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 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

Brazil: Dengue Fever [Update]

15 February 2024

The Brazil Ministry of Health announced recording 512,353 probable cases of Dengue since the beginning of 2024. 75 deaths from the disease were also recorded, while 340 deaths are being investigated.

(Source: Outbreak News Today 14 February 2024)

USA: Dengue Fever [Update]

15 February 2024

The Florida Department of Health has reported the first two locally-transmitted Dengue Fever cases of the year. The cases were reported in Miami-Dade and Pasco counties and both had onset in January 2024.

(Source: Outbreak News Today 14 February 2024)

Cambodia: Avian Influenza [Update]

15 February 2024

The Cambodia Ministry of Health reports an additional H5N1 Avian Infleunza case in a 16-year-old boy living in Orussey commune, Kratie city, Kratie province. He is the brother of the 9-year-old boy that died last Thursday from the avian flu. This is the fourth such case reported in Cambodia in 2024 to date.

(Source: Outbreak News Today 13 February 2024)

Timor-Leste: Chikungunya Fever

15 February 2024

Health officials of Timor-Leste reported a sudden increase in Chikungunya case—noting a total of 183 cases were reported. Most of the cases were reported in the capital city of Dili (85) and Ermera municipality (78). Three other cities account for the remaining 20 cases.

(Source: Outbreak News Today 11 February 2024)

Romania: Measles

15 February 2024

The Romania Ministry of Health has reported 1,737 additional Measles cases in the past month—from 2,942 on January 9 to 4,679 on February 6—including 6 deaths. The 4,679 confirmed cases of measles were reported in 39 counties and in the city of Bucharest since 2023.

(Source: Outbreak News Today 11 February 2024)

Paraguay: Dengue Fever

15 February 2024

Paraguay health officials are reporting a large increase in Dengue Fever cases in 2024, including since the epidemic began last September. Over the last three weeks, officials have reported more than 62,600 total dengue notifications, including 7,659 confirmed cases, or 12 percent of the total.

(Source: Outbreak News Today 10 February 2024)

USA: Plague

15 February 2024

Health officials in Deschutes County, Oregon report a confirmed case of human Plague in a county resident. The individual was likely infected by their symptomatic pet cat.

(Source: Outbreak News Today 10 February 2024)

South Sudan: Yellow Fever [Update]

15 February 2024

As of February 3, South Sudan has reported 2 lab confirmed Yellow Fever cases and 48 suspected cases, all in Western Equatoria state.

(Source: CIDRAP 15 February 2024)

Spain: Influenza

15 February 2024

On 29 January 2024, the National authorities of Spain notified WHO of a laboratory confirmed human infection with a swine influenza A(H1N1)v virus in the country. The patient is an adult male who worked on a pig farm in the province of Lleida, who was confirmed positive through sample testing and sequencing.

The patient, who has completely recovered, developed symptoms on 25 November 2023. These included fever, malaise, and cough. He first attended an outpatient clinic on 29 November 2023, and was seen again twice in December 2023, where he was diagnosed with bronchitis. He did not receive any antiviral treatment.

(Source: WHO 9 February 2024)