Dengue fever outbreak hits 3-year high; nearly 20,000 affected, 15 deaths

[webfact]

 

A recent warning from Thailand’s government deputy spokesperson, Trisuree Trisaranakul, has alerted the public to the rapidly growing dengue fever outbreak.

 

With nearly 20,000 reported cases and 15 deaths in the past five months, the epidemic reached its highest level in three years. Citizens are urged to take precautions to protect themselves and their children during the rainy season from June to August when the infection rate is expected to rise.

 

Trisuree mentioned that the Ministry of Public Health has recorded 18,173 dengue cases, a staggering 4.2 times more than the previous year. The highest incidence of the disease has been found in students aged 5-14 years, followed by the 15-24 age group. The most affected areas include Bangkok, Trat, Nan, Chanthaburi, Rayong, and Mae Hong Son.

 

by Nattapong Westwood

 

Picture courtesy of jcomp, Freepik

 

Full story: https://thethaiger.com/news/national/dengue-fever-outbreak-hits-3-year-high-nearly-20000-affected-15-deaths

 

-- © Copyright Thaiger 2023-06-12

 

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[TallGuyJohninBKK]

24 minutes ago, webfact said:

15 deaths in the past five months, the epidemic reached its highest level in three years.

And Thailand just reported 69 new COVID deaths in the past one  week....  Guess that helps put things in perspective some.

 

[KhunLA]

57 minutes ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

And Thailand just reported 69 new COVID deaths in the past one  week....  Guess that helps put things in perspective some.

Unhealthy & old people die all the time from respiratory diseases.   Dengue is a bit different, and kicks your butt much more than the flu like, if any symptoms of covid.  Especially the covid strains going around of late. 

 

Which I think I had, covid, and a runny nose for all of 1 day.  DF kicked my butt for about 2 weeks.

 

Barring of course, you're not the extremely unlucky, and it kills you.  Guess that goes for both ailments.

 

On that, mozzies been chewing my butt up this week, but the little, almost 'no see 'