
16,730 |
Singapore National Environment Agency, 31 October 2014 |
Sri Lanka |
34,963 |
Ministry of Health, Sri Lanka, 31 October 2014 |
Thailand |
30,658 |
Ministry of Public Health, Thailand, 29 October 2014 |
Vietnam |
14,381 |
World Health Organization, 21 October 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.
Mainland: Avian Influenza, human
The Department of Health (DH) is closely monitoring an additional human case of
avian influenza A(H7N9) reported by the Jiangsu Provincial Commission of Health and Family Planning (the Commission). According to the Commission, the patient is a woman aged 58 who visited a market and bought and slaughtered a chicken before onset. She is now hospitalised for treatment and is in critical condition.
To date, 441 human cases of avian influenza A(H7N9) have been confirmed on the Mainland in Zhejiang (139 cases), Guangdong (109 cases), Jiangsu (57 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), Guangxi (three cases), Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region (three cases), Jilin (two cases), Guizhou (one case) and Hebei (one case).
(Source: The Centre for Health Protection of the Department of Health 3 November 2014)
Qatar: Middle East Respiratory Syndrome
The Department of Health (DH) is closely monitoring two cases of
Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) reported to the World Health Organization (WHO) by
Qatar.
According to the WHO, the first patient is a man aged 71 with underlying illnesses from Doha who developed symptoms on October 1 during travel to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. He consulted a health facility there on October 7 as his symptoms worsened, and was transferred to a hospital in Doha. He is now in critical condition. He owns a camel barn and has consumed raw camel milk.
The other patient is a man aged 43 also from Doha with onset on October 14. He attended a healthcare facility on October 17 and 18 and was hospitalised on October 20 as his condition deteriorated. He is now in stable condition. He frequently visited a camel barn during incubation period.
To date, 885 laboratory-confirmed MERS cases have been reported to the WHO globally, including at least 319 deaths.
(Source: The Centre for Health Protection of the Department of Health 1 November 2014)
Guinea: Ebola virus disease [Update]
Guinea has reported a cumulative total of 1,667 cases of
Ebola virus disease (EVD), including 1,018 deaths.
(Source: World Health Organization 31 October 2014)
Sierra Leone: Ebola virus disease [Update]
Sierra Leone has reported a cumulative total of 5,338 cases of
Ebola virus disease (EVD), including 1,510 deaths.
(Source: World Health Organization 31 October 2014)
Mainland: Dengue Fever [Update]
As of 31 October a total of 42,358 cases of
Dengue Fever had been recorded in Guangdong,
Mainland this year. Guangzhou alone reported 35,237 cases. The numbers of cases in other places in Guangdong are as follows: Foshan 3,411 cases, Zhongshan 614 cases, Jiangmen 505 cases, Zhuhai 459 cases, Shenzhen 351 cases, Zhaoqing 268 cases, Qingyuan 256 cases, Dongguan 255 cases, Yangjiang 228 cases, Zhanjiang 203 cases, Shantou 172 cases, Chaozhou 88 cases, Maoming 76 cases, Jieyang 66 cases, Heyuan 27 cases, Huizhou 25 cases, Shaoguan 12 cases, Yunfu 8 cases and Shanwei 7 cases.
(Source: Department of Health of Guangdong Province 31 October 2014)
Mainland: Dengue Fever [Update]
As of 30 October, a total of 42,094 cases of
Dengue Fever had been recorded in Guangdong, Mainland this year. Guangzhou alone reported 35,119 cases. The numbers of cases in other places in Guangdong are as follows: Foshan 3,402 cases, Zhongshan 609 cases, Jiangmen 499 cases, Zhuhai 448 cases, Shenzhen 348 cases, Dongguan 250 cases, Zhaoqing 266 cases, Qingyuan 256 cases, Yangjiang 224 cases, Zhanjiang 201 cases, Shantou 169 cases, Jieyang 66 cases, Maoming 74 cases, Chaozhou 85 cases, Heyuan 27 cases, Huizhou 24 cases, Yunfu 8 cases, Shaoguan 12 cases and Shanwei 7 cases.
