Travel Health Service Year 2024

Current Travel Health News

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.

Detailed information on the latest Dengue fever situation in Hong Kong, as well as neighbouring and overseas countries and areas, can be found at the Centre for Health Protection’s website: https://www.chp.gov.hk/files/pdf/df_imported_cases_and_overseas_figures_eng.pdf

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 Mpox (also known as monkeypox) when travelling abroad

Mpox (also known as monkeypox) is a zoonotic disease caused by Mpox 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 2022, multiple outbreaks wer e 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 Mpox, 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

 

United Kingdom: Norovirus Infection

9 December 2024

Public health Scotland has reported a 13 percent increase in norovirus infections in 2024 to date compared to 2023.

(Source: Outbreak News Today 8 December 2024)

 

USA: Measles and Pertussis [Update]

9 December 2024

The measles outbreak in Minnesota, which occurred from May to Sept., has officially ended with 52 reported cases, the Minnesota Department of Health announced.

Pertussis, or whooping cough cases are still rising across Minnesota. As of December 5, 2,324 total confirmed/probable cases have been reported.


(Source: Outbreak News Today 8 December 2024)

 

USA: Avian Influenza [Update]

9 December 2024

Arizona state health officials reported yesterday on the first human H5 avian influenza cases in Arizona.

(Source: Outbreak News Today 7 December 2024)

 

Portugal: Hepatitis A

9 December 2024

An outbreak of hepatitis A is still active in the Algarve region of Portugal, with a total of 25 cases to date, with the first case reported on August 15, 2024 and the most recent on November 26.

(Source: Outbreak News Today 7 December 2024)

 

India: Melioidosis

9 December 2024

The All India Institute of Medical Sciences Jodhpur, is reporting cases of Melioidosis in the northwestern Indian state of Rajasthan for the first time.

(Source: Outbreak News Today 7 December 2024)

 

Philippines: Dengue Fever [Update]

9 December 2024

The Philippines Department of Health has reported a significant increase in dengue fever cases during the first 11 months of 2024, according to the latest data. Officials report 14,998 dengue fever cases, including 28 deaths through the third week of November.

(Source: Outbreak News Today 6 December 2024)

 

Norway: Salmonella

9 December 2024

The Norwegian Institute of Public Health is investigating a national outbreak caused by the gastrointestinal bacterium Salmonella Newport. So far, infection has been detected in 23 people living in several counties. Organic alfalfa sprouts are suspected as the source of the outbreak.

(Source: Outbreak News Today 4 December 2024)

 

Democratic Republic of the Congo: unknown disease

5 December 2024

The Democratic Republic of the Congo is investigating the cause of an outbreak of an unknown disease centered in Kwango province that has so far sickened at least 376 people, with death counts ranging from 67 to 143, since late October.

(Source: CIDRAP 5 December 2024)

 

Czech Republic: Pertussis [Update]

5 December 2024

From the beginning of the year to December 1, officials in the Czech Republic reported a total of 36,149 cases of pertussis, or whooping cough.

(Source: Outbreak News Today 4 December 2024)

 

India: Japanese Encephalitis

5 December 2024

Officials in India have reported a Japanese encephalitis case for the first time in over a decade in the capital city of New Delhi.

(Source: Outbreak News Today 4 December 2024)

 

Vietnam: Measles [Update]

5 December 2024

The Ho Chi Minh City Department of Health reports 319 measles cases during the last week of November, an increase of 58.1% compared to the average of the previous 4 weeks.

(Source: Outbreak News Today 4 December 2024)

 

USA: Dengue Fever [Update]

5 December 2024

Officials with the Florida Department of Health reported four additional locally transmitted dengue fever cases in Miami-Dade County during the last week of November.

(Source: Outbreak News Today 4 December 2024)

 

Pakistan: Poliomyelitis [Update]

5 December 2024

After recording just six cases of polio, wild poliovirus type 1 in 2023, Pakistan has already reached at least 59 polio cases this year.

(Source: Outbreak News Today 3 December 2024)

 

Brazil: Dengue Fever, Chikungunya, Zika and Oropouche fever [Update]

5 December 2024

Data from the Arbovirus Monitoring Panel show that, in 2024, Espírito Santo recorded 152,800 probable cases of dengue fever, in addition to 40 confirmed deaths and seven under investigation. The incidence rate in the state is almost 4,000 cases of the disease for every group of 100,000 inhabitants.

Of the 9,600 cases of Oropouche fever registered in the country this year, Espírito Santo is responsible for 1,763 cases.

Among the 363,500 probable cases of chikungunya, the state accounts for 13,309.

Finally, of the 6,400 probable cases of Zika, 516 infections were identified in the state.


(Source: Outbreak News Today 3 December 2024)