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
USA: Rabies
2 December 2024
The Fresno County Department of Public Health (FCDPH) in
California is reporting a human
rabies death, the first such case since 1992 in the county.
Peru: Dengue Fever [Update]
2 December 2024
The National Center for Epidemiology, Prevention and Control of Diseases (CDC
Peru) of the Ministry of Health (Minsa) has issued an epidemiological alert due to the increase in cases of
dengue nationwide. During 2024, 273,847 cases of dengue have been reported nationwide up to epidemiological week (EW) 46, 10.1% higher compared to the previous year.
Brazil: Dengue Fever [Update]
2 December 2024
In
Brazil, the Pernambuco State Health Department (SES-PE) released the new Epidemiological Bulletin of Arboviruses. The new survey indicates 30,267 probable cases of
dengue fever (cases under investigation + confirmed cases) in the State. The state of Mato Grosso do Sul in central-west Brazil has registered 19,358 probable cases of Dengue, with 15,982 confirmed cases, in 2024.
Philippines: Leptospirosis [Update]
2 December 2024
Philippines health officials report a 19 percent increase in
leptospirosis cases through November 23 this year.
Brazil: Chikungunya [Update]
2 December 2024
The state of Mato Grosso do Sul in central-west
Brazil has already registered 3,289 probable cases of
Chikungunya, of which 911 have been confirmed. There have been no deaths recorded.
Uganda: Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever [Update]
2 December 2024
Since the beginning of the year,
Uganda health officials have reported 20 cumulative
Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF) cases, which include eight confirmed and 4 probable cases, and four fatalities among the confirmed cases (50% CFR) and three deaths among the probable.
Senegal: Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever [Update]
2 December 2024
The Ministry of Health reported one additional confirmed
Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF) case during the past month from Kaffrine district. This brings the total cases in
Senegal to seven confirmed cases and no deaths from 5 health districts this year to date.
USA: Dengue Fever [Update]
27 November 2024
The
Texas Department of State Health Services (TDSHS) yesterday announced the state's first locally acquired
dengue case of the year, which involves a resident of Cameron County on the southern tip of the state on the border with Mexico.
(Source: CIDRAP 27 November 2024)
Argentina: Trichinosis [Update]
27 November 2024
In 2024 through mid-November,
Argentina officials report 853 suspected
trichinosis cases in the National Health Surveillance System (SNVS2.0), of which 395 were confirmed, five are probable, 16 were ruled out and the remaining 437 remain as suspected, many of them associated with outbreaks under investigation.
Mauritania: Rift Valley Fever
27 November 2024
One
Rift Valley Fever (RVF) case was confirmed in a 20-year-old male herder, living in a nomadic camp located 6 km from the Amedrame village and 80 km northwest of
Tidjikja commune, Tagant region.
Niger: Rift Valley Fever
27 November 2024
A confirmed
Rift Valley fever case was reported in a 25-year-old male farmer who was admitted on 14 October 2024 at the N’wagar health center of Tchintabaraden health district in southwest
Niger.