Travel Health Service Year 2015

Current Travel Health News

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 01/01/2015 *

	Cumulative reported no. of cases since 01/01/2015	Source of information and date of report
Australia	1,201	World Health Organization, 25 August 2015
Brazil	1,350,676	World Health Organization, 3 September 2015
Cambodia	5,274	World Health Organization, 25 August 2015
Guangdong Chaozhou Taiwan	160^# 9,566^{^}	Guangdong Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 14 September 2015 CDC, ROC (Taiwan), 14 September 2015
India	17,340	Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, India, August 2015
Japan	174	National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Japan, 8 September 2015
Lao PDR	892	World Health Organization, 25 August 2015
Malaysia	75,795	World Health Organization, 25 August 2015
Mexico	90,627	World Health Organization, 3 September 2015
Philippines	48,872	World Health Organization, 25 August 2015
Singapore	6,754	Singapore National Environment Agency, 10 September 2015
Sri Lanka	20,278	Ministry of Health, Sri Lanka, 11 September 2015
Thailand	66,714	Ministry of Public Health, Thailand, 9 September 2015
Vietnam	24,968	World Health Organization, 25 August 2015

Remark:
* Dengue reporting systems vary by country.
# Local cases
^ Cumulative local cases since this summer

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.

Kingdom of Saudi Arabia: Middle East Respiratory Syndrome [Update]

The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health is closely monitoring 25 additional cases of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) reported to the World Health Organization (WHO) by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), and again urged the public to pay special attention to safety during travel, taking due consideration of health risks of the places of visit.

According to the WHO, the patients comprise 16 men and nine women aged from 16 to 76 (median age: 45). Among them, 10 are associated with an outbreak in a hospital in the capital of the KSA, Riyadh; 15 have underlying illnesses; seven are healthcare workers; seven are contacts of previously confirmed patients; two had frequent camel contact and consumption of raw camel milk; and one is pregnant. In addition, five previously confirmed patients died.

(Source: Centre for Health Protection of Department of Health 10 September 2015)

USA: Pertussis

Cases of pertussis have been reported in Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana of USA.

(Source: ProMED-mail 10 September 2015)

Guinea: Ebola virus disease [Update]

Guinea has reported a cumulative total of 3,791 cases of Ebola virus disease (EVD), including 2,530 deaths.

(Source: World Health Organization 10 September 2015)

Sierra Leone: Ebola virus disease [Update]

Sierra Leone has reported a cumulative total of 13,697 cases of Ebola virus disease (EVD), including 3,953 deaths.

(Source: World Health Organization 10 September 2015)

Kingdom of Saudi Arabia: Middle East Respiratory Syndrome [Update]

Between 26 and 31 August 2015, the National IHR Focal Point for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia notified WHO of 22 additional cases of Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) infection, including 3 deaths. Fifteen (15) of these reported cases are associated with a MERS-CoV outbreak currently occurring in a hospital in Riyadh city.

(Source: World Health Organization 8 September 2015)

Tanzania: Cholera

Health officials of Tanzania notified WHO of new foci of cholera outbreaks. Dar es Salaam, Pwani, Iringa and Morogoro are the new affected areas.

(Source: World Health Organization 8 September 2015)

Madagascar: Plague [Update]

As of 30 August 2015, 14 cases of plague were reported in Madagascar, including 10 deaths. All confirmed cases are of pneumonic form.

(Source: ProMED-mail 8 September 2015)

Spain: Pertussis

Spain reported 4,822 new cases of pertussis in 8 months.

(Source: ProMED-mail 8 September 2015)

Guinea: Ebola virus disease [Update]

Guinea has reported a cumulative total of 3,792 cases of Ebola virus disease (EVD), including 2,530 deaths.

(Source: World Health Organization 8 September 2015)

Sierra Leone: Ebola virus disease [Update]

Sierra Leone has reported a cumulative total of 13,683 cases of Ebola virus disease (EVD), including 3,953 deaths.

(Source: World Health Organization 8 September 2015)