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
Mainland China: Avian Influenza [Update]
20 March 2024
Health officials report three additional human H9N2 Avian Influenza cases in February in China.
The cases, all non-fatal, include a three-year-old boy from Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region with onset on February 2, 2024; a 11-year-old boy from Jiangxi Province with onset on February 11, 2024 and a three-year-old boy from Guangdong Province with onset on February 17, 2024.
20 March 2024
20 March 2024
20 March 2024
20 March 2024
In a follow-up on a report last month, Romania’s Ministry of Health reported an additional 3,341 Measles cases, bringing the total to 8,020 cases since January 1, 2023 and 5,215 cases since the beginning of 2024.
The death toll has reached eight- Brașov County (3), Bucharest City (3), Giurgiu county (1) and Mureș county (1). Of the eight deaths, all were unvaccinated, six were children, four of whom were not eligible for vaccination; at least five of all the reported deaths had underlying conditions.
20 March 2024
20 March 2024
Amid a small but steady rise in infections nationally, Chicago has now reported 12 Measles cases, 10 of them linked to people who recently arrived at a local migrant shelter.
Illinois is among 17 US jurisdictions that have reported measles cases this year, part of a global rise in cases fueled partly by immunization gaps. As of March 8, the CDC had reported 45 cases, nearly as many for all of 2023.
Democratic Republic of the Congo: Mpox (monkeypox)
20 March 2024
Mali, Nigeria and Yemen: Poliomyelitis [Update]
20 March 2024