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
Pakistan: Polio [Update]
20 January 2025
Pakistan health officials report the confirmation of the detection of the 71st and 72nd wild
poliovirus type 1 case of 2024 in the country.
Netherlands: Hepatitis A
20 January 2025
The National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM) in the
Netherlands reports at least 12 people have contracted
hepatitis A after eating Albert Heijn's own-brand frozen blueberries.
Tanzania: Marburg Virus Disease
20 January 2025
The World Health Organization yesterday (14 Jan 2025) reported of an outbreak of suspected
Marburg Virus Disease (MVD) in the Kagera region of the
United Republic of Tanzania.
Uganda: Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever [Update]
20 January 2025
Iran: Dengue fever [Update]
20 January 2025
Iranian health officials are reporting more than 1,000
dengue fever cases this current Iranian year through late December 2024.
Nigeria: Lassa fever
20 January 2025
The
Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) reported 54 confirmed
Lassa fever cases and 10 deaths (CFR 18.5%) in the first week of 2025.
Angola: Cholera
20 January 2025
The
Angola Ministry of Health confirmed the first
cholera case on 7 January 2025, prompting the government to declare an outbreak.
USA: Hantavirus
20 January 2025
The County of
San Diego reported this week the first detection of the lethal
hantavirus in a deer mouse collected on 3 January 2025, in Cuyamaca Rancho State Park.
Réunion: Chikungunya [Update]
20 January 2025
The Regional Health Agency La
Réunion reports 192 cases of
Chikungunya have been recorded since August 2024.
Kyrgyzstan: Measles
20 January 2025
The
Kyrgyzstan Ministry of Health has already reported 229
measles cases since the beginning of the yearm with nearly two-thirds of the cases (144) reported in the capital city of Bishkek.
USA: Measles
20 January 2025
Houston health officials report identifying two confirmed cases of
measles in adults associated with recent international travel, Both individuals reside in the same household and have unknown vaccination statuses.
Rhode Island health officials have also reported a confirmed case of measles in a young, unvaccinated child with a recent history of international travel.
USA: Shigella
20 January 2025
Officials with the Northern
Nevada Public Health (NNPH) declared an outbreak of
Shigellosis in late December 2024 due to an increase in reported cases with laboratory and epidemiological linkage associated with those experiencing homelessness.
French Polynesia: Dengue fever [Update]
20 January 2025
Health officials in
French Polynesia have been dealing with a
dengue epidemic since November 2023, and continues to see a high number of cases into the first week of 2025.
Brazil: Yellow fever
20 January 2025
Human
yellow fever cases were reported in
São Paulo and
Minas Gerais in 2025.
Canada: Measles [Update]
20 January 2025
Since the latest
measles outbreak in
Quebec began in December 2024, officials with the health Ministry have reported 11 confirmed cases of measles.
Brazil: Dengue fever [Update]
20 January 2025
The state of
São Paulo Paulo, Brazil has declared a state of emergency for
dengue fever. A total of 21 cities in the state of São Paulo Paulo have declared a state of emergency due to the increase in the number of dengue cases.
Philipines: Monkeypox
20 January 2025
According to the
Baguio City Health Services Office, Mayor Benjamin Magalong alerted the public to observe health precautions as the city records its first case of
monkeypox.
Canada: Salmonella
20 January 2025
Canadian public health authorities are reporting a
Salmonella Enteritidis outbreak linked to Sweet Cream brand mini pastries.
Sierra Leone: Monkeypox
20 January 2025
Officials from Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) said
Sierra Leone is the latest country in Africa to report
monkeypox cases, which brings the number of affected African countries to 21.
(Source: CIDRAP 18 January 2025)
Finland: Tick-borne encephalitis
14 January 2025
Between October 1, 2023 and September 30, 2024, 200 new cases of
tick-borne encephalitis were reported to the Institute for Health and Welfare's infectious disease register in
Finland.
Namibia: Malaria
14 January 2025
In a follow-up on the
malaria outbreak that began during epidemiological week 45 2024 in
Namibia, the country's Ministry of Health now reports a cumulative 3,173 malaria cases and 19 deaths from all 14 regions in the country. The outbreak is active in 17 of 121 districts in Namibia.
Japan: Syphilis [Update]
14 January 2025
The
Japan National Institute of Infectious Diseases, again reported high numbers of cases of
syphilis in 2024. In 2024, 14,663 cases were reported, just shy of 2023 case total of 14,906 total cases.
Finland: Measles
14 January 2025
According to information from the Institute for Health and Welfare in
Finland, a person who contracted
measles traveled from Tallinn to Helsinki on the Eckerö Line M/s Finlandia ship on Tuesday.
France: Chikungunya Fever
14 January 2025
According to the Agence Régionale de Santé La Réunion, the circulation of
chikungunya is intensifying in
Reunion Island with 138 confirmed cases since August 2024.
South Sudan: Cholera [Update]
14 January 2025
South Sudan declared
cholera outbreak in October 2024. As of 7 January 2025, more than 17,581 cases have been reported nationwide, with a case fatality rate of 1.5%.
Cambodia: Avian influenza [Update]
14 January 2025
The Ministry of Health of the Kingdom of
Cambodia reports a human case of H5N1
avian influenza in a 28-year-old man from Village No. 22, Chamkar Andong Commune, Chamkar Leu District, Kampong Cham Province. Despite healthcare rescues efforts, the patient died.
Mainland China: Mpox (monkeypox) [Update]
14 January 2025
The
China CDC reports a cluster outbreak of
mpox virus subclade 1b in the country.