Current Travel Health News
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. 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.
For more information on dengue fever, including the latest situation in neighbouring and overseas countries and areas, please visit the Centre for Health Protection’s thematic webpage at https://www.chp.gov.hk/en/features/38847.html
Take precautions against Monkeypox when travelling abroad
Monkeypox is a zoonotic disease caused by Monkeypox virus. Often found in tropical forest regions of Central and West Africa. It is mainly transmitted by contact with infected animals, human-to-human transmission is limited. Incubation period is mainly from 6 to 13 days, symptoms are similar with Smallpox infection, but less severe.
Since 6 May this year, multiple outbreaks were reported in Europe and North America countries, and many patient are self-identified as bisexual or men who have sex with men. Travellers planning to travel in these areas should avoid contact with infected person. Travellers returning from these areas shall notify the doctor to seek medical treatment and inform the travel situation if feeling unwell.
For more information on Monkeypox, including the latest situation in overseas countries or places, please visit the World Health Organization and Hong Kong Centre for Health Protection’s thematic webpages at: https://www.who.int/health-topics/monkeypox#tab=tab_1
https://www.chp.gov.hk/en/features/105683.html
Vietnam: Dengue Fever [Update]
27 June 2022
Vietnam reported more than 10,000 cases of
Dengue fever last week. From the beginning of the year through June 24,
Vietnam had recorded about 77,000 cases of
Dengue fever.
Iraq: Crimean-Congo Haemorrhagic Fever [Update]
27 June 2022
The
Iraq National Center for Prevention and Control of Communicable Diseases have recorded 208 confirmed cases of
Crimean-Congo Haemorrhagic Fever including 35 deaths this year.
Germany: Monkeypox [Update]
27 June 2022
As of June 24, 2022, 676 cases of
Monkeypox were reported in
Germany.
Philippines: Dengue Fever [Update]
27 June 2022
According to the Department of Health of the
Philippines, 34,938
Dengue cases have been reported year to date.
Colombia: Monkeypox
27 June 2022
The Colombia Ministry of Health recorded 3 cases of
Monkeypox in Bogota and Medellin.
Honduras: Dengue Fever [Update]
27 June 2022
To date, the
Honduras Ministry of Health reported a total of 7,264 cases of
Dengue fever.
Mongolia: Anthrax
27 June 2022
According to a Xinhua report, a human
Anthrax case has been reported in Uvs province in western
Mongolia.
USA: Monkeypox [Update]
24 June 2022
In
USA, the
Houston Health Department announced on 18 June a confirmed
Monkeypox infection in a Houston resident with recent international travel.
The
New York City Health Department reports that 30 people in New York City have tested positive for orthopoxvirus. All cases are likely Monkeypox. The current cases are primarily spreading among social networks of gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men.
(Outbreak News Today 21 & 23 June 2022)
South Africa: Monkeypox
24 June 2022
The National Institute for Communicable Diseases in
South Africa confirms that a case of
Monkeypox has been identified on 22 June. The case is a 30-year-old male residing in the Gauteng province. He reports no recent travel history.
France: Monkeypox
24 June 2022
According to Public Health
France, as of 21 June, 277 confirmed cases of
Monkeypox have been reported in France. Among these cases, a first female case has been confirmed, whose mode of transmission is under investigation, and all the others are male.
To date, as in other European countries, these cases have occurred mainly, but not exclusively, in men who have sex with men (MSM), with no direct link to people returning from endemic areas. The majority of cases report multiple sexual partners.
Singapore: Monkeypox
24 June 2022
The
Singapore Ministry of Health has confirmed one imported case of
Monkeypoxinfection. The patient is a 42-year-old male British national who works as a flight attendant. He tested positive for monkeypox on 20 June.
As of 21 June, 13 close contacts have been identified. All close contacts will be placed on quarantine for 21 days since their last contact with the case.
Malaysia: Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease [Update]
24 June 2022
As of 18 June, the
Malaysia Ministry of Health has reported a total of 106,477 cases of
Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease, a 39-fold increase over the same period in 2021.
Taiwan: Japanese Encephalitis
24 June 2022
The
Taiwan Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced the first confirmed case of
Japanese Encephalitis of this year. The case was reported in Tainan City and did not have recent foreign travel history.
Philippines: Dengue Fever [Update]
24 June 2022
Officials in Zamboanga City,
Philippines reported a total of 2,628 cases of
Dengue Fever, so far this year. Bringing the incidence rate to 293.24 per 100,000 population.
As of 4 June, 39,705 cases of Dengue Fever were reported in Philippines.
Singapore: Dengue Fever [Update]
21 June 2022
As of 20 Jun,
Singapore's National Environment Agency reported 16,028 cases of
Dengue Fever infection.
Brazil: Monkeypox [Update]
21 June 2022
The Ministry of Health was notified of the eighth case of
Monkeypox in
Brazil. The patient is a 25-year-old man, resident of Maricá, in the metropolitan region of Rio de Janeiro. He did not travel abroad, but he had contact with foreigners.
Ethiopia: Anthrax
21 June 2022
On 10 June, 9 cases of confirmed
Anthrax were reported in Tigray,
Ethiopia.
Kyrgyzstan: Chickenpox
21 June 2022
The
Kyrgyzstan Department of State Sanitary and Epidemiological Surveillance reported 9,205 cases of
Chickenpox since start of the year. Most of the cases are in children under the age of 14.
Lebanon: Monkeypox
21 June 2022
The
Lebanon Ministry of Public Health reported the first case of
Monkeypox in a person who returned from abroad.
USA: Monkeypox [Update]
21 June 2022
In
USA, the
Maryland Department of Health reported the first case of
Monkeypox infection in an adult resident.
In
Missouri, 1 case of probable Monkeypox infection was reported in a resident with recent out-of-state travel history.
(Outbreak News Today 17 & 19 June 2022)
Pakistan: Cholera
21 June 2022
During 15 January to 27 May, 234 confirmed
Cholera cases were reported in Sindh province,
Pakistan. In addition, Balochistan and Punjab provinces have also reported 31 and 25 confirmed cases of Cholera, respectively. Half of the cases were reported in children under the age of nine. No deaths have been reported.
Vietnam: Dengue Fever [Update]
21 June 2022
The
Vietnam Ministry of Health has recorded more than 60,000 cases of
Dengue Fever, an increase of 97% over the same period last year.
Chile: Monkeypox
21 June 2022
The
Chile Ministry of Health confirmed the first case of
Monkeypox in the country. The patient is a young adult from the Metropolitan Region with a history of travel to Europe.
Philippines: Dengue Fever [Update]
21 June 2022
As of 11 June, 3,844 cases of
Dengue Fever infection were reported in in Northern Mindanao,
Philippines, a 134% increase as compared to same period last year.
Iraq: Crimean-Congo Haemorrhagic Fever [Update]
21 June 2022
The
Iraq National Center for Prevention and Control of Communicable Diseases have recorded 171 confirmed cases of
Crimean-Congo Haemorrhagic Fever including 32 deaths, since the beginning of 2022.
Democratic Republic of the Congo: Typhoid
21 June 2022
As of 22 May, 755,014 suspected cases of
Typhoid infection including 376 deaths were recorded in the
Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Ghana: Monkeypox
21 June 2022
Ghana reported 5 confirmed cases of
Monkeypox out of 12 suspected cases sampled between 24 May and 8 June 2022. These cases were reported from the Eastern, Western, and Greater Accra regions.