Current Travel Health News
Travel Health News Digest (30 September 2014 - 6 October 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 |
1,245 |
World Health Organization, 23 September 2014 |
Brazil |
511,080 |
World Health Organization, 22 September 2014 |
Cambodia |
2,349 |
World Health Organization, 23 September 2014 |
Guangdong
Taiwan |
20,132
3,978 |
Department of Health of Guangdong Province, 5 October 2014
CDC, ROC (Taiwan), 6 October 2014 |
India |
5,218 |
Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, India, 31 July 2014 |
Japan |
276 |
National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Japan, 30 September 2014 |
Lao PDR |
1,432 |
World Health Organization, 23 September 2014 |
Malaysia |
72,603 |
World Health Organization, 23 September 2014 |
Mexico |
61,378 |
World Health Organization, 22 September 2014 |
New Caledonia |
105 |
World Health Organization, 23 September 2014 |
Philippines |
59,943 |
World Health Organization, 23 September 2014 |
Singapore |
15,729 |
Singapore National Environment Agency, 3 October 2014 |
Sri Lanka |
31,742 |
Ministry of Health, Sri Lanka, 3 October2014 |
Thailand |
25,955 |
Ministry of Public Health, Thailand, 1 October 2014 |
Vietnam |
15,401 |
World Health Organization, 23 September 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:Dengue Fever [Update]
As of 5 October a total 20,132 of cases of
Dengue Fever had been recorded in Guangdong,
Mainland this year. Guangzhou alone reported 16,966 cases. The numbers of cases in other places in Guangdong are as follows: Foshan 1,912cases, Zhongshan 300cases, Jiangmen 281 cases, Zhuhai 165 cases, Dongguan 106 cases, Shenzhen 86 cases, Yangjiang 72 cases, Zhaoqing 69 cases, Qingyuan 41 cases, Shantou 39 cases, Zhanjiang 37 cases, Maoming 23 cases, Chaozhou 9 cases, Jieyang 9 cases, Heyuan 6 cases, Yunfu 5 cases, Shanwei 3 cases, Huizhou 2 cases and Shaoguan 1 case.
(Source: Department of Health of Guangdong Province 5 October 2014)
Mainland: Plague
A 45-year-old man in northwest
Mainland Gansu province has died of
plague, the 2nd death of its kind in 2014. The case was reported in Subei County under the jurisdiction of Jiuquan City.
(Source: ProMED-mail 5 October 2014)
Guinea: Ebola virus disease [Update]
Guinea has reported a cumulative total of 1,199 cases of
Ebola virus disease (EVD), including 739 deaths.
(Source: World Health Organization 3 October 2014)
Sierra Leone: Ebola virus disease [Update]
Sierra Leone has reported a cumulative total of 2,437 cases of
Ebola virus disease (EVD), including 623 deaths.
(Source: World Health Organization 3 October 2014)
Liberia: Ebola virus disease [Update]
The total number of
Ebola virus disease (EVD) reported in
Liberia is 3,834 including 2,069 deaths.
(Source: World Health Organization 3 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 70 including 43 deaths.
(Source: World Health Organization 3 October 2014)
Mainland:Dengue Fever [Update]
As of 4 October a total of 18,866 cases of Dengue Fever had been recorded in Guangdong,
Mainland this year. Guangzhou alone reported 15,912cases. The numbers of cases in other places in Guangdong are as follows Foshan 1,803 cases, Zhongshan 284cases, Jiangmen 268 cases, Zhuhai 151 cases, Dongguan94 cases, Shenzhen76 cases, Yangjiang 62 cases, Zhaoqing 57 cases, Qingyuan 36 cases, Shantou 34 cases, Zhanjiang 32 cases, Maoming 23 cases, Chaozhou 9 cases, Jieyang 9 cases, Heyuan 7 cases, Yunfu 5 cases, Shanwei 3 cases and Huizhou 1 case.
(Source: Department of Health of Guangdong Province 4 October 2014)
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia: Middle East Respiratory Syndrome
The Department of Health (DH) is today (October 3) closely monitoring 15 additional cases of
Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) reported to the World Health Organization (WHO) by the
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), and hence called on the public to stay alert and maintain good personal, food and environmental hygiene during travel.
KSA
According to the WHO, the 15 cases (including four deaths) were reported from August 11 to September 28. The age ranges from 27 to 76 and 14 are men. Among the cases, nine had one or more co-morbidities, four had animal contact or consumed raw camel milk, and five are health-care workers (HCWs). In addition, four previously confirmed cases in June and July died.
The WHO also reported that a previously confirmed patient in Greece died. To date, 853 laboratory confirmed MERS cases have been reported to the WHO globally, including at least 301 deaths.
(Source: The Centre for Health Protection of the Department of Health 3 October 2014)
Mainland: Dengue Fever [Update]
As of 3 October a total of 17,684 cases of
dengue fever had been recorded in Guangdong,
Mainland this year. Guangzhou alone reported 14,941 cases. The numbers of cases in other places in Guangdong are as follows: Foshan 1,700 cases, Zhongshan 270 cases, Jiangmen 258 cases, Zhuhai 145cases, Dongguan 84 cases, Shenzhen 60 cases, Yangjiang 56 cases, Zhaoqing 41 cases, Qingyuan 34 cases, Shantou 33 cases, Zhanjiang 20 cases, Maoming 17 cases, Chaozhou 9 cases, Yunfu 5 cases, Jieyang 5 cases, Heyuan 3 cases, Shanwei 2 cases and Huizhou 1 case.
