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 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 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: Tuberculosis
17 June 2024
In 2023, the Philadelphia Department of Public Health a total of 75 cases
tuberculosis were reported in 2023, which represents a 70.5% increase compared to the 44 cases reported in 2022. As of May 29, 2024, 35 cases have been reported in Philadelphia in 2024
Nigeria: Cholera
17 June 2024
The
Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) alerts the public of the increasing trend of
cholera cases across the country as the raining season intensifies. From the 1st of January to the 11th of June 2024, a total of 1,141 suspected and 65 confirmed cases of cholera with 30 deaths have been reported from 96 LGAs in 30 States.
Democratic Republic of the Congo: Mpox [Update]
17 June 2024
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) updated their travel notice for the
Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) due to
monkeypox outbreak. Officials say the outbreak is in in 25 out of 26 provinces. Cumulatively, the DRC has seen 7,864 total cases (1,135 confirmed) since the beginning of the year, including 383 deaths (4.9% CFR).
Colombia: Dengue fever
17 June 2024
Through the end of May, the Cali Public Health Secretariat in
Colombia has reported 19,545 cases of
dengue in the city, including 170 cases of severe dengue, with about 1,000 cases recorded every week.
Taiwan: Dengue fever
17 June 2024
The CDC stated that as of June 12, 2024, there have been a total of 166 confirmed cases of local
dengue fever. The cumulative cases are distributed in Kaohsiung City, 137 cases, Tainan City, 19 cases, Pingtung County, 9 cases and Chiayi County, 1 case.
Europe: Dengue fever [Update]
13 June 2024
Climate change is creating favourable conditions for the tiger mosquito to spread, said the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC). 13 European countries, including
Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Malta, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia and Spain, are affected. Mass outbreaks of
dengue fever have been rising in recent years. Most European cases are imported with imported cases soaring to nearly 5,000 last year. But locally-acquired infections are also rising: 130 people were affected in 2023, up from 71 the year before.
Japan: Group A Streptococcal Infection [Update]
13 June 2024
Japan's National Institute of Infectious Diseases says the preliminary number of cases of
streptococcal toxic shock syndrome in the country since the beginning of this year totaled 977 as of June 2.
Uganda: Rift Valley Fever [Update]
13 June 2024
According to a World Health Organization (WHO), three districts in
Uganda are currently experiencing
Rift Valley Fever outbreak (RVF)- Ntungamo (five cases, four confirmed and one death) since 23 February 2024, Mbarara (10 cases, five confirmed and one death) since 10 March 2024 and Sheema (two confirmed cases) since 27 March 2024.
Philippines: Dengue Fever [Update]
13 June 2024
The
Philippines Department of Health is reporting a plateau in the epidemic curve of
dengue cases in the country recently.
While in mid-April, a slight increase in cases was reported (3 percent), the numbers decreased during the last two weeks of May.
Australia: Dengue fever [Update]
13 June 2024
In
Australia, Queensland Health reported 19
dengue cases acquired on Mer Island, Torres Strait Island Regional LGA, were reported in the recent week. The total number of cases for this outbreak is 39.
Indonesia: Dengue fever [Update]
11 June 2024
The
Indonesian Ministry of Health reported a significant increase in the number of
dengue fever cases compared to the same period last year. The ministry's spokeswoman said there were 88,593 cases logged in the first fourth months of this year, a threefold increase from the number of 28,570 recorded in the corresponding period last year.
In May 2024, Western Australia Department of Health issued a separate statement warning travelers heading to Bali to be aware of dengue fever risks in view of a rise in the number of imported cases of Dengue fever from Bali.
Comoros: Cholera [Update]
11 June 2024
Since the declaration of the cholera epidemic on February 2 this year, and as of June 6,
Comoros has recorded 8,634 cumulative cases of
cholera and 133 deaths, representing a 1.5 percent case mortality rate.
Uganda: Crimean-Congo Haemorrhagic Fever
11 June 2024
The
Uganda Ministry of Health reported an additional confirmed
Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic fever (CCHF) case from Busongora North health sub-district, Kasese district.
Costa Rica: Malaria [Update]
11 June 2024
In
Costa Rica,
malaria has experienced sustained growth in cases since 2017. In 2024, until epidemiological week 19, 177 cases are reported, of which of which 125 are indigenous, 33 imported, 15 pending classification and 4 relapses.
Philippines: Rabies
11 June 2024
The
Philippines Department of Health (DOH) is reminding the public to get their pets vaccinated and to seek vaccination if you are bitten, after recording 169 human
rabies cases from January to May, about 13 percent higher compared to 150 in the same period in 2023.
Pakistan: Poliomyelitis and Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever [Update]
11 June 2024
A fifth case of wild
poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) has been reported in
Pakistan in 2024, the latest being in a two-year-old child from Quetta, Balochistan.
In the first five months of this year, 203 people across the country have been infected with
Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever (CCHF), and six people have died from it.