Avoiding Dengue Fever – some tips and tricks

[snoop1130]

 

Dengue fever is a viral illness that is spread by the Aedes mosquito, which is found in tropical and subtropical regions around the world. Thailand is one of the countries where dengue fever is prevalent, and it’s important for travellers and residents alike to take steps to protect themselves from the disease.

 

Dengue is also prevalent in Phuket with outbreaks from time to time so we’d urge you to be vigilant when visiting the island.

Here are some tips to help you avoid dengue fever in Thailand…

 

• Use mosquito repellent: The best way to prevent dengue fever is to avoid being bitten by mosquitoes in the first place. Use a repellent that contains DEET or picaridin, and apply it to exposed skin and clothing. It’s especially important to use repellent during the day, as the Aedes mosquito is most active during the early morning and late afternoon, sunrise and sunset.

 

Repellants are freely available at 7/11 and Family Mart stores.

 

• Wear protective clothing: Long-sleeved shirts and pants can help to protect your skin from mosquito bites. Light and pale coloured clothing are also less attractive to mosquitoes.

 

• Use mosquito nets: If you’re staying in a place where the windows and doors aren’t screened, use a mosquito net to protect yourself while you sleep. You can even give your room a quick spray with a mosquito spray in the minutes before you go to bed.

 

• Remove standing and stale water: Mosquitoes lay their eggs in still water, so it’s important to eliminate any sources of any water pools around your home or hotel room. This includes things like old tyres, flower pots and buckets.

 

• Be aware of the risk: Pay attention to the local news and weather reports, and take precautions if there is a dengue fever outbreak in the area. Be aware that there are other disease carrying mosquitos such as chikungunya, zika, malaria and yellow fever as well (although Dengue and chikungunya are the most common).

 

• Seek medical attention: If you suspect you have dengue fever (and you’ll know it) get to a clinic or hospital straight away. Symptoms include fever, headache, muscle and joint pain, nausea and a rash. If you’re experiencing any of these symptoms, seek medical attention right away.

 

• If possible get dengue vaccinations before hand. It’s not available everywhere but willl certainly assist you avoid most of the worst symptoms.

 

By following these tips, you can reduce your risk of contracting dengue fever in Thailand. Remember that dengue fever can be a serious illness, so it’s important to take precautions to protect yourself and your loved ones.

 

These prevention techniques are the best way to protect yourself and should be practiced regardless of the outbreak status. If you live in Thailand, these precautions just become part of your way of life.

 

If you become ill, despite taking precautions, be sure to seek medical attention immediately.

 

Source: https://phuket-go.com/phuket-news/phuket-life/avoiding-dengue-fever-some-tips-and-tricks/

 

-- © Copyright Phuket GO 2023-01-12

 

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[Lorry]

5 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

zika, malaria and yellow fever

There is no yellow fever in Asia.

There is practically no malaria in Thailand,  at least for tourists and in Phuket.

There are less than 5 cases of Zika per year in Thailand. 

https://www.mfa.go.th/en/content/5d5bcfb615e39c306001b35a?page=5f29237ab10cf72f1d4a6547&menu=5d5bd3dd15e39c306002ab1d

5 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

If possible get dengue vaccinations

Nobody recommends dengue vaccination for tourists.

(For residents,  the new vaccine from Takeda might be something to look into)

Anyway,  tourists usually pick up dengue in Samui, not in Phuket.

[GinBoy2]

Cover up and use repellant every single day. In dengue season shorts and the ubiquitous Chang wife beater, not a good idea

 

I got Dengue while living in Singapore, and they have a pretty aggressive mosquito eradication program.

 

You feel like you are dying.

 

I had a headache which felt like a helicopter had landed on my head, and every bone in my body felt like it was on fire.

 

And the problem is, all you can do is stay in the dark and suck down huge quantities of ibuprofen to soften the pain.

 

Horrible Horrible experience 

[jabis]

6 hours ago, Lorry said:

There is no yellow fever in Asia.

There is practically no malaria in Thailand,  at least for tourists and in Phuket.

