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

Sweden: Cryptosporidiosis

22 January 2024

The Swedish Public Health Agency reports investigating an outbreak of the parasitic disease Cryptosporidiosis. Since 15 December 2023, 68 people from 14 regions have been reported infected with Cryptosporidium in Sweden. Most of the disease cases are from Halland and Jönköping.

(Source: Outbreak News Today 22 January 2024)

USA: Measles [Update]

22 January 2024

The Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH) has confirmed a case of Measles in an unvaccinated resident of the metro Atlanta area. Georgia is the latest US state to report measles in 2024. According to the CDC, from January 1 to December 31, 2023, a total of 56 measles cases were reported by 20 jurisdictions.

(Source: Outbreak News Today 21 January 2024)

Africa: Cholera [Update]

22 January 2024

In 2023, Africa saw a total of 236,953 total Cholera cases—93,457 confirmed and 143,136 suspected) from 19 African Union Member States. This included 3,757 deaths (CFR 1.6%).

Since the beginning of the year, a total of 6,576 cases (831 confirmed; 5,745 suspected) and 231 deaths [case fatality rate (CFR:3.5%)] of cholera were reported from six African Union (AU) Member States (MS): Ethiopia (254; 2), Kenya (50; 0), Malawi (4; 0), Mozambique (517; 5), Zambia (4,073; 182) and Zimbabwe (1,678, 42).

(Source: Outbreak News Today 21 January 2024)

USA: Salmonella [Update]

22 January 2024

Federal health officials yesterday issued new warnings about the risk of Salmonella illnesses in an ongoing outbreak, with a second brand now linked to some of the infections. In its update yesterday, the CDC said cases have nearly doubled, with 47 cases reported from eight more states.

In the ongoing investigation, interviews with sick patients revealed that four people had bought Fratelli Beretta brand Antipasto Gran Beretta from Costco before they got sick.

(Source: CIDRAP 20 January 2024)

Chad, Ivory Coast, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Mozambique, Nigeria, and South Sudan: Poliomyelitis [Update]

22 January 2024

Chad, Ivory Coast, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Mozambique, Nigeria, and South Sudan all reported new Polio cases this week, according to an update yesterday from the Global Polio Eradication Initiative. All involved circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus type 1 (cVDPV1) or type 2 (cVDPV2) and were confirmed in 2023.

Chad confirmed 1 cVDPV2 case in Mandoul, bringing its number of 2023 cases to 51. The DRC reported 4 cVDPV1 cases in Tanganyika, bringing its 2023 cases to 101, and 1 cVDPV2 case in Tshopo, raising the 2023 total to 118. Ivory Coast reported 1 cVDPV2 case in Haut-Sassandra, bringing the country's 2023 cases to 6.

Mozambique had 1 cVDPV1 case in Zambezia, for a total of 4 for 2023. Nigeria confirmed 6 cVDPV2 cases, 1 in Kano and five in Katsina, bringing its 2023 total to 70. And South Sudan recorded 1 cVDPV2 case in Central Equatoria, which doubled its 2023 total.

(Source: CIDRAP 20 January 2024)

USA: Measles [Update]

18 January 2024

The Philadelphia Department of Public Health is currently tracking an outbreak of Measles. Currently, the Health Department is reporting that there are 9 total confirmed cases. According to the US CDC, as of January 4, 2024, a total of 48 measles cases were reported by 20 jurisdictions in 2023.

(Source: Outbreak News Today 18 January 2024)

Mainland China: Avian Influenza [Update]

18 January 2024

A 59-year-old woman from China's Sichuan province is hospitalized in serious condition with H5N6 Avian Influenza, Hong Kong's Centre for Health Protection said on 16 January. The woman is from Ziyang City, her symptoms began on November 25, and she was hospitalized 4 days later. An investigation revealed that she had visited a live-poultry market before her symptoms began. Her illness marks China's eighth human H5N6 infection of 2023 and the country's 89th since the virus was first detected in humans in 2014.

(Source: CIDRAP 17 January 2024)

Chile: Salmonella

17 January 2024

The regional ministerial secretary of Health of the Metropolitan Region of Santiago, Chile reported on a Salmonella outbreak linked to the consumption of clandestinely produced goat cheese. As of January 5, 66 people were affected in the Valparaíso Region and 38 in the Metropolitan Region. Seven people had to be hospitalized, of which two remain hospitalized in critical care, one elderly person and one younger.

(Source: Outbreak News Today 16 January 2024)

Japan: Syphilis

17 January 2024

In a follow-up on the Syphilis situation in Japan this year, the National Institute of Infectious Diseases reports 14,906 total cases in 2023, a record high for the third consecutive year. Tokyo accounted for the most cases with 3,658 cases, followed by Osaka (1,967), Fukuoka (939), Aichi (817) and Hokkaido (677).

(Source: Outbreak News Today 16 January 2024)