Dengue fever cases over 50,000 in 2018

By The Thaiger

 

 

Thailand health officials say the country has topped the 50,000 mark with dengue fever cases so far in 2018.

 

According to the Ministry of Health’s Bureau of Epidemiology, a total of 50,079 cases have been reported from the 77 provinces up to August 27. 65 of those cases died from complications related to the disease.

 

The areas where you are most likely to contract dengue include Phuket, Nakorn Pathom, Phichit,  Maehongsorn and Krabi.

 

Full story: https://thethaiger.com/news/national/dengue-fever-cases-over-50000-in-2018

 

 

-- © Copyright The Thaiger 2018-09-09

Me wonders why me likes it indoors most the times, Bzzzz, I can hear you, but you ain't coming in....

Thanks phuket. Love to hate you.

Unfortunately, we have under reporting of the disease. This is due to;

- Foreign visitors reporting at home and not  in Thailand;

- People without access to medical care  not seeking help. 

-  Patients who have mild symptoms or who are asymptomatic and who do not seek medical care.

If 'control & management' were not an alien concept here the copycats of almost everything would do good to copy the way Singapore is handling the situation.

I was flattened by dengue this year for about 2 weeks, including 5 days in hospital with very low platelet count bordering on Hemorrhagic.  I know of 6 other people (1 farang, others Thai) living in a 200m radius who were also suffering, all either just before or after I. They either visited clinics, or just suffered it out, so I doubt a few of those went included in the figures.

My Thai FIL died last year of Dengue Fever and Alzheimers. He lived in the Bang No area of Bangkok. He was 80 and up until then he was quite fit and healthy.

I have had it twice. Once in Bangkok. The second time in Pattaya. It's also known as Bone Break Fever. I know why. That being said. Both place I was living in at the time. Nice places, 40 k a month. Each had a shallow drain trench running through the property. Right where laundry was done and was hanging. 

4 hours ago, geriatrickid said:

Unfortunately, we have under reporting of the disease. This is due to;

- Foreign visitors reporting at home and not  in Thailand;

- People without access to medical care  not seeking help. 

-  Patients who have mild symptoms or who are asymptomatic and who do not seek medical care.

Good point.

 

I personally know one person that had a quite bad case of dengue, but (having a serious aversion to doctors/hospitals etc.) preferred to suffer at home, restricted entirely to his bed, for a couple of weeks.  He was 'lucky' in that he was living with a Thai woman who was able to take care of him.

 

I also know someone else who (likely) had a mild version of dengue (very unwell for a couple of weeks and spent most of his time in bed) but he too couldn't see the point of visiting a doctor or hospital.

 

Both could easily afford the health care costs of doctors/hospitals but, (for different reasons) didn't visit a doctor or hospital.