Travel advice

Advice to travellers

For the latest information, please see Public Health England's updates 

The UK government travel advice to the main countries affected is here.

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office advises against all but essential travel to

•the city of Goma in North Kivu province

•the city of Bukavu in South Kivu province

•the districts of N’djili and Kimbanseke in Kinshasa, both of which are south of the main access road to N’djili airport (located in Nsele district).

The likelihood of contracting EVD is extremely low unless you have been exposed directly to blood or body fluids of symptomatic people or animals, or infected objects. Therefore the risk to the public in Northern Ireland is low.

If you have travelled and stayed in the areas where EVD cases have been recently reported, and you become ill within 21 days of returning home (fever, headache, achiness, sore throat, diarrhoea, vomiting, stomach pain, rash, or red eyes), seek medical attention as soon as possible and mention your travel history.

The risk of infection for travellers visiting the affected countries is considered low. However, the Public Health Agency (PHA) advises that travellers to DRC need to be familiar with how EVD virus is transmitted. Travellers are advised to avoid all types of contact which could put them at risk of contracting the virus. The World Health Organization’s (WHO) travel and transport risk assessment on EVD is available here.

The latest European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control epidemiological updates, which include EVD, are available here. 

Increase in cases of Legionnaire's disease in Palmanova, Mallorca

Public Health England (PHE) has seen a recent increase in the number of cases of Legionnaire’s disease in people who have travelled to a town  called Palmanova, in Mallorca, Spain.
For information on this please click on the following link -www.gov.uk/government/news/increase-in-cases-of-legionnaires-disease-in-palmanova-mallorca 

The Public Health Agency is reminding Hajj pilgrims to be aware of the risk of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) in the Middle East. 

For more information visit Public Health Englands advice available at:

www.gov.uk/government/news/hajj-pilgrims-urged-to-be-aware-of-mers-cov-advice

https://travelhealthpro.org.uk/factsheet/19/hajj-and-umrah

NaTHNaC - Mpox outbreak in Africa: clade I mpox virus infection (travelhealthpro.org.uk)

Public Health England (PHE) is aware of a reported outbreak of a novel coronavirus in Wuhan City, China, and has offered advice to travellers to the area regarding this. Advice can be found here:

www.who.int/ith/2020-0901_outbreak_of_Pneumonia_caused_by_a_new_coronavirus_in_C/en/

https://travelhealthpro.org.uk/news/485/chinese-new-year-travel-advice

The Public Health Agency is advising pregnant women to postpone non-essential travel to areas with active Zika transmission until after pregnancy.

In addition, it is recommended that couples should follow guidance on prevention of sexual transmission of Zika and avoid becoming pregnant while travelling to a Zika-affected area and for up to six months on return.

As a precaution male travellers, regardless of having symptoms or not, should use condoms and other barrier methods during sex for six months after leaving an affected area.

Further advice on preventing sexual transmission of Zika can be found here.

The Zika virus is an infection transmitted by Aedes mosquitos. The infection often occurs without symptoms but it can cause a mild illness which can include fever, headache, rash, joint and muscle pain, and conjunctivitis. 

There is no vaccine or drug treatment and patients affected are advised to rest and drink plenty of fluids.

The infection is spread by the mosquito. A Q&A on the Zika virus can be found here on the NHS Choices website.

A link to exposure to the Zika virus during pregnancy and microcephaly (a birth defect where a baby's head is smaller than expected when compared to babies of the same sex and age) and other congenital malformations has been identified.

All travellers to the affected countries should ensure they seek travel health advice from their GP or a travel clinic well in advance of their trip and consult the National Travel Health Network and Centre (NaTHNaC) website for up to date information on current outbreaks and country information.

A leaflet with advice on reducing the risk of mosquito-borne infections such as dengue, chikungunya, West Nile, malaria, yellow fever and Zika, can be found here.