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

Reunion: Chikungunya Fever

2 September 2024

Three cases of locally acquired chikungunya has been confirmed in La Réunion in recent weeks, according to Agence Régionale de Santé (ARS) La Réunion.

The last indigenous case detected in La Réunion dates back more than ten years.

(Source: Outbreak News Today 31 August 2024)

Nigeria, Guinea and Liberia: Lassa fever

2 September 2024

The Africa CDC reports the number of confirmed Lassa fever cases is now 1,002 reported from three African Union Member States—Nigeria, Guinea and Liberia.

This is part of the total 8,824 cases, including suspected cases and 176 deaths reported, with a 17.56 percent case fatality rate.

While Liberia has reported 59 total cases and eight deaths and Guinea has seen 27 cases and two deaths, Nigeria reports the vast majority of cases and deaths this year with 8,738 total cases (7,767 suspected and 971 confirmed) and 166 deaths from confirmed cases.

(Source: Outbreak News Today 31 August 2024)

USA: Hantavirus Infection [Update]

2 September 2024

In a follow-up on the hantavirus situation in Arizona, the Arizona Department of Health Services reports nine confirmed cases, including three deaths have been reported to date.

(Source: Outbreak News Today 1 September 2024)

India: Leptospirosis

2 September 2024

Kerala state, in southwestern India, is wrestling with a severe outbreak of leptospirosis, including an unprecedented number of deaths this year.

This year's tally of 1916 affected individuals and 1565 suspected cases is the highest ever recorded. The confirmed death toll stands at 121, with 102 more suspected deaths.

(Source: Outbreak News Today 2 September 2024)

Japan: Norovirus Infection

29 August 2024

Officials in Japan report a Norovirus outbreak in Kumamoto Prefecture in the southwestern part of the country. At least 124 people reported symptoms of vomiting, diarrhea and other symptoms after playing in a river near the Todoroki Falls. In all of the cases, the patients' symptoms were mild.

(Source: Outbreak News Today 29 August 2024)

Portugal: Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever

29 August 2024

The Directorate-General for Health reported on August 14, 2024, the first laboratory-confirmed case of Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever was identified in Portugal.

(Source: Outbreak News Today 29 August 2024)

USA: Equine Encephalitis [Update]

29 August 2024

An adult from Hampstead, New Hampshire who tested positive for Eastern Equine Encephalitis Virus infection, was hospitalized due to severe central nervous system disease, and has passed away due to their illness.

(Source: Outbreak News Today 27 August 2024)

USA: Dengue Fever [Update]

29 August 2024

In a follow-up on the situation in Florida with arboviruses, state health officials reported two additional autochthonous, or locally transmitted Dengue fever cases in the past week—both in Orange County.

(Source: Outbreak News Today 27 August 2024)

Africa: Mpox (Monkeypox) [Update]

29 August 2024

About 4,000 more Mpox cases were reported in Africa last week, mostly from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the head of Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention said yesterday.

(Source: CIDRAP 28 August 2024)

USA: Influenza [Update]

27 August 2024

Health officials in Ohio and Pennsylvania, USA, each reported recently on new human infections with novel influenza A '“variant” viruses.

(Source: Outbreak News Today 25 August 2024)

Italy, Australia, USA, Canada : Legionnaire’s disease [Update]

27 August 2024

Through August 19, a total of 53 confirmed cases of Legionnaires' disease, including four deaths, have been reported by the local public health authorities in Milan in the Lombardy Region of Italy since the first case was reported in April.

According to the Victoria Department of Health (Australia), between 26 July and 20 August there were 114 confirmed cases, mostly in adults aged over 40 years.

To date, New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services (USA) has identified seven people who have been confirmed to have Legionnaire’s disease, a pneumonia caused by inhaling water droplets contaminated with Legionella bacteria, after visiting an area in downtown Lincoln in June and July.

The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services (USA) has determined that three unassociated individuals who stayed at the Cassville resort in July of this year were diagnosed with Legionnaires' disease within 14 days after their stay.

The Middlesex-London Health Unit (Canada) reports that the Legionnaires’ disease outbreak has risen to 25 cases, including one fatality.

(Source: Outbreak News Today 24 August 2024)

USA: Dengue Fever [Update]

27 August 2024

In a follow-up on the dengue fever situation in Florida, USA, this year, The Florida Department of Health reported five additional locally acquired dengue fever cases during the past week, including the first such case in Manatee County.

(Source: Outbreak News Today 20 August 2024)

Cuba: Oropouche Fever [Update]

27 August 2024

According to a Cuba Headlines report, the Ministry of Health has reported over 400 confirmed cases of Oropouche fever on the island up to August.

(Source: Outbreak News Today 26 August 2024)

Colombia: Dengue Fever [Update]

27 August 2024

In Colombia, through August 10, 243,538 cases of dengue have been reported to El Sistema de Salud Pública for a national incidence of 730.2 cases per 100,000 population.

(Source: Outbreak News Today 25 August 2024)

Costa Rica: Dengue Fever [Update]

27 August 2024

According to the most recent data from the Pan American Health Organization, 17,859 total dengue cases have been reported in Costa Rica year to date, a large increase in cases compared to the same period in 2023.

(Source: Outbreak News Today 23 August 2024)

Philippines: Dengue Fever [Update]

27 August 2024

The Provincial Health Office of Philippines disclosed that the number of cases of Dengue Fever reached 2,013 in 24 towns and two cities based on the Surveillance Report for Morbidity Week 32 (August 4-10, 2024). This is a 318 percent increase compared to 2023 (482).

(Source: Outbreak News Today 26 August 2024)

Indonesia: Mpox (monkeypox)

27 August 2024

The Indonesian Ministry of Health announced the latest data on confirmed cases of Monkeypox (Mpox) in Indonesia. There were 88 confirmed cases of Mpox since 2022, with the most cases reported in October 2023.

(Source: Outbreak News Today 23 August 2024)

Vietnam: Measles [Update]

27 August 2024

Since the beginning of the year, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, has recorded more than 500 measles cases, including 3 deaths due to measles. About 50% of measles cases were transferred from other provinces.

(Source: Outbreak News Today 23 August 2024)

Norway: Mycoplasma pneumoniae infection

27 August 2024

Norway’s Institute of Public Health reports an increase in the number of people with respiratory infections caused by the bacterium Mycoplasma pneumoniae. The increase has continued in 2024, especially through the summer. Since the beginning of July and until now, the bacteria has been detected in over 3,500 people.

(Source: Outbreak News Today 24 August 2024)

Pakistan: Poliomyelitis [Update]

27 August 2024

Health officials in Pakistan report an additional case of wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) in Sindh province. The latest case found in a 29-month-old child from Hyderabad district of Sindh province was reported by the Regional Reference Lab at the National Institute of Health.

(Source: Outbreak News Today 25 August 2024)

India: Zika Virus Infection

27 August 2024

This week, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a warning for travelers to the state of Maharashtra, in the western peninsular region of India, due to a Zika virus outbreak. A total of 97 positive Zika virus cases have been reported in Maharashtra as of August 9, to include 45 cases in pregnant women.

(Source: Outbreak News Today 24 August 2024)

India: Chandipura Virus Infection

27 August 2024

India has reported a surge in Chandipura virus infections this summer, with 245 acute encephalitis syndrome cases reported since July, with 82 of them fatal. So far, polymerase chain reaction testing has confirmed the virus in 64 cases, the World Health Organization said in an August 23 outbreak.

(Source: CIDRAP 26 August 2024)

Gabon: Mpox (monkeypox)

27 August 2024

Gabon's health ministry today announced the nation's first mpox case, which involves a resident who had recently spent 2 weeks in Uganda, another country recently affected by expanding outbreaks in Africa.

(Source: CIDRAP 24 August 2024)