There are less than 5 cases of Zika per year in Thailand. 

https://www.mfa.go.th/en/content/5d5bcfb615e39c306001b35a?page=5f29237ab10cf72f1d4a6547&menu=5d5bd3dd15e39c306002ab1d

Nobody recommends dengue vaccination for tourists.

(For residents,  the new vaccine from Takeda might be something to look into)

Anyway,  tourists usually pick up dengue in Samui, not in Phuket.

Malaria, Zika, Yellow Fever and Dengue all are met here in Thailand - doesn't discriminate if you're a tourist or not.
I'd rather Check the health advisories from CDC-like types, than a random "Lorry" at a forum saying nope x)

[Elkski]

5 hours ago, GinBoy2 said:

Cover up and use repellant every single day. In dengue season shorts and the ubiquitous Chang wife beater, not a good idea

 

I got Dengue while living in Singapore, and they have a pretty aggressive mosquito eradication program.

 

You feel like you are dying.

 

I had a headache which felt like a helicopter had landed on my head, and every bone in my body felt like it was on fire.

 

And the problem is, all you can do is stay in the dark and suck down huge quantities of ibuprofen to soften the pain.

 

Horrible Horrible experience 

Doesn't sound fun.  How long after bite until symptoms appear?  Just left isaan after 21 days.  Bugs seem to like falang soft skin.  Probably got bit by fleas and do chickens have a live or flea's?  Hard to keep neighbors chicks and chickens away.  Dogs always doing the flea I gotta biting themselves.   I did get bit theiught tan slacks and a light shirt.  Most times I never saw what bit me.   

 

 

[GinBoy2]

10 minutes ago, Elkski said:

Doesn't sound fun.  How long after bite until symptoms appear?  Just left isaan after 21 days.  Bugs seem to like falang soft skin.  Probably got bit by fleas and do chickens have a live or flea's?  Hard to keep neighbors chicks and chickens away.  Dogs always doing the flea I gotta biting themselves.   I did get bit theiught tan slacks and a light shirt.  Most times I never saw what bit me.   

 

 

Mosquito bites happen all the time, but I think its within a couple of days to two weeks when symptoms appear.

 

Even now, although in North America mosquito's don't carry the damn thing, I'm traumatized by the sound of the evil creatures buzzing past my head

[jacko45k]

20 minutes ago, Elkski said:

How long after bite until symptoms appear?

4-10 days. 

[internationalism]

4 hours ago, jabis said:

Malaria, Zika, Yellow Fever and Dengue all are met here in Thailand - doesn't discriminate if you're a tourist or not.
I'd rather Check the health advisories from CDC-like types, than a random "Lorry" at a forum saying nope x)

please put any link to CDC or any other source, rather than just blankly negating what was said earlier. Poster might be a doctor, likely, but you don't know this.

 

Malaria is pretty much not existent for tourists and expats in thailand. Might be a handful of cases per year. There are tens of cases in whole thailand, dense jungles in border aread with burma and cambodia.

There is a huge difference in risk between tourists and expats at resorts and cities and tribal population high in the mountain jungles, with no sanitation and any readily medical care. 

There are multiple OTC medications available, including prevention (doxicicline is in avery pharmacy) but also for early treatment chloroquine and quinine in larger pharmacies.

 

The most dangerous is dengue, some 70k cases per year with around 0.1% mortality so about 70. 

There are also 2 vaxes - dengvaxia available in thailand since 2017 (needs 3 doses at 2-3k each) and just released japanese Takeda, available already in Indonesia and also submitted for approval for thailand (that might take time, because dengvaxia is in surplus)

Edited January 13, 2023 by internationalism

[NanLaew]

11 hours ago, Lorry said:

There is no yellow fever in Asia.

There is practically no malaria in Thailand,  at least for tourists and in Phuket.

There are less than 5 cases of Zika per year in Thailand. 

https://www.mfa.go.th/en/content/5d5bcfb615e39c306001b35a?page=5f29237ab10cf72f1d4a6547&menu=5d5bd3dd15e39c306002ab1d

Nobody recommends dengue vaccination for tourists.

