Travel Health Service Year 2015

Travel Health News(31 March 2015 - 6 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	529	World Health Organization, 24 March 2015
Brazil	224,101	World Health Organization, 23 March 2015
Cambodia	275	World Health Organization, 24 March 2015
Guangdong Taiwan	16 147	Department of Health of Guangdong Province, 13 March 2015 CDC, ROC (Taiwan), 27 March 2015
India	1,938	Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, India, 28 Februray 2015
Japan	39	National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Japan, 24 March 2015
Lao PDR	96	World Health Organization, 24 March 2015
Malaysia	30,033	World Health Organization, 24 March 2015
Mexico	9,491	World Health Organization, 23 March 2015
Philippines	14,672	World Health Organization, 24 March 2015
Singapore	2,112	Singapore National Environment Agency,26 March 2015
Sri Lanka	11,238	Ministry of Health, Sri Lanka,26 March 2015
Thailand	5,571	Ministry of Public Health, Thailand, 25 March 2015
Vietnam	5,263	World Health Organization, 24 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.

Mainland: Avian Influenza, human

The Centre for Health Protection of the Department of Health is today (April 5) closely monitoring an additional human case of avian influenza A(H7N9) in the Mainland, and again urged the public to maintain strict personal, food and environmental hygiene both locally and during travel. According to the Shanghai Municipal Commission of Health and Family Planning, a male patient aged 52 was hospitalised for management in stable condition.

(Source: The Centre for Health Protection of the Department of Health 5 April 2015)

Mainland: Avian Influenza, human

The Centre for Health Protection of the Department of Health today (April 3) received notification from the National Health and Family Planning Commission (NHFPC) of a human case of avian influenza A(H5N1) affecting a boy aged six in Yunnan. According to the information provided by NHFPC, the patient lives in Chuxiong and has presented with fever on March 23. He attended a local hospital on March 25 and has currently recovered after treatment. His specimen, which was tested by the relevant authority, was positive for avian influenza A(H5N1).

(Source: The Centre for Health Protection of the Department of Health 3 April 2015)

India: Crimean-Congo Haemorrhagic Fever

A 27-year-old man from Kutch district of Gujarat state in India who died on 26 March 2015 had contracted Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever.

(Source: ProMED-mail 30 March 2015)

Romania: Avian Influenza, poultry

An outbreak of highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza virus infection was reported in wild bird in Constanta, Romania.

(Source: ProMED-mail 30 March 2015)

India: Anthrax

A total of 5 people in a village of Odisha, India suffering from anthrax were hospitalized on 28 March 2015. They might have contracted the disease after feasting on cattle meat.

(Source: ProMED-mail 30 March 2015)

USA: Measles [Update]

From January 1 to March 27, 2015, 178 people from 17 states and the District of Columbia were reported to have measles. Most of these cases were part of a large, ongoing multi-state outbreak linked to an amusement park in California.

(Source: Centres for Disease Control and Prevention 30 March 2015)

Guinea: Ebola virus disease [Update]

Guinea has reported a cumulative total of 3,485 cases of Ebola virus disease (EVD), including 2,305 deaths.

(Source: World Health Organization 30 March 2015)

Liberia: Ebola virus disease [Update]

The total number of Ebola virus disease (EVD) reported in Liberia is 9,602 including 4,301 deaths.

(Source: World Health Organization 30 March 2015)

Sierra Leone: Ebola virus disease [Update]

Sierra Leone has reported a cumulative total of 11,943 cases of Ebola virus disease (EVD), including 3,792 deaths.

(Source: World Health Organization 30 March 2015)

USA: Avian Influenza, poultry

A second case of avian influenza A (H5N2) has been confirmed in a commercial turkey flock in Minnesota, USA.