Concern raised over health of youths due to harmful bacteria from cave bats

By THE NATION

 

 

THOROUGH medical check-ups await the 12 young footballers and their coach as soon as they are rescued from the Chiang Rai cave after health experts expressed concern about the possible risk of contracting a virus from bats.

 

Chiangrai Prachanukroh Hospital is prepared to evaluate the rescued group and 13 medical teams, one for each of the missing, are poised to accompany them there from the cave entrance. The hospital has readied a separate zone to examine the 13 football team members and provide treatment as necessary, said Chiang Rai Public Health Office chief Dr Tossathep Boonthong yesterday.

 

Tossathep noted that scientific surveys had found potentially harmful bacteria in the droppings of cave-dwelling bats, and Tham Luang cave where the rescue mission is underway had never been surveyed.

 

He said the Disease Control Department planned to collect and analyse samples of the bats’ droppings from Tham Luang once the missing party was rescued.

 

Dr Thiravat Hemachudha, who heads the Emerging Infectious Diseases Centre, said health authorities had concerns for not just stranded team members, but also rescuers working inside the camp. 

 

“Aside from bats, there are also mosquitoes and various insects. They may spread diseases,” he said, mentioning the threats from bacteria, viruses and fungi. 

 

Thiravat said he had already raised the issue with Public Health Minister Dr Piyasakol Sakolsatayadorn so that proper preparations could be made. 

 

“Our preparations do not mean the stranded victims and rescuers have definitely caught diseases. We have just prepared measures that will deliver immediate help if they are infected,” the prominent doctor said. 

 

According to Thiravat, even the health conditions of parents camping out in front of the cave to directly hear updates about rescue operations’ progress will need to be monitored. 

 

The cave is located inside a forest park.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/national/30349150

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2018-07-03

Do they have any clue as to what they are talking about? ? 

I am sure that nobody else cares about a a bit of bat crap. Not likely to find bats so far in when its difficult to walk let alone fly.  More overkill from a Thai agency wanting to get their name in the papers.

Ah the lesser known Thai Cave Diving Bat with it's use of underwater sonar to navigate those tricky water filled u-bends. 

 

Bats that venture so deep into caves that they could be trapped for 5 months of the year don't tend to survive that long as bats anyway. I doubt there is any bat crap down at the Pattaya Beach section of the cave.

 

I just wish they would let these boys walk out on their own 2 feet like the men they truly are, but they will probably be stretchered out (then injured whilst over zealot medics run with them to ambulances). The whole rescue site needs to maintain a calm head during the extraction phase.

I think the high speed Thai ambulance ride in the rain on a mountain is the most dangerous part.

"According to Thiravat, even the health conditions of parents camping out in front of the cave to directly hear updates about rescue operations’ progress will need to be monitored."

 

This explains a lot. I walked past this cave two years ago and I have been thinking all my health problems were Pattaya related. 

If this is the case, would it not be logical to take blood samples now and send them out first for analysis before the children are extracted?

 

I wonder have blood samples been taken from the parents and rescue workers as well if it is suspected that it is such a risk?

Ah the lesser known Thai Cave Diving Bat with it's use of underwater sonar to navigate those tricky water filled u-bends. 
 
Bats that venture so deep into caves that they could be trapped for 5 months of the year don't tend to survive that long as bats anyway. I doubt there is any bat crap down at the Pattaya Beach section of the cave.
 
I just wish they would let these boys walk out on their own 2 feet like the men they truly are, but they will probably be stretchered out (then injured whilst over zealot medics run with them to ambulances). The whole rescue site needs to maintain a calm head during the extraction phase.

Nice. A bit of thai bashing early in the thread

4 minutes ago, BangkokSausage said:

49 minutes ago, Andaman Al said:

Ah the lesser known Thai Cave Diving Bat with it's use of underwater sonar to navigate those tricky water filled u-bends. 
 
Bats that venture so deep into caves that they could be trapped for 5 months of the year don't tend to survive that long as bats anyway. I doubt there is any bat crap down at the Pattaya Beach section of the cave.
 
I just wish they would let these boys walk out on their own 2 feet like the men they truly are, but they will probably be stretchered out (then injured whilst over zealot medics run with them to ambulances). The whole rescue site needs to maintain a calm head during the extraction phase.

Nice. A bit of thai bashing early in the thread

Absolutely no Thai bashing. A little bit of humor about bats (if it flew over your head don't worry) and as for the getting out on a stretcher you obviously did not see the televised rehearsal by medical teams on getting the boys from the cave to the ambulance and then to hospital. Thailand is smiling today, lighten up for gawds sake.

48 minutes ago, Andaman Al said:

The whole rescue site needs to maintain a calm head during the extraction phase.

I just hope the complete TEAM that has done so well so far are able to share and digest these wise words that AA has contributed! ? 

Hm... I am not sure if there are any bats there since you have to dive to reach that place. 

 

I am very happy the boys got found, but can anyone explain to me what were they doing there in the first place? Why did they go there? I mean I talked to professors at work and the first thing they said, why on earth would they go there at 5 PM 2 hours before sunset?  There are signs all over not to go there during rainy season, yet they were ignored. The coach seems to be not the brightest person in the group, he should have known better. The new news that is reaching out now from locals is that it was his idea to go there to write their names on the wall for good luck or something like that. 

There's more risk of being poisoned by pollution in BKK via unworthy vehicle's.