Ministry reassures public that rabies situation ‘under control’ – as two more die from disease

By The Nation

 

 

TWO MORE people have died from rabies in Tak and Prachuap Khiri Khan, raising the human death toll from the outbreak so far this year to six, although the Agriculture and Cooperatives Ministry insisted the situation was not serious.

 

A 61-year-old unnamed person, suspected to have been infected with rabies, died yesterday after having been hospitalised the day before at Hua Hin Hospital in Prachuap Khiri Khan province, while a seven-year-old Myanmar boy, who showed clear symptoms of rabies, also died at Phop Phra Hospital in Tak province.

 

 

Last week, two people died from rabies in Nakhon Ratchasima and Trang provinces. Earlier this year two other people died, one in Surin in January and the other in Songkhla in February.

 

In 2017, 11 deaths were caused by rabies while 14 died in 2016. Concerns have been raised that in only the first 74 days of the year, there have already been six deaths.

 

 

Head of the Prachuap Khiri Khan Provincial Public Health Office, Dr Surin Seubseung, revealed that the patient who had died in Hua Hin Hospital showed clear symptoms of rabies. He was found to have been bitten by his cat two months ago but he had not vaccinated himself for rabies.

 

 

Surin pointed out that despite the clear symptoms and the history of contact with an animal suspected of carrying the virus, the doctor had to send the samples of his saliva, cerebrospinal fluid and urine for examination to confirm the rabies infection.

 

Meanwhile, Phop Phra Hospital director Dr Sakbancha Somchaimongkol stated that the seven-year-old Myanmar boy was brought from across the border by his family for treatment but he died a day later.

 

 

Sakbancha stated that the patient had already developed severe symptoms of rabies and showed aggressiveness by trying to attack others and was also afraid of water.

 

He said all family members of the deceased as well as medical staff who had got close to this patient, had already been given rabies vaccine. He said the family was allowed to take his body back to Myanmar for the funeral.

 

The Livestock Development Department’s real-time rabies monitoring system reported that since January 1 until yesterday, there had been 400 confirmed rabies cases in 38 provinces nationwide.

 

Most of the cases were in the northeastern and southern regions, while there were six cases in Bangkok’s four districts: Bang Khen (2), Bang Sue (2), Don Muang (1), and Chatuchak (1).

 

However, Agriculture and Cooperatives Deputy Minister Luck Wajananawat said during the opening ceremony of the rabies control caravan in Pathum Thani and Ayutthaya yesterday that the situation this year was not as serious as in the previous two years. He said the recent major concern about rabies among the public was a result of the awareness campaign launched by the Livestock Development Department.

 

“The Agriculture and Cooperatives Ministry is firmly committed to eradicating rabies from Thailand within the next two years by following the strategies of Her Royal Highness Princess Chulabhorn with the objective of making the country free from rabies infections in both humans and animals by 2020,” Luck said.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/national/30341007

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2018-03-16

The "rabies control caravan". No need to panic then.

 

Edited March 15, 20188 yr by champers

59 minutes ago, webfact said:

Ministry reassures public that rabies situation ‘under control’

it is the only thing they Could say; imagine if they said it was Out of Control ?

2 hours ago, webfact said:

Ministry reassures public that rabies situation ‘under control’ – as two more die from disease

Yup! Everything under control

2 deaths last week, 2 deaths this week

Next they'll be saying apart from the deaths the disease has been totally eradicated 

How can they be so sure? You can be sure to see at least one person foaming at the mouth on national television this evening.

If neibour countries are not trying to rid their country of the disease how are they going to be rabies free by 2020p

Edited March 16, 20188 yr by heybuz
Missed word

Talk is so cheap !

That did sound like an awfully quick turnaround from out of control to “under control”. 

Even made it into news of a minor broadcaster back home, heard the radio-stream yesterday at 4 stiffs and counting ... well done again.

Now, if ever one needs another expression for <common nonsense> or <total & utter incompetence> ... 

How many deaths are acceptable?

Let's see bitten by his cat and the other brought across the border for too late treatment....

 

sure hope they categorize and not lump everything together to  determine real causes...

 

current headline causes misconceptions abound 

How many deaths are acceptable?

 

what is that question directed at? Road fatalities drownings malaria boating accidents electricutions rabies?

 

why is this subject  any different than other causes of death?

 

 

 

Edited March 16, 20188 yr by cardinalblue

I saw him being interviewed on TV. I genuinely believe it’s all under control. 

 

 

Edited March 16, 20188 yr by rkidlad

46 minutes ago, jollyhangmon said:

Even made it into news of a minor broadcaster back home, heard the radio-stream yesterday at 4 stiffs and counting ... well done again.

Now, if ever one needs another expression for <common nonsense> or <total & utter incompetence> ... 

It is on the BBC news website.

31 minutes ago, cardinalblue said:

How many deaths are acceptable?

 

what is that question directed at? Road fatalities drownings malaria boating accidents electricutions rabies?

 

why is this subject  any different than other causes of death?

 

 

 

It is obvious that the member means "how many deaths are acceptable", as it relates to the Ministry reassuring public that rabies situation is 'under control'.

This thread really doesn't have anything to do with road fatalities, drownings, malaria blah blah blah.

Rabies is the topic here.

4 hours ago, webfact said:

“The Agriculture and Cooperatives Ministry is firmly committed to eradicating rabies from Thailand within the next two years by following the strategies of Her Royal Highness Princess Chulabhorn with the objective of making the country free from rabies infections in both humans and animals by 2020,” Luck said

Too afraid to comment on this; all i can say it that they might take it more serious with her name attached to it.

Said it before , they wont do anything meaningful until a whole host of tourists some down with rabies or tourists stop coming because of rabies. 

9 minutes ago, champers said:

It is on the BBC news website.

... my mistake, should have written 'minor & very local broadcaster' because usually they don't do much international news & i just tap into it because it's my very turf.

 

Sure do hope the major/public stations get it out there, tourists should be told especially with plenty of them coming from places where rabies has been considered eradicated for decades ... 

1 hour ago, neeray said:

Talk is so cheap !

That did sound like an awfully quick turnaround from out of control to “under control”. 

Its never been under control and never will be unless the authorities pull their fingers out

Its a problem of their own making and its exacerbated by their all round slack mindset where an out of control dog population is concerned

A rabies outbreak is possible anywhere anytime in the situation that Thailand finds itself in  

15 hours ago, cardinalblue said:

why is this subject  any different than other causes of death?

Because this can be eradicated if the Govt took strong measures to cull all wild animals roaming around, and making it compulsory for all pets to be inoculated, and certified good health

5 hours ago, webfact said:

Ministry reassures public that rabies situation ‘under control’ – as two more die from disease

???? Have they been texting Donald Trump for advice on what to say? 

The case of the Myanmar boy  will make medical history as it is the first of its kind ever reported with these symptoms.

 

Sakbancha stated that the patient had already developed severe symptoms of rabies and showed aggressiveness by trying to attack others and was also afraid of water.

 

Perhaps the observer has been watching too many zombie movies.  The agitated state seen in the patient is common with pediatric cases  because the child cannot express himself. The "attack" behaviour may have already been present in the  patient. This is how patients with  impaired cognitive skills can behave when  ill. "The fear" of water isn't a fear. It is an avoidance behavior because the disease causes painful swelling in the throat. Drinking or eating is a painful activity. The dehydration is worsened and the subject becomes more ill and eventually dies.

 

The manifestation of the disease is not immediate. Although many cases can show up within 7 to 14 days, the literature states that it is not unusual for the incubation period to take 60-90 days. The child was taken from Myanmar to Thailand for medical care so the infection occurred elsewhere.

 

 

 

 

4 hours ago, champers said:

The "rabies control caravan". No need to panic then.

 

 

Totally out of control.

They appear to have no clue as to how to deal with this. You do not have to get bitten to get Rabies. Even minor scratches from an animal that has been licking itself.

Getting licked by or getting their saliva on the smallest nick on your skin can pass it on.

Any person coming into contact with known rabies patients and animals should be quarantined and blood monitored for months.

Let WiKi be your friend and maybe your savior. I suggest anyone in Thailand right now or heading there reads this link below and acts accordingly....

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rabies

 

1 hour ago, neeray said:

Talk is so cheap !

That did sound like an awfully quick turnaround from out of control to “under control”. 

Judge in comparison with all other things they propagate to be "under control".

Six deaths and counting.......Under control?  Soi dogs everywhere, ????  No way it's under control.  ......Pants on fire!

Until they manage to put their apparent I am making merit many feeding dogs that do not belong to them under control, they will NEVER be free of rabies, Sure the argument that NOT all dogs are Rabid is true, but Dogs come from their Human partners many left fend for themselves. To be honest the LAW is skewed in favour of Dogs as Humans have less rights and it is cheaper ( fine wise ) to kill a human than a dog.with a car.

 

Change the law change the perception and make Thailand safer.  Make sure if no change the Govt explains why they do nothing to the families of the deceased. 

It’s a time wasting news. Just put down all the stray dogs in this country and end of the story.

2 hours ago, neeray said:

Talk is so cheap !

That did sound like an awfully quick turnaround from out of control to “under control”. 

But it is under control, somewhere!

I wonder how things will go at Son Khran, will we see a few people shying away from a spraying?

Could explain the latest madness coming from the powers that be......... Woof woof, ban dartboards !