Travel Health Service Year 2017

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 01/01/2016 *

	Cumulative reported no. of cases since 01/01/2016	Source of information and date of report
India	111,880	Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, India, 31 December 2016

Cumulative reported number of dengue cases since 01/01/2017 *

	Cumulative reported no. of cases since 01/01/2017	Source of information and date of report
Australia	452	World Health Organization, 9 May 2017
Brazil	70,843	World Health Organization, 20 April 2017
Cambodia	256	World Health Organization, 9 May 2017
Guangdong	27	Health and Family Planning Commission of Guangdong Province, 12 May 2017
Japan	63^#	National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Japan, 16 May 2017
Lao PDR	727	World Health Organization, 9 May 2017
Malaysia	31,319	World Health Organization, 9 May 2017
Mexico	8,222	World Health Organization, 20 April 2017
Philippines	26,433	World Health Organization, 9 May 2017
Singapore	1,016	Singapore National Environment Agency, 18 May 2017
Sri Lanka	47,387	Ministry of Health, Sri Lanka, 17 May 2017
Taiwan	1”	CDC, ROC (Taiwan), 18 May 2017
Thailand	10,343	Ministry of Public Health, Thailand, 17 May 2017
Vietnam	26,205	World Health Organization, 9 May 2017

Remarks:
* Dengue reporting systems vary by country.
“ Locally-acquired
# Cumulative cases since 2 January 2017.

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.

Latvia: Tick-borne Encephalitis

Latvia reported 2 cases of tick-borne encephalitis.

(Source: ProMED-mail 22 May 2017)

[Editor's note: Tick-borne encephalitis is a viral infection. It is transmitted by bite of infective ticks. The incubation period ranges from 7 to 14 days. Patients may present with fever, malaise, headache, muscle pain, nausea, vomiting, neck stiffness, confusion, and paralysis. Travellers should adopt measures similar to the protection against mosquitoes to avoid tick bites.]

Taiwan: Japanese Encephalitis

The Taiwan Centers for Disease Control announced this year’s first case of Japanese encephalitis in a 50-year-old male who resides in Kaohsiung City. According to the epidemiological investigation, the case had not recently travelled overseas.

(Source: Taiwan Centers for Disease Control 22 May 2017)

Pakistan: Chikungunya Fever [Update]

Since 1 January 2017, 2,722 cases of Chikungunya fever were reported in Pakistan.

(Source: ProMED-mail 22 May 2017)

Yemen: Cholera [Update]

There were more than 29,300 suspected cases of cholera in Yemen.

(Source: ProMED-mail 22 May 2017)

Kenya: Cholera

A total of 5 cholera cases have been hospitalised in Nairobi, Kenya.

(Source: ProMED-mail 20 May 2017)

Democratic Republic of Congo: Ebola virus disease [Update]

A total of 29 cases of Ebola virus disease were reported in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

(Source: Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy 19 May2017)

Niger: Meningococcal meningitis

Since January 2017, a total of 3,037 suspected cases of meningococcal meningitis, including 179 deaths, were reported in Niger.

(Source: ProMED-mail 19 May 2017)

South Africa: Malaria

Since there was large amount of rain, travellers going to Kruger National Park in South Africa are reminded to adopt anti-mosquito measures to prevent malaria.

(Source: ProMED-mail 19 May 2017)

Mainland: Avian Influenza, human [Update]

The Centre for Health Protection of the Department of Health is monitoring notification from the National Health and Family Planning Commission that 16 additional human cases of avian influenza A(H7N9), including two deaths, were recorded from May 12 to 17, and strongly urged the public to maintain strict personal, food and environmental hygiene both locally and during travel.

The 11 male and five female patients, aged 30 to 84, had onset from April 29 to May 13, of whom six were from Hebei, two from Shandong and one each from Beijing, Chongqing, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Anhui, Hunan, Shaanxi and Sichuan. Among them, 15 were known to have exposure to poultry, poultry markets or mobile stalls.

(Source: Centre for Health Protection of Department of Health 19 May 2017)

Bangladesh: Chikungunya Fever

Mosquito-borne chikungunya fever is spreading in Dhaka, the capital city in Bangladesh in this summer [2017].

(Source: ProMED-mail 18 May 2017)

Democratic Republic of Congo: Ebola virus disease [Update]

The World Health Organization continues to monitor the outbreak of Ebola virus disease (EVD) in the north east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. As of 16 May 2017, 21 suspected EVD cases including 3 deaths have been reported.

(Source: ProMED-mail 18 May 2017)

Mainland: Avian influenza, human [Update]

The Centre for Health Protection of the Department of Health is closely monitoring the first human cases of avian influenza A(H7N9) in Shanxi, and again urged the public to maintain strict personal, food and environmental hygiene both locally and during travel.

According to the Health and Family Planning Commission of Shanxi Province, the patient is a woman, aged 66, in Datong. She is in a serious condition.

(Source: Centre for Health Protection of Department of Health 17 May 2017)

Brazil: Yellow Fever [Update]

As of 12 May 2017, there are 756 cases of yellow fever in Brazil, mostly in the southeast from the country.

(Source: ProMED-mail 16 May 2017)

USA: Measles [Update]

As of 12 May 2017, 58 cases of measles have been reported in Minnesota, USA. 88% of the cases were unvaccinated.

(Source: ProMED-mail 16 May 2017)

Tajikistan: Measles

From April 2017 to 1 May 2017, 345 cases of measles have been reported in Tajikistan. More than 80% of the cases were unvaccinated.

(Source: ProMED-mail 16 May 2017)