Current Travel Health News
Travel Health News(14 April 2015 - 20 April 2015)
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 |
668 |
World Health Organization, 8 April 2015 |
Brazil |
224,101 |
World Health Organization, 14 April 2015 |
Cambodia |
312 |
World Health Organization, 8 April 2015 |
Guangdong
Taiwan |
24
166 |
Department of Health of Guangdong Province, 15 April 2015
CDC, ROC (Taiwan), 20 April 2015 |
India |
2,482 |
Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, India, 28 March 2015 |
Japan |
61 |
National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Japan, 14 April 2015 |
Lao PDR |
124 |
World Health Organization, 8 April 2015 |
Malaysia |
30,890 |
World Health Organization, 8 April 2015 |
Mexico |
13,164 |
World Health Organization, 8 April 2015 |
Philippines |
16,328 |
World Health Organization, 8 April 2015 |
Singapore |
2,480 |
Singapore National Environment Agency, 17 April 2015 |
Sri Lanka |
12,258 |
Ministry of Health, Sri Lanka, 17 April 2015 |
Thailand |
7,281 |
Ministry of Public Health, Thailand, 17 April 2015 |
Vietnam |
5,263 |
World Health Organization, 8 April 2015 |
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.
Canada: Avian Influenza, poultry
An outbreak of highly pathogenic H5N2
avian influenza has been confirmed in a chicken breeding farm in Oxford County, Ontario,
Canada.
(Source: ProMED-mail 19 April 2015)
Burkina Faso: Avian Influenza, poultry
An outbreak of highly pathogenic H5N1
avian influenza has been confirmed in
Burkina Faso with over 202,000 deaths of chicken reported.
(Source: ProMED-mail 19 April 2015)
USA: Pertussis
Public health officials are investigating several cases of
pertussis that have occurred in Transylvania County of North Carolina,
USA in recent months. Five cases have been confirmed since January this year.
(Source: ProMED-mail 18 April 2015)
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia: Middle East Respiratory Syndrome [Update]
The Department of Health (DH) is today (April 17) closely monitoring four additional cases of
Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS), including two deaths, 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.
(Source: The Centre for Health Protection of the Department of Health 17 April 2015)
USA: Avian Influenza, poultry
Outbreaks of highly pathogenic H5N2
avian influenza have been reported from Wisconsin counties affecting turkey and poultry as well as from turkey farms in Minnesota,
USA.
(Source: ProMED-mail 18&19 April 2015)
Guinea: Ebola virus disease [Update]
Guinea has reported a cumulative total of 3,569 cases of
Ebola virus disease (EVD), including 2,351 deaths.
(Source: World Health Organization 17 April 2015)
Sierra Leone: Ebola virus disease [Update]
Sierra Leone has reported a cumulative total of 12,244 cases of
Ebola virus disease (EVD), including 3,865 deaths.
(Source: World Health Organization 17 April 2015)
Bhutan: Avian Influenza, bird
The official in
Bhutan reported an outbreak of highly pathogenic H5N1
Avian Influenza virus infection which caused the death of 16 birds in Thimphu.
(Source: World Organisation for Animal Health 16 April 2015)
Guinea: Ebola virus disease [Update]
Guinea has reported a cumulative total of 3,548 cases of
Ebola virus disease (EVD), including 2,346 deaths.
(Source: World Health Organization 15 April 2015)
Liberia: Ebola virus disease [Update]
The total number of
Ebola virus disease (EVD) reported in
Liberia is 10,042 including 4,486 deaths.
(Source: World Health Organization 15 April 2015)
Sierra Leone: Ebola virus disease [Update]
Sierra Leone has reported a cumulative total of 12,201 cases of
Ebola virus disease (EVD), including 3,857 deaths.
(Source: World Health Organization 15 April 2015)
Nepal: Rabies
A 49-year-old man from Makwanpur district of
Nepal who has been bitten by a stray dog contracted
rabies.
(Source: ProMED-mail 15 April 2015)
India: Avian Influenza, poultry
An outbreak of highly pathogenic H5N1
avian influenza virus infection was reported in Telangana of
India.
(Source: ProMED-mail 14 April 2015)
Palestinian Authority: Avian Influenza, poultry
An outbreak of high pathogenic H5N1
avian influenza virus infection was reported in Gaza Strip of
Palestinian Authority. Samples taken from chickens and waterfowl were found positive for H5N1.
(Source: ProMED-mail 14 April 2015)
Singapore: Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease [Update]
(Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 13 April 2015)
USA: Hantavirus infection
(Source: ProMED-mail 13 April 2015)
Egypt: Avian Influenza, human
In
Egypt, as of 6 April 2015, the Ministry of Health and Population has reported 134 human cases of
avian influenza A(H5N1), including 38 deaths.
(Source: ProMED-mail 13 April 2015)
Guinea: Ebola virus disease [Update]
Guinea has reported a cumulative total of 3,541 cases of
Ebola virus disease (EVD), including 2,342 deaths.
(Source: World Health Organization 13 April 2015)
Sierra Leone: Ebola virus disease [Update]
Sierra Leone has reported a cumulative total of 12,188 cases of
Ebola virus disease (EVD), including 3,854 deaths.
(Source: World Health Organization 13 April 2015)
USA: Avian Influenza, poultry
The
USA Department of Agriculture has confirmed the presence of highly pathogenic H5N2
avian influenza outbreaks in commercial turkey flocks in Minnesota.
(Source: ProMED-mail 12 April 2015)
USA: Pertussis
As many as 63 cases of
pertussis in children have been reported recently by health department in Utah,
USA.
(Source: ProMED-mail 12 April 2015)
Peru: Yellow fever
As of 28 March 2015, 9 cases of Sylvan
yellow fever were reported in the following regions including Loreto, Pasco, Piura, Puno and San Martin of
Peru.
(Source: ProMED-mail 11 April 2015)
Canada: Measles [Update]
An 11th case of
measles has been reported on 10 April 2015 in Metro Vancouver of British Columbia,
Canada.
(Source: ProMED-mail 11 April 2015)
Mainland: Avian Influenza, human
The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health (DH) today (April 10) received notification of 13 additional human cases of
avian influenza A(H7N9) with onset of symptoms between 14 February and 21 March from the National Health and Family Planning Commission, and again urged the public to maintain strict personal, food and environmental hygiene both locally and during travel.
(Source: The Centre for Health Protection of the Department of Health 10 April 2015)
Canada: Avian Influenza, poultry
An outbreak of highly pathogenic H5N2
avian influenza has been confirmed in a turkey farm near Beachville, Ontario,
Canada.
(Source: ProMED-mail 10 April 2015)