Current Travel Health News
As the dengue activity in southern Taiwan remains high, public are reminded to take anti-mosquito measures when travelling to the area and other Southeast Asian countries, in order to prevent dengue fever.
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.
World Health Organization, 22 September 2015
22,180^
Health Department of Guangdong Province, 21 September 2015
CDC, ROC (Taiwan), 9 October 2015
Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, India, 20 September 2015
National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Japan, 6 October 2015
Singapore National Environment Agency, 8 October 2015
Ministry of Health, Sri Lanka, 7 October 2015
Ministry of Public Health, Thailand, 7 October 2015
^ Cumulative local cases since this summer
Pakistan: Crimean-Congo Haemorrhagic Fever
A case of Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever was reported in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in Pakistan. The patient is a butcher.
(Source: ProMED-mail 10 October 2015)
Philippines: Japanese Encephalitis
7 cases of Japanese Encephalitis have been reported in the Cordillera region of Philippines.
(Source: ProMED-mail 9 October 2015)
Venezuela: Malaria
So far this year, there have been 88,000 cases of malaria in Venezuela.
Guinea: Ebola virus disease [Update]
Guinea has reported a cumulative total of 3,800 cases of Ebola virus disease (EVD), including 2,534 deaths.
(Source: World Health Organization 9 October 2015)
Sierra Leone: Ebola virus disease [Update]
Sierra Leone has reported a cumulative total of 13,957 cases of Ebola virus disease (EVD), including 3,955 deaths.
Portugal: Botulism
4 confirmed cases of food-borne botulism have been reported in Portugal.
[Editor's note: Food-borne botulism is caused by ingestion of preformed toxins, which are produced by Clostridium botulinum, presented in the contaminated food. The features of the illness include marked fatigue, weakness, blurred vision, dry mouth, difficulty in swallowing and speaking. Vomiting, constipation or diarrhoea may occur. Paralysis of breathing muscles can cause stopping of breathing and death.]
A total of 15 fatal cases of Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever were reported across Pakistan this year.
Nepal: Scrub Typhus
8 fatal cases of scrub typhus have been reported in Nepal this year.