Current Travel Health News
Travel Health News(17 March 2015 - 23 March 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 |
478 |
World Health Organization, 10 March 2015 |
Brazil |
103,616 |
World Health Organization, 10 March 2015 |
Cambodia |
174 |
World Health Organization, 10 March 2015 |
Guangdong
Taiwan |
16
145 |
Department of Health of Guangdong Province, 13 March 2015
CDC, ROC (Taiwan), 23 March 2015 |
India |
1,938 |
Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, India, 28 Februray 2015 |
Japan |
35 |
National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Japan, 17 March 2015 |
Lao PDR |
79 |
World Health Organization, 10 March 2015 |
Malaysia |
23,966 |
World Health Organization, 10 March 2015 |
Mexico |
6,982 |
World Health Organization, 10 March 2015 |
Philippines |
3,575 |
World Health Organization, 10 March 2015 |
Singapore |
2,013 |
Singapore National Environment Agency,20 March 2015 |
Sri Lanka |
10,851 |
Ministry of Health, Sri Lanka,20 March 2015 |
Thailand |
4,886 |
Ministry of Public Health, Thailand, 18 March 2015 |
Vietnam |
5,263 |
World Health Organization, 10 March 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.
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia: Middle East Respiratory Syndrome [Update]
The Department of Health (DH) is today (March 21) 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.
(Source: The Centre for Health Protection of the Department of Health 21 March 2015)
Sudan: Measles
As of 15 March 2015, about 1,800 suspected
measles cases, including 803 confirmed fatal cases have been recorded in 12 states in
Sudan. According to the Federal Ministry of Health, the majority of deaths were reported in North, West, and East Darfur.
(Source: ProMED-mail 21 March 2015)
Guinea: Ebola virus disease [Update]
Guinea has reported a cumulative total of 3,404 cases of
Ebola virus disease (EVD), including 2,241 deaths.
(Source: World Health Organization 20 March 2015)
Liberia: Ebola virus disease [Update]
The total number of
Ebola virus disease (EVD) reported in
Liberia is 9,555 including 4,283 deaths.
(Source: World Health Organization 20 March 2015)
Sierra Leone: Ebola virus disease [Update]
Sierra Leone has reported a cumulative total of 11,794 cases of
Ebola virus disease (EVD), including 3,712 deaths.
(Source: World Health Organization 20 March 2015)
Singapore: Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease
The
Singapore Ministry of Health reported that there were 609 cases of
Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease reported last week and almost twice the number of cases compared to the same period last year.
(Source: ProMED-mail 20 March 2015)
Sweden: Avian Influenza, poultry
An outbreak of low pathogenic H5N8
avian influenza virus infection was reported in Stockholm,
Sweden affecting mute swans.
(Source: World Organisation for Animal Health 20 March 2015)
Vietnam: Avian Influenza, poultry
An outbreak of high pathogenic H5N6
avian influenza virus infection was reported in a village in Thanh Hoa,
Vietnam.
(Source: World Organisation for Animal Health 19 March 2015)
India: Avian Influenza, poultry
An outbreak of high pathogenic H5N1
avian influenza virus infection was reported in a village in Uttar Pradesh,
India.
(Source: World Organisation for Animal Health 18 March 2015)
USA: Avian Influenza, poultry
An outbreak of high pathogenic H7N3
avian influenza virus infection was reported in a turkey farm in California,
USA.
(Source: World Organisation for Animal Health 17 March 2015)
Brazil: Q fever
Brazil reported the first case of
Q fever affecting 16 workers in Barbosa.
(Source: ProMED-mail 18 March 2015)
Nigeria: Lassa Fever
As of 8 March 2015,
Nigeria reported 21 cases of
Lassa fever including 1 death.
(Source: ProMED-mail 18 March 2015)
Worldwide: Influenza
The
influenza activity in a number of overseas areas in the northern hemisphere has peaked and has been decreasing while that of the others remain elevated, with A(H3N2) virus predominating so far. Regarding neighbouring areas, the influenza season in Taiwan and Macau persisted. In Taiwan, the percentage positive for influenza viruses stood at a high level of 29.1 per cent in the last week of February.
In Europe, following a consistently high proportion of influenza virus detections of 50 per cent or higher in sentinel specimens since the week ending 25 January, it decreased to 41 per cent in the week ending 8 March, which is however still over the threshold of 10 per cent.
In Japan, the average number of reported ILI cases per sentinel site has been decreasing. The percentage positive for influenza viruses in the United States, Canada and England has also been decreasing.
The public should maintain good personal and environmental hygiene against influenza and other respiratory illnesses.
(Source: The Centre for Health Protection of the Department of Health 18 March 2015)
Guinea: Ebola virus disease [Update]
Guinea has reported a cumulative total of 3,389 cases of
Ebola virus disease (EVD), including 2,224 deaths.
(Source: World Health Organization 18 March 2015)
Liberia: Ebola virus disease [Update]
The total number of
Ebola virus disease (EVD) reported in
Liberia is 9,526 including 4,264 deaths.
(Source: World Health Organization 18 March 2015)
Sierra Leone: Ebola virus disease [Update]
Sierra Leone has reported a cumulative total of 11,751 cases of
Ebola virus disease (EVD), including 3,691 deaths.
(Source: World Health Organization 18 March 2015)
Nigeria: Meningococcal Meningitis
Between 26 January and 5 March 2015, the
Nigeria Centre for Disease Control of the Federal Ministry of Health of Nigeria notified World Health Organization of 652 suspected cases of
meningococcal meningitis, including 50 deaths. Cases have been reported in 10 local government areas of 2 states, Kebbi and Sokoto.
(Source: ProMED-mail 17 March 2015)
United Kingdom: Scarlet Fever
There have been 27 notifications of
scarlet fever in Lincolnshire,
United Kingdom in the first 6 weeks of 2015, compared with 6 during the same period of 2014.
(Source: ProMED-mail 16 March 2015)
Spain: Legionnaires' Disease
The Valencia Department of Health of
Spain has recorded a new case of
legionellosis in Benidorm.
(Source: ProMED-mail 16 March 2015)
Peru: Leptospirosis
Healthcare authorities reported that 2 teenagers from Santa province of
Peru died after acquiring
leptospirosis.
(Source: ProMED-mail 15 March 2015)