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
18 October 2024
The Taiwan Department of Disease Control and Prevention reported this week a new case of local melioidosis last week after Typhoon Shantuol.
Officials stated that this year, there have been a total of 96 confirmed cases of indigenous melioidosis, including 17 deaths in Taiwan, the highest number in the same period since 2001. The local cases are reported to be in people over 65 years old (55 cases) and 50-64 years old ( 31 cases) as the main age groups, and they are distributed in Kaohsiung City (72 cases), Tainan City (10 cases), Taichung City (4 cases) and Pingtung County (4 cases), of which 69 cases were caused by Typhoon Kemi with onset within 1 month.
18 October 2024
Nepal health officials reported an update on the dengue fever outbreak this year. From the beginning of the year through 15 October, 19,599 cases have been reported throughout the country.
The Epidemiology and Disease Control Division reports nine people have died of the disease so far and it has spread in 76 districts of the country. Regions reporting the most cases include Kathmandu, followed by Kaski, Tanahu and Parbat.
Americas: Oropouche Fever [Update]
18 October 2024
Through the first nine months of 2024, a total of 10,275 confirmed Oropouche fever cases, including two deaths, were reported in the Region of the Americas.
Confirmed cases were reported in nine countries: Bolivia (356 cases), Brazil (8,258 cases, including two deaths), Colombia (74 cases), Cuba (555 cases), Peru (936 cases), Canada (2 imported cases) and the United States of America (90 imported cases).
New countries reporting cases include Ecuador (2 cases), Guyana( 2 cases). In the past month, an additional 423 Oropouche cases were reported in seven countries.
18 October 2024
Africa's surge of new Mpox cases continued with fatal cases passing 1,000 for the year. Countries in the region reported 3,051 new cases over the past week, along with 50 more deaths, pushing the totals since the first of the year to 42,438 cases, 1,100 of them fatal. Kenya this week reported the first death in its outbreak. Zambia's first case announced on October 8, involved a truck driver, who is from Tanzania.
With the report of the first two cases from Zimbabwe earlier this week, 18 countries in the region are now reporting Mpox cases. Ghana reported its second case, a household contact of its first case.
Rwanda: Marburg Virus Disease [Update]
16 October 2024
Pakistan: Diphtheria, Dengue Fever and Chikungunya Fever
16 October 2024
According to the Sindh Health Department, twenty-eight children were reported in Karachi died from diphtheria, out of 166 cases this year, due to the unavailability of Diphtheria Anti-Toxin, despite the disease being preventable through vaccination.
The dengue fever cases are on the surge, with 1,724 cases reported in Sindh this year, including 1,484 from Karachi.
At least 411 suspected cases of chikungunya fever were reported in Sindh with 153 among those were confirmed.
Philippines: Dengue Fever [Update]
16 October 2024
The Philippines Department of Health is reporting an increase in dengue fever cases during the first nine months of 2024, according to recent data published.
From the beginning of the year through October 4, 269,467 confirmed dengue infections have been recorded. This is a 82 percent increase compared to the same period in 2023 when 147,678 cases were recorded.
16 October 2024
According to the Kerala Health Department, from January 1 to October 4, 2024, a total of 2,512 people have been diagnosed with leptospirosis. The disease has caused 155 confirmed deaths to date.
Concerning suspected cases, 1,979 people sought treatment for symptoms related to the illness. Similarly, 131 deaths suspected to be caused by leptospirosis symptoms were also reported.