(Source: Department of Health of Guangdong Province 3 October 2014)
Austria: Middle East Respiratory Syndrome
The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health (DH) today (October 2) received notification from the Western Pacific Regional Office (WPRO) of the World Health Organization (WHO) of a confirmed case of
Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) in
Austria, in which a close contact of the patient was a Hong Kong resident.
According to the WPRO, the patient is a 29-year-old female citizen of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. She travelled to Vienna, Austria on a flight from Doha, Qatar on September 22. She was symptomatic with an upper respiratory infection and fever prior to arrival in Austria. She was admitted to a local private hospital on September 26 and was laboratory confirmed on September 29. She is in stable condition. The WPRO notified the CHP today that a close contact of the patient was a Hong Kong resident who sat within two rows from the patient on the same flight.
"Acting on the information provided by the WPRO, the CHP has successfully contacted this Hong Kong passenger, a 37-year-old man, who is now asymptomatic in Poland. He is a tour group leader. The CHP is contacting the health authorities of Poland and will follow up on the case and provide necessary assistance as needed," a spokesman for the CHP said.
Furthermore, there are 42 tour group members who travelled with the tour group leader but all of them were not seated within two rows from the patient on the same flight and hence they are not classified as close contact of the patient. They will come back to Hong Kong from Poland on October 4 as scheduled. As a precautionary measure, they will be put under medical surveillance upon arrival in Hong Kong.
(Source: The Centre for Health Protection of the Department of Health 2 October 2014)
USA: Enterovirus Infection [Update]
From mid-August to 2 October 2014, a total of 514 people from 43 states and the District of Columbia of the United States of America were confirmed to have respiratory illness caused by EV-D68. The 43 states are Alabama, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.
(Source: Centres for Disease Control and Prevention 2 October 2014)
Ghana: Cholera [Update]
The number of
cholera cases reported in
Ghana was17,000 with 150 deaths.
(Source: ProMED-mail 2 October 2014)
Guinea: Ebola virus disease [Update]
Guinea has reported a cumulative total of 1,157 cases of
Ebola virus disease (EVD), including 710 deaths.
(Source: World Health Organization 1 October 2014)
Sierra Leone: Ebola virus disease [Update]
Sierra Leone has reported a cumulative total of 2,304 cases of
Ebola virus disease (EVD), including 622 deaths.
(Source: World Health Organization 1 October 2014)
Liberia: Ebola virus disease [Update]
The total number of
Ebola virus disease (EVD) reported in
Liberia is 3,696 including 1,998 deaths.
(Source: World Health Organization 1 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 70 including 42 deaths.
(Source: World Health Organization 1 October 2014)
India: Rabies
As of today, 4 people have died from
rabies in Coimbatore of Tamil Nadu of
India.
(Source: ProMED-mail 30 September 2014)
Russia: Avian Influenza, poultry
Russia reported
Avian Influenza H5N1 outbreak in two villages in Altayskiy Kray which led to the death or culling of 344 birds. The outbreaks were thought to have come from wild birds.
(Source: World Organization for Animal Health 30 September 2014)
USA: Ebola virus disease
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed the first case of
Ebola virus disease (EVD) to be diagnosed in the
USA in a person who had travelled to Dallas, Texas from Liberia. The patient did not have symptoms when leaving West Africa, but developed symptoms approximately four days after arriving in USA on 20 September. He fell ill on 24 September and was admitted to hospital on 28 September.
(Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 30 September 2014)
Mainland: Dengue Fever [Update]
As of 30 September a total of 13,449 cases of
Dengue Fever had been recorded in Guangdong,
Mainland this year. Guangzhou alone reported 11,309 cases. The numbers of cases in other places in Guangdong are as follows: Foshan 1,389 cases, Zhongshan 226 cases, Jiangmen 187 cases, Zhuhai 109 cases, Dongguan 54 cases, Shenzhen 36 cases, Yangjiang 34 cases, Qingyuan 23 cases, Zhaoqing 19 cases, Shantou 19 cases, Maoming 14 cases, Chaozhou 8 cases, Zhanjiang 6 cases, Yunfu 6 cases, Shanwei 3 cases, Huizhou 3 cases, Jieyang 2 cases and Heyuan 2 cases.
(Source: Department of Health of Guangdong Province 30 September 2014)
Macau: Dengue Fever
The health authority of Macau recorded a second locally acquired case of
dengue fever, in
Macau. The local case of dengue fever reported in Macau involves a 61-year-old woman.
(Source: Serviços de Saúde do Governo da Região Administrativa Especial de Macau 29 September 2014)
Mainland: Dengue Fever [Update]
(Source: Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention 29 September 2014)
Mainland: Dengue Fever [Update]
As of 29 September a total of 11,867 cases of
dengue fever had been recorded in Guangdong,
Mainland this year. Guangzhou alone reported 9,987cases. The numbers of cases in other places in Guangdong are as follows: Foshan 1,254 cases, Zhongshan 207 cases, Jiangmen 139 cases, Zhuhai 96 cases, Dongguan 44 cases, Shenzhen 28 cases, Yangjiang 25 cases, Qingyuan23 cases, Shantou 16 cases, Zhaoqing 14 cases, Maoming 12 cases, Zhanjiang 7 cases, Yunfu 5 cases, Jieyang 3 cases, Chaozhou 3 cases, Shanwei 2 cases, Huizhou 1 case and Heyuan 1 case.
(Source: Department of Health of Guangdong Province 29 September 2014)