Travel Health Service Year 2015

Travel Health News(21 April 2015 - 27 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, 21 April 2015
Brazil	224,101	World Health Organization, 14 April 2015
Cambodia	342	World Health Organization, 21 April 2015
Guangdong Taiwan	24 169	Department of Health of Guangdong Province, 15 April 2015 CDC, ROC (Taiwan), 24 April 2015
India	2,482	Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, India, 28 March 2015
Japan	66	National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Japan, 21 April 2015
Lao PDR	182	World Health Organization, 21 April 2015
Malaysia	35,701	World Health Organization, 21 April 2015
Mexico	13,164	World Health Organization, 14 April 2015
Philippines	19,946	World Health Organization, 21 April 2015
Singapore	2,566	Singapore National Environment Agency, 23 April 2015
Sri Lanka	12,611	Ministry of Health, Sri Lanka, 23 April 2015
Thailand	7,867	Ministry of Public Health, Thailand, 22 April 2015
Vietnam	9,237	World Health Organization, 21 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.

Lebanon: Hepatitis A

Health officials in Lebanon has recorded a sharp rise in the number of hepatitis A cases over the past 2 years. There were 1,000 and 2,500 recorded cases of hepatitis A in 2013 and 2014 respectively.

(Source: ProMED-mail 23 April 2015)

USA: Avian Influenza, poultry

Highly pathogenic H5N2 avian influenza has been confirmed at a commercial layer operation in Iowa, USA, affecting a flock of 5.3 million chickens.

(Source: ProMED-mail 23 April 2015)

Taiwan: Avian Influenza, poultry

Outbreaks of low pathogenic H5N2 avian influenza have been reported in farms across Taiwan.

(Source: World Organisation for Animal Health 22 April 2015)

Niger: Avian Influenza, poultry

An Outbreak of highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza has been reported in farm in Maradi, Niger.

(Source: World Organisation for Animal Health 22 April 2015)

Guinea: Ebola virus disease [Update]

Guinea has reported a cumulative total of 3,565 cases of Ebola virus disease (EVD), including 2,358 deaths.

(Source: World Health Organization 22 April 2015)

Liberia: Ebola virus disease [Update]

The total number of Ebola virus disease (EVD) reported in Liberia is 10,212 including 4,573 deaths.

(Source: World Health Organization 22 April 2015)

Sierra Leone: Ebola virus disease [Update]

Sierra Leone has reported a cumulative total of 12,267 cases of Ebola virus disease (EVD), including 3,877 deaths.

(Source: World Health Organization 22 April 2015)

Liberia: Measles

There are about 77 measles cases with 6 deaths reported in Margibi County of Liberia.

(Source: ProMED-mail 21 April 2015)

Philippines: Measles [Update]

So far in 2015, Philippines recorded 201 suspected cases of measles, including 33 confirmed cases and no deaths.

(Source: ProMED-mail 21 April 2015)

Argentina: Leptospirosis

Health officials reported 50 confirmed cases of leptospirosis in Santa Fe province, Argentina during the first quarter of 2015.

(Source: ProMED-mail 20 April 2015)

Nigeria: Cholera

No fewer than 20 people have died in a cholera outbreak in Ebonyi state of Nigeria.

(Source: ProMED-mail 20 April 2015)

Ghana: Cholera

Thirty new cholera cases with a death were recorded in Ghana in the first quarter of 2015.

(Source: ProMED-mail 20 April 2015)

Kenya: Cholera

At least 11 people have been hospitalised following an outbreak of cholera in Mombasa county, Kenya.

(Source: ProMED-mail 20 April 2015)

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