(Source: Department of Health of Guangdong Province 30 October 2014)
USA: Enterovirus Infection [Update]
From mid-August to October 30, 2014, CDC or state public health laboratories have confirmed a total of 1,105 people in 47 states and the District of Columbia in USA with respiratory illness caused by EV-D68.
Indonesia: Avian Influenza, human
Indonesia has reported 2 fatal cases of human infection with
avian influenza virus A(H5N1). The two patients were from Bantul.
(Source: ProMED-mail 30 October 2014)
Guinea: Ebola virus disease [Update]
Guinea has reported a cumulative total of 1,906 cases of
Ebola virus disease (EVD), including 997 deaths.
(Source: World Health Organization 29 October 2014)
Sierra Leone: Ebola virus disease [Update]
Sierra Leone has reported a cumulative total of 5,235 cases of
Ebola virus disease (EVD), including 1,500 deaths.
(Source: World Health Organization 29 October 2014)
Liberia: Ebola virus disease [Update]
The total number of
Ebola virus disease (EVD) reported in
Liberia is 6,535 including 2,413 deaths.
(Source: World Health Organization 29 October 2014)
Mainland: Dengue Fever [Update]
As of 28 October, a total of 41,522 cases of
Dengue Fever had been recorded in Guangdong, Mainland this year. Guangzhou alone reported 34,662 cases. The numbers of cases in other places in Guangdong are as follows: Foshan 3,380 cases, Zhongshan 599 cases, Jiangmen 494 cases, Zhuhai 439 cases, Shenzhen 334 cases, Dongguan 250 cases, Zhaoqing 266 cases, Qingyuan 238 cases, Yangjiang 219 cases, Zhanjiang 193 cases, Shantou 162 cases, Jieyang 59 cases, Maoming 69 cases, Chaozhou 80 cases, Heyuan 26 cases, Huizhou 26 cases, Yunfu 8 cases, Shaoguan 11 cases and Shanwei 7 cases.
(Source: Department of Health of Guangdong Province 28 October 2014)
Nigeria: Lassa Fever
An outbreak of
Lassa fever has been reported in Oyo state, South West
Nigeria. A total of 10 cases has been reported so far.
(Source: ProMED-mail 28 October 2014)
Canada: Enterovirus Infection
New Brunswick of Canada has reported its first confirmed case of enterovirus D68.
(Source: ProMED-mail 28 October 2014)
Guinea: Ebola virus disease [Update]
Guinea has reported a cumulative total of 1,553 cases of
Ebola virus disease (EVD), including 926 deaths.
(Source: World Health Organization 25 October 2014)
Sierra Leone: Ebola virus disease [Update]
Sierra Leone has reported a cumulative total of 3,896 cases of
Ebola virus disease (EVD), including 1,281 deaths.
(Source: World Health Organization 25 October 2014)
Liberia: Ebola virus disease [Update]
The total number of
Ebola virus disease (EVD) reported in
Liberia is 4,665 including 2,705 deaths.
(Source: World Health Organization 25 October 2014)
Mali: Ebola virus disease
Mali's Ministry of Health has confirmed the country's first case of
Ebola virus disease. The patient is a two-year-old girl, who recently arrived from Guinea accompanied by her grandmother.
(Source: World Health Organization 24 October 2014)
Pakistan: Poliomyelitis
Four new wild
poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) cases were reported in the past week in
Pakistan. Of these, 3 are from the Federally Administered Tribal Areas and 1 from Lakki Marwat district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province.
(Source: Global Polio Eradication Initiative 22 October 2014)
Democratic Republic of the Congo: Ebola virus disease [Update]
The total number of
Ebola virus disease (EVD) reported in Equateur province of the
Democratic Republic of the Congo is 67 including 49 deaths.
(Source: World Health Organization 21 October 2014)