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 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

Sweden: Pertussis and Mpox (Monkeypox) [Update]

28 June 2024

In 2024, a total of 355 cases of Pertussis have been reported through June 16 in Sweden, according to the Public Health Agency of Sweden.

Health officials report since the start of the outbreak in April 2024, 27 cases of Mpox have been reported so far, the majority in the Stockholm region.

(Source: Outbreak News Today 27 June 2024)

Pakistan: Poliomyelitis [Update]

28 June 2024

In a follow-up on the wild poliovirus situation in Pakistan, officials have reported the sixth Polio case of 2024 from Killa Abdullah district of Balochistan.

(Source: Outbreak News Today 25 June 2024)

USA: Dengue Fever [Update]

25 June 2024

The Florida Department of Health in Hillsborough County, USA is informing residents of a confirmed human case of locally-acquired Dengue fever.

(Source: Outbreak News Today 24 June 2024)

Afghanistan: Crimean-Congo Haemorrhagic Fever

25 June 2024

The World Health Organization reports a gradually increasing trend in Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic fever cases over the last 8 weeks. Since the beginning of the year, Afghanistan reported a total of 272 suspected cases with 11 associated deaths.

(Source: Outbreak News Today 23 June 2024)

Costa Rica: Dengue Fever [Update]

25 June 2024

The Costa Rica Ministry of Health report through June 8 this year, a total of 9,945 cases of arboviral diseases were reported. Of these, 9,912 (99.7%) were cases of Dengue.

(Source: Outbreak News Today 23 June 2024)

Democratic Republic of the Congo: Anthrax

25 June 2024

Health officials of Democratic Republic of the Congo report in early June, an outbreak of cutaneous Anthrax with 10 confirmed cases and 2 deaths among butchers from four public abattoirs, or slaughterhouses in North Kivu province.

(Source: Outbreak News Today 23 June 2024)

Burkina Faso and Chad: Hepatitis E

25 June 2024

Since the beginning of the year, a total of 2,503 total Hepatitis E cases (45 confirmed) have been reported from two African Union Member States-Burkina Faso and Chad.

(Source: Outbreak News Today 23 June 2024)

Kenya: Measles

25 June 2024

Kenya health authorities report an update on the ongoing Measles outbreak in the country. The outbreak that started in December 2023 has risen to 1,536 total cases through June 11. This includes 11 deaths.

(Source: Outbreak News Today 22 June 2024)

South Korea: Pertussis

25 June 2024

The Korea Disease Control and Prevention is reporting that Pertussis cases have tripled in the past four weeks. 1,784 cases were reported in the past four weeks.

(Source: Outbreak News Today 22 June 2024)

Ethiopia: Anthrax

25 June 2024

The Tigray Health Bureau announced an outbreak of Anthrax in the Hintalo district in the South West Tigray in the northernmost part of Ethiopia. Seventeen people sought treatment for anthrax, which four died and eight others are currently hospitalized.

(Source: Outbreak News Today 20 June 2024)