Hong Kong’s Centre for Health Protection (CHP) has urged residents planning overseas trips in 2026 to step up mosquito-bite precautions after recording six imported dengue-fever cases so far this year. The advisory, published on 9 February, highlights Southeast Asia and the Western Pacific—top holiday and business destinations for Hongkongers—as persistent hotspots.
Last year Hong Kong logged 59 imported infections, with the Philippines, Indonesia, India and Thailand accounting for two-thirds of cases. No local transmission has been detected since 2018, but officials fear that rising travel volumes during the post-Covid rebound could re-seed the virus.
![Health officials warn Hong Kong outbound travellers to guard against dengue]()
Travellers are urged to apply DEET-based repellents, wear long-sleeved clothing and choose accommodation with window screens. Anyone feeling feverish within 14 days of return should disclose travel history to doctors promptly; untreated dengue can escalate to life-threatening haemorrhagic fever.
From a corporate-mobility standpoint, the alert underscores the need to review pre-trip medical briefings, ensure business-traveller insurance covers vector-borne diseases and, where available, direct staff to private clinics that stock the new QDENGA vaccine licensed in several ASEAN markets (though not yet in Hong Kong).
Employers scheduling project work in construction or field-sales roles should factor in protective gear and consider scheduling outdoor activities for cooler, less mosquito-active hours.
Last year Hong Kong logged 59 imported infections, with the Philippines, Indonesia, India and Thailand accounting for two-thirds of cases. No local transmission has been detected since 2018, but officials fear that rising travel volumes during the post-Covid rebound could re-seed the virus.
Travellers are urged to apply DEET-based repellents, wear long-sleeved clothing and choose accommodation with window screens. Anyone feeling feverish within 14 days of return should disclose travel history to doctors promptly; untreated dengue can escalate to life-threatening haemorrhagic fever.
From a corporate-mobility standpoint, the alert underscores the need to review pre-trip medical briefings, ensure business-traveller insurance covers vector-borne diseases and, where available, direct staff to private clinics that stock the new QDENGA vaccine licensed in several ASEAN markets (though not yet in Hong Kong).
Employers scheduling project work in construction or field-sales roles should factor in protective gear and consider scheduling outdoor activities for cooler, less mosquito-active hours.
Source: Vax-Before-Travel
