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

Ghana: Dengue Fever

15 July 2024

The National Surveillance System in Ghana reported detecting unusual cases of a malaria-like illness in some districts of the Eastern Region. Samples from the patients were sent to the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research for testing. Nine of the cases tested positive for Dengue and are being managed as non-severe cases at home.

(Source: Outbreak News Today 14 July 2024)

South Africa: Mpox (Monkeypox) [Update]

15 July 2024

The South Africa Department of Health calls for the public to maintain vigilance and never lower their guard against Mpox disease, as the country remains on high alert for a possible surge. Two more laboratory-confirmed cases of Mpox have been recorded this week and available scientific data suggests that the disease is transmitting from person-to-person within the borders of the country.

(Source: Outbreak News Today 14 July 2024)

Senegal: Rift Valley Fever

15 July 2024

The Senegal Ministry of Health reported one confirmed case of Rift Valley fever in Kidira district, Tambacounda region.

(Source: Outbreak News Today 13 July 2024)

USA: Hantavirus Infection [Update]

15 July 2024

Health officials in Arizona, USA are reporting an increase in Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, or hantavirus infections this year.

(Source: Outbreak News Today 13 July 2024)

USA: West Nile Virus Infection

15 July 2024

Oklahoma state health officials report the first human case, and death, caused by West Nile Virus in a Southwest Oklahoma USA resident.

(Source: Outbreak News Today 12 July 2024)

Ethiopia: Malaria

15 July 2024

Ethiopia is reporting an increasing trend in Malaria since late April, according to the World Health Organization. Since the beginning of the year, there has been a total of 2,321,931 cases of malaria and 409 related deaths in Ethiopia.

(Source: Outbreak News Today 12 July 2024)

USA: Measles [Update]

12 July 2024

Vermont health officials confirmed a second case of measles in Vermont, USA. The individual was exposed while in the Hanover, New Hampshire area in late June.

(Source: Outbreak News Today 9 July 2024)

Comoros: Cholera [Update]

12 July 2024

In a follow-up on the cholera outbreak in the Comoros, since the declaration of the cholera epidemic on 2 February 2024, and as of 30 June, Comoros has recorded 10,142 suspected cases of cholera and 147 deaths, representing a 1.45% case fatality rate (CFR).

(Source: Outbreak News Today 11 July 2024)

Vietnam: Diphtheria, Japanese encephalitis, Streptococcus suis meningitis [Update]

12 July 2024

Health authorities in Bac Giang province of Vietnam report that 15 contacts in close contact with an 18-year-old female student with diphtheria in Hiep Hoa district have been quarantined and monitored.

Since the beginning of the year, Dak Lak province has recorded 2 cases of Japanese encephalitis.

A 58-year-old man was confirmed to have meningitis caused by Streptococcus suis infection after consuming pig intestines.

(Source: Outbreak News Today 8 July 2024)

Cambodia: Avian influenza [Update]

12 July 2024

In a follow-up on a report this weekend, Cambodian health authorities reported an additional human case of H5N1 avian influenza. The latest case is in a 5-year-old girl from Po village, Preah Bat Choan Chum commune, Kirivong district, Takeo province.

(Source: Outbreak News Today 8 July 2024)

South Africa: Mpox (monkeypox)

12 July 2024

The World Health Organization (WHO) today posted an outbreak notice about a spike in mpox cases in South Africa, which since early May has resulted in 20 confirmed illnesses, 3 of them fatal. The cases were reported in three of the country's nine provinces: Gauteng, Western Cape, and KwaZulu-Natal.

(Source: CIDRAP 9 July 2024)