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.
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
USA: Rabies
12 September 2024
A
Nebraska Panhandle person's death is being investigated due to possible
rabies infection, according to the Panhandle Public Health District (PPHD) yesterday.
USA: Dengue Fever, Oropouche fever, Chikungunya Fever and Eastern equine encephalitis [Update]
12 September 2024
State health authorities reported two additional locally acquired dengue fever cases during the past week in Miami-Dade County.
Florida officials reported 23 additional travel associated dengue cases (479 year to date total), one additional travel associated chikungunya case (6) and 16 additional travel associated Oropouche fever cases (48).
Los Angeles County health officials reported the first locally acquired dengue fever case of the year in a resident in the City of Baldwin Park.
The Massachusetts Department of Public Health announced a fourth human case of Eastern equine encephalitis in the state this year.
Canada: Rabies
12 September 2024
Health officials with the
Brant County Health Unit report the confirmation of a human case of
rabies in a resident of Brantford-Brant.
USA: Avian Influenza [Update]
12 September 2024
Missouri health officials and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report the confirmation of a human case of
avian influenza A (H5) case, the first in the state.
USA: Dengue Fever [Update]
12 September 2024
Florida state health officials reported additional autochthonous
dengue fever cases in Hillsborough County-1 (Tampa Bay area) and in Miami-Dade County -3 during the past week. This brings the total of locally transmitted dengue cases in the state to 29-Hillsborough (3), Manatee, Miami-Dade (19), Monroe (3), Orange (2) and Pasco counties.
Democratic Republic of the Congo: Mpox [Update]
12 September 2024
The Democratic Republic of the Congo, the epicenter of the
mpox, or monkeypox outbreak, has now recorded more than 5,000 confirmed cases since the beginning of the year, according to the Africa CDC.
Ethiopia: Malaria [Update]
12 September 2024
In a follow-up on the
malaria outbreak in
Ethiopia, the surge in cases continues in the country. According to the World Health Organization, between January 1 and August 18, 2024, 4,773,900 new malaria cases including 918 deaths were reported.
Africa: Cholera [Update]
12 September 2024
Cholera continues to ravage Africa as 1,886 new cases and 60 new deaths of cholera were reported from seven African Union Member States:
Burundi, DRC, Ethiopia, Ghana, Somalia, Sudan, and Togo the last week of August.
Dominican Republic: Oropouche Fever
12 September 2024
On August 28, health officials in the
Dominican Republic issued an epidemiological alert to strengthen surveillance throughout the national territory after the detection of the
Oropouche virus in samples stored in the seroteca of the Dr. Defillo National Reference Laboratory.
Brazil: Mpox
12 September 2024
According to data released from the Ministry of Health,
Brazil recorded 945 confirmed or probable cases of
mpox. This number exceeds the total number of cases reported throughout the whole of last year, when 853 cases were recorded.
Bolivia: Yellow Fever [Update]
12 September 2024
In
Bolivia, through the end of August this year, seven cases of
yellow fever were confirmed, between 15 and 64 years of age, of which three died.
Costa Rica: Dengue Fever [Update]
12 September 2024
The
Costa Rica Ministry of Health reports 19,938 total
dengue fever cases through August 24 this year. No deaths have been reported.
Australia: Legionnaires’ disease [Update]
12 September 2024
In a follow-up on the
Legionnaires’ disease outbreak affecting metropolitan Melbourne and surrounding areas, Chief Health Officer for the Victoria Department of Health says there have been 107 confirmed and 5 suspected cases notified since Friday 26 July, mostly in adults aged over 40 years.
Pakistan: Poliomyelitis [Update]
12 September 2024
In a follow-up on the wild poliovirus situation in
Pakistan this year, a wild
poliovirus type 1 case was detected in a child, who has been paralyzed, from Union Council Rural 4 of Islamabad.
India: Dengue Fever [Update]
12 September 2024
The Karnataka state government in the southwestern region of
India has officially declared a
dengue fever epidemic under the Karnataka Epidemic Diseases Act, 2020. This comes as more than 26,000 dengue cases have been reported year to date, the highest number ever recorded, about 7,000 cases than was reported in all of 2023. 12 deaths have been reported.
USA: Salmonella [Update]
12 September 2024
At least 65 people in 9 states have been sickened with the same strain of
Salmonella enteritidis linked to tainted eggs, according to an update today from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
(Source: CIDRAP 10 September 2024)
USA: Measles [Update]
12 September 2024
Over the past week the
Minnesota Department of Health reported 10 more
measles cases, raising the state's outbreak total to 40.
(Source: CIDRAP 7 September 2024)
Spain: Dengue Fever [Update]
12 September 2024
The Public Health Agency of
Catalonia reports investigating an outbreak of five autochthonous
dengue fever cases in the Tarragona.
Japan: Syphilis [Update]
12 September 2024
Syphilis infections in
Tokyo are increasing at a record pace, with over 2,400 cases reported so far this year, official data has shown.
(Source: Xinhua 11 September 2024)