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
20 May 2024
The Taiwan Center for Disease Control and Prevention announced this week the confirmation of two cases of Japanese encephalitis.
France, United Kingdom, USA, Saudi Arabia: Meningococcal Infection
20 May 2024
Twelve cases of invasive meningococcal disease (IMD) have been reported in France (4), the United Kingdom (3), and the United States (5) in travelers to Saudi Arabia as of May 17.
20 May 2024
Public Health Canada has reported a measles death in an unvaccinated child less than five years old in Ontario. This is the first measles death in the province in more than a decade.
Senegal: Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever [Update]
16 May 2024
In a follow-up from Senegal, the Ministry of Health reported an additional human Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever case this year, this one in Matam.
To date, two confirmed cases have been reported, the other reported in Dakar.
16 May 2024
The UK Health Security is reporting a rising trend in whooping cough, or pertussis cases in England during the first quarter of the year.
Provisionally, 556 cases were laboratory-confirmed in January, 918 cases in February and 1,319 cases in March 2024.