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 01/01/2018 *

	Cumulative reported no. of cases since 01/01/2018	Source of information and date of report
Australia	300	World Health Organization, 7 June 2018
Brazil	110,291	World Health Organization, 14 June 2018
Cambodia	960	World Health Organization, 7 June 2018
Guangdong	38	Health and Family Planning Commission of Guangdong Province, 14 June 2018
India	5,613	Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, India, 29 April 2018
Japan	53	National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Japan, 12 June 2018
Lao PDR	656	World Health Organization, 7 June 2018
Macau	0”	Health Bureau of Macau, 21 April 2018
Malaysia	24,095	World Health Organization, 7 June 2018
Mexico	9,632	World Health Organization, 14 June 2018
Philippines	20,108	World Health Organization, 7 June 2018
Singapore	1,223^@	Singapore National Environment Agency, 14 June 2018
Sri Lanka	22,521	Ministry of Health, Sri Lanka, 14 June 2018
Taiwan	0”	CDC, ROC (Taiwan), 7 June 2018
Thailand	17,302	Ministry of Public Health, Thailand, 13 June 2018
Vietnam	20,522	World Health Organization, 7 June 2018

* Dengue reporting systems vary by country/area.
@ Cumulative cases since 31 December 2017.
“ Locally-acquired

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.

EI Salvador: Typhoid

EI Salvador reported an epidemic outbreak of typhoid fever that has affected some 26 municipalities in the country. So far, there have been 644 suspected cases of typhoid fever recorded.

(Source: Outbreak News Today 18 June 2018)

Saudi Arabia: Middle East Respiratory Syndrome

Between 12 January through 31 May 2018, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia reported 75 laboratory confirmed cases of Middle East respiratory syndrome, including 23 deaths.

(Source: World Health Organization 18 June 2018)

Taiwan: Japanese Encephalitis [Update]

Taiwan reported 7 new Japanese encephalitis cases last week. As of 12 June 2018, a total of 12 Japanese encephalitis cases, including 6 in Kaohsiung City, 2 in Chiayi County, 1 in Pingtung County, 1 in Tainan City, 1 in Changhua County, and 1 in Taichung City, have been confirmed in Taiwan this year. All 12 cases live in or work near a high risk environment where there are vector breeding sites nearby.

(Source: Outbreak News Today 17 June 2018)

Pakistan: Poliomyelitis [Update]

Pakistan has reported 1 new case of wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) this week, bringing the total number of officially reported WPV1 cases in 2018 to 3.

(Source: ProMED-mail 16 June 2018)

Democratic Republic of Congo: Ebola Virus Disease [Update]

The Democratic Republic of Congo updated their Ebola case count to 66 cases, including 38 confirmed, 14 probable, and 14 suspected; the 10 latest suspected cases were from Bikoro, Iboko and Wangata.

(Source: ProMED-mail 14 June 2018)

Uganda: Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever

Experts are closely monitoring 5 people at an isolation centre set up in Mubende district. This was after a patient succumbed to Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF), a 35-year old man who was on 23 May 2018 referred to Mubende Regional Referral Hospital.

(Source: ProMED-mail 14 June 2018)

USA : Salmonella Mbandaka

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports investigating a multistate outbreak of Salmonella Mbandaka infections linked to Kellogg’s Honey Smacks cereal. To date, there have been 73 ill people reported from 31 states, including 24 people who have been hospitalized. No deaths have been reported.

(Source: Outbreak News Today 14 June 2018)

USA: Plague

Idaho in USA reported its first confirmed human case of plague since 1992. The affected child may contract plague in Idaho or during a recent visit to Oregon. Both states have reported plague in wildlife.

(Source: Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy 13 June 2018)

Kenya: Cholera [Update]

Kenya Ministry of Health updated the outbreak situation of cholera recently. A total of 4,954 cholera cases had been reported in 2018 to date, including 75 deaths.

(Source: Outbreak News Today 13 June 2018)

Democratic Republic of Congo: Ebola Virus Disease [Update]

The Democratic Republic of Congo updated their Ebola case count to 55, including 28 deaths. There are now 38 confirmed cases, 14 probable cases, and 3 suspected cases.

(Source: Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy 12 June 2018)

Kenya: Rift Valley Fever

Kenya reported a Rift Valley fever outbreak. As of June 8, 10 suspected cases have been reported, including 5 deaths. One index case had reportedly eaten meat from a sick camel. Kenya's livestock ministry also reported a suspected Rift Valley fever outbreak in camels to the World Organization for Animal Health on June 8.

(Source: Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy 12 June 2018)