Travel Health Service Year 2024

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

Brazil: Dengue Fever [Update]

9 August 2024

According to the Brazil Ministry of Health, 5,039 deaths from Dengue fever in 2024 have already been recorded. The number is more than four times higher than that recorded throughout the previous year, when 1,179 deaths from the disease were reported.

(Source: Outbreak News Today 8 August 2024)

USA: West Nile Virus Infection [Update]

9 August 2024

Florida state health officials reported the first two human West Nile virus cases of 2024 this past week.

(Source: Outbreak News Today 7 August 2024)

Cambodian: Avian Influenza [Update]

9 August 2024

The Cambodia Ministry of Health has reported two new Human H5N1 avian influenza cases in the past week.

(Source: Outbreak News Today 7 August 2024)

Philippines: Chikungunya Fever [Update]

9 August 2024

The Integrated Provincial Health Office in Zamboanga del Sur, Philippines are reporting a surge in Chikungunya cases this year.

(Source: Outbreak News Today 7 August 2024)

USA: Listeriosis [Update]

9 August 2024

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention today reported 9 more illnesses and one more death in a Listeria monocytogenes outbreak linked to certain meats sliced at delis, raising the national total to 43 infections in USA, 3 of them fatal.

(Source: CIDRAP 9 August 2024)

America: Oropouche Fever

6 August 2024

There are outbreaks of Oropouche fever in parts of Brazil, Bolivia, Colombia, Peru, and Cuba.

On July 17, 2024, The Pan American Health Organization issued an epidemiological alert about possible cases of pregnant mother-to-child transmission of Oropouche virus with adverse pregnancy outcomes in Brazil. These cases are under investigation. It is not clear if infection with Oropouche virus was the cause of negative health outcomes for the fetuses.

(Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 1 August 2024)

Democratic Republic of the Congo: Mpox [Update]

6 August 2024

According to the provincial health division (DPS) in South Kivu province, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), 2,985 cases of monkeypox have already been recorded since January 2024. Among these cases, 20 deaths have already been recorded.

(Source: Outbreak News Today 4 August 2024)

Mali: Meningitis

6 August 2024

The Mali Ministry of Health (MOH) reported an additional 22 bacterial meningitis cases from six regions in the past week, bringing the total for the year to 415 (68 confirmed).

(Source: Outbreak News Today 4 August 2024)

Brazil: Oropouche Fever

6 August 2024

The São Paulo Health Department has reported five cases of Oropouche Fever since Thursday. All five cases are registered in the Ribeira Valley region. By the beginning of July, more than 7,000 Oropouche cases had been confirmed in the country, with autochthonous transmission in at least 16 federative units.

(Source: Outbreak News Today 3 August 2024)

Trinidad and Tobago: Dengue fever

6 August 2024

The Trinidad and Tobago Ministry of Health reported in their latest epidemiological update on August 2, the number of laboratories confirmed dengue fever cases have risen to 635. The death toll remains unchanged at five.

(Source: Outbreak News Today 3 August 2024)

Australia: Legionnaires’ disease

6 August 2024

The Victoria Department of Health has identified an outbreak of Legionnaires’ disease (also known as Legionellosis) with significant increase in the numbers of cases across multiple locations in metropolitan Melbourne since 26 July 2024.To date, there have been 77 confirmed and 7 suspected cases notified since Friday, 26 July, mostly in adults aged over 40 years. All cases have visited or reside in metropolitan Melbourne.

(Source: Outbreak News Today 4 August 2024)

Israel: West Nile Virus Infection [Update]

6 August 2024

The latest from the Israel Ministry of Health on the West Nile virus outbreak shows that through August 4, 784 confirmed cases and 56 deaths have been reported to date.

(Source: Outbreak News Today 31 July 2024)