ΠΡΟΣΟΧΗ...DENGUE DEADLY VIRUS

[halfway inn]

Dengue situation in Northeastern part of Thailand worrisome



BANGKOK, 6 July 2013 (NNT)

Dengue situation in Northeastern part of Thailand is exacerbating as over 5,400 people in 4 provinces have now been infected with dengue virus.

The virus has, this year, killed 5 patients in those provinces.

According to the Public Health Ministry, over 5,400 people have been infected with the deadly dengue virus in 4 northeastern provinces, including Nakhon Ratchasima, Chaiyaphum, Buriram, and Surin.

Five of those patients have already been killed by the virus.

Therefore, the Disease Prevention and Control Center is now raising public awareness and educating residents in those areas regarding the issue.

Risk-prone areas will be cleaned up weekly and mosquito-killer spray will be used, especially in schools, where mosquitoes usually breed.

Those who experience flu, headache, body ache, or loss of appetite for longer than 2 days, are warned to consult a doctor immediately as they could be infected by the deadly dengue virus.

[thailandgr]

Dengue fever crisis looms in parts of Thailand

BANGKOK, 8 July 2013 (NNT) - Continuous heavy rains and rising temperatures are leading to a major outbreak of dengue fever this year, which has killed over 60 patients since the beginning of this year.

In Uttaradit province, the local health unit said that the number of dengue fever cases reported is three times higher than that of last year. Following days of torrential rains, water containers in a number of communities have become breeding habitats for mosquitoes.

The provincial body has been spraying mosquito repellent in affected areas and has launched an aggressive campaign to fight the upsurge in dengue fever.

Mahasarakham health unit has also reported a rise in the number of dengue fever patients, totaling 969 this month.

The Public Health Ministry has launched a campaign to combat the disease, which is feared to hit a record high of 120,000 cases this year.

[thailandgr]

Rate of new dengue fever patients increases to 8,000 per week

BANGKOK, 17 July 2013 (NNT)-- The Ministry of Public Health has revealed that the rate of new dengue fever cases has reached 8,000 per week, and that 71 people have already died from the disease this year: coinciding with the severe dengue outbreak situation in Laos.

Lao media are reporting 'historic' levels of dengue fever outbreak in the country. Lao officials have disclosed that 4,617 patients, the highest concentration of dengue fever cases, have been found in the capital of Vientiane. Of this number, 16 have died; followed by Champasak province, where 3,306 cases have been reported, 27 of the patients have died. The number of cases is expected to rise, according to the Lao media.

Thai minister of public health Pradit Sinthawannarong has indicated that most of those killed by the disease in Thailand are between 15-24 years of age. Some of the victims did not think they had the disease, and thus came to the doctor too late. This year's number of those afflicted by the disease is 3 times as many as last year's, prompting him to tell village health volunteers to step up their mosquito suppression efforts.

[thailandgr]

Chiang Mai faces dengue fever crisis

CHIANG MAI (NNT) - The outbreak of dengue fever is raising concerns among health experts in Chiang Mai, given nearly 6,000 people have been afflicted by the disease in the province since the beginning of this year.

The Chiang Mai provincial health unit said a total of 5,977 cases of dengue fever have been reported in the area, with five fatalities so far. The number of dengue patients is on the rise at an alarming rate, from 140 in January to 3,059 in June.

In June of last year, only 170 people were infected by the virus.

A total of 11 districts in Chiang Mai are on high alert for the mosquito-borne disease which include Mueang, Mae Rim, Fang and San Pa Tong districts.

There have been over 50,000 cases of dengue fever reported nationwide. The Public Health Ministry has urged all related agencies to step up prevention measures, including cleaning all water containers and sewer drains, using mosquito-killer sprays, and eliminating all mosquito breeding grounds.

[thailandgr]

Record dengue epidemic looms for Thailand

BANGKOK: Thailand could face one of the largest dengue fever epidemics yet with the Public Health Ministry anticipating that over 120,000 people could contract the virus this year. That would surpass the number of infections during the major outbreak in 2010.

Kill the mosquitoes, cut down the dengue cases - that is the theory.
Last winter's warm temperatures and sporadic rainfall were obvious signs that a major dengue outbreak was due this year, health officials say.

More than 28,000 cases of dengue fever were reported between October to December last year even though winter is not the peak season for the disease.

The number of dengue cases continued to rise from January, with nearly 82,000 reported infections and 78 fatalities as of Friday, public health permanent-secretary Narong Sahamethapat said. Most of the fatalities were aged between 15-24 years.

The figure is three times higher than the same period last year, said Dr Narong, who heads the ministry's anti-dengue efforts.

Two major dengue outbreaks have been recorded in Thailand, with more than 170,000 cases reported in 1986, and 118,700 people infected in 2010.

The dengue prevention operation is at its most intense during the rainy season - from this month to September - when mosquitoes breed rapidly.

"But this disease cannot be controlled just through the work of the ministry," Bureau of Epidemiology director Pasakorn Akarasewi said. "It needs a chain of actions."

Dr Pasakorn said the disease control programme needs to work with other agencies and with local communities.

At the start of this year, the cabinet ordered various ministries, such as the Education and the Interior ministries, to work on a vector control and surveillance programme, which aims to terminate the breeding grounds for dengue-carrying mosquitoes.

Hospitals nationwide are also on alert.

So-called "dengue corners" have been set up at hospitals to screen patients with dengue-like symptoms to make a fast and efficient diagnosis.

"But the level of disease control efficiency is different in each area," Dr Pasakorn said.

According to public health reports, dengue fever is now spreading intensely in the border provinces in the North, including Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai and Mae Hong Son.

A number of cases are also being found in northeastern provinces such as Phetchabun and Loei.

Most cases are reported in remote communities which are difficult to reach, such as those in mountainous areas where disease prevention knowledge is poor and the vector control and surveillance programme is absent.

Some of these areas are inhabited by minorities and low-income communities unable to afford mosquito repellent.

The key activity in the dengue prevention programme is vector control, authorities say. Weak vector control at community levels allows Aedes mosquitoes, the carriers of dengue fever, to reproduce rapidly.

Society of Strengthening Epidemiology president Rungrueng Kitphati said changes in the climate might have helped the Aedes mosquitoes in "growing stronger and living longer".

Many Southeast Asian countries, including Thailand, are experiencing warmer temperatures and irregular rainfall, and such conditions benefit the dengue-carrying mosquitoes, he said.

Scientists have found that the Aedes mosquitoe's life span has increased from one to two months.

Normally, the mosquitoes feed in the day, but Thailand's warmer climate allows them to feed at night too, Dr Rungrueng said. He suspects the changing climate has played a part in the changes in the mosquitoes' life cycle and behaviour.

Urbanisation and poor waste management in cities are also to be blamed.

Source: http://www.thephuketnews.com/record-dengue-epidemic-looms-for-thailand-41049.php

[thailandgr]

DISEASE
Dengue fever claims 83 fatalities
The Nation


BANGKOK: -- A number of 87,533 Thais were infected by dengue fever during January-July, according to the Public Health Ministry.

The fever has claimed 83 fatalities so far or 0.09 per cent of patients, mostly those who suffer from chronic diseases.

The number of cases in July alone hit 5,770.

In a press conference on Sunday, Minister Pradit Sinthawanarong warned that people of all ages are at risk, but symptoms for children, chubby kids, pregnant women and the elderly could be more severe.

Ten provinces are under close watch, with the increasing rate of infection: Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Si Saket, Bangkok, Surin, Tak, Buri Ram, Roi Et, Chon Buri and Khon Kaen.

 


-- The Nation 2013-08-04

[Oytopikos]

The Department of Disease Control has issued warnings about the spread of dengue fever during the rainy season.

According to the Department's weekly disease monitoring report, an outbreak tends to occur due to frequent rainfall, causing water-logging where Aedes mosquitoes, carriers of dengue fever, lay their eggs.

Last week, over 3,000 people were reportedly infected by the virus, three of whom died, one each from Pathum Thani, Ratchaburi and Phetchaburi provinces.

This brings this year's total number of infections to 42,900 and 35 deaths.

The disease mostly spreads among people aged between 15-24 and 10-14 years of age. Parents have been informed of strict disease monitoring methods.

Five provinces: Rayong, Trat, Petchaburi, Tak and Ang Thong, are where the virus tends to be found, said the Department.

Dengue fever is transmitted by the bite of an Aedes mosquito infected with a dengue virus. The symptoms include severe joint and muscle pain, swollen lymph nodes, headache, fever, exhaustion, and rash, which can develop into an acute phase of illness leading to severe complications or even death, state media reported.

http://bangkok.coconuts.co/2015/08/10/residents-warned-about-dengue-fever-outbreak