(For residents,  the new vaccine from Takeda might be something to look into)

Anyway,  tourists usually pick up dengue in Samui, not in Phuket.

But the taxis are cheaper in Samui.

[Mickeymaus]

20 minutes ago, internationalism said:

 

There are also 2 vaxes - dengvaxia available in thailand since 2017 (needs 3 doses at 2-3k each) and just released japanese Takeda, available already in Indonesia and also submitted for approval for thailand (that might take time, because dengvaxia is in surplus)

Dengvaxia should only be used if you had a Dengue infection already. Otherwise it might cause severe problems if you get Dengue the first time. 

 

"Approximately 800,000 schoolchildren received the Dengvaxia vaccine and benefit from the protection it grants against dengue fever. However around 10% of those 800,000 had not had dengue fever before and therefore are at risk of severe infection because of the vaccine."

 

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

[zzaa09]

11 hours ago, Lorry said:

There is no yellow fever in Asia.

There is practically no malaria in Thailand,  at least for tourists and in Phuket.

There are less than 5 cases of Zika per year in Thailand. 

https://www.mfa.go.th/en/content/5d5bcfb615e39c306001b35a?page=5f29237ab10cf72f1d4a6547&menu=5d5bd3dd15e39c306002ab1d

Nobody recommends dengue vaccination for tourists.

(For residents,  the new vaccine from Takeda might be something to look into)

Anyway,  tourists usually pick up dengue in Samui, not in Phuket.

????

[internationalism]

10 minutes ago, Mickeymaus said:

Dengvaxia should only be used if you had a Dengue infection already. Otherwise it might cause severe problems if you get Dengue the first time. 

 

"Approximately 800,000 schoolchildren received the Dengvaxia vaccine and benefit from the protection it grants against dengue fever. However around 10% of those 800,000 had not had dengue fever before and therefore are at risk of severe infection because of the vaccine."

 

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

yes. 

the case of dengvaxia in Philippiness was politicised by Rodrigo Duterte as soon as he came to power, to lash at opposition, who approved free vax programm for kids in endemic areas.

That was a flagship programm for opposition during election and it had to be torpedoed.

 

Chances of getting denque in tropics is every 9 years, that's why it's recommended over age of nine.

For expats it's recommended for those staying in tropics for over 9 years, even if there is no record of infection - denque is in 85% asymptomatic.

It's also possible to check antibodies for an earlier infection, but test is as expensive as a dose of dengvaxia, around 2k baht. Now doctors do recommend this test, but in previous years it was not done.  

There is always doctor's consultation before jab and might be not approved 

[Badb0y]

As of now I thought there isn't any vaccine for the mosquito fever in Thailand, but this article says has?

[internationalism]

48 minutes ago, Badb0y said:

As of now I thought there isn't any vaccine for the mosquito fever in Thailand, but this article says has?

there are now 2 vax - dengvaxia since 2016 and qdenga the last year (indonesia, the EU, the USA and more to follow)

[liddelljohn]

I have had Dengue fever twice in Pattaya   in 2006 and 2012 spent 5 days in memorial both times very ill on intavenous rehydration drips and pain killers its like flu but hurts more 3rd day was worse with the peak fever  and potential death  , In older days Dengue was known as ''Break Bone Fever'' due to the pain and soreness

[Badb0y]

4 hours ago, internationalism said:

there are now 2 vax - dengvaxia since 2016 and qdenga the last year (indonesia, the EU, the USA and more to follow)

I just asked Bumrungrad, they give Dengvaxia, this vaccine requires three doses administered subcutaneously and given 6 months apart.

 

 

[Mickeymaus]

15 hours ago, Badb0y said:

I just asked Bumrungrad, they give Dengvaxia, this vaccine requires three doses administered subcutaneously and given 6 months apart.

 

But again. Dengvaxia should only be used if you had Dengue already - if at all. It was a scandal what Sanofi did when testing it. Children died because of it. Read the many reports about this disaster that you can find on the Internet. Sanofi should have known the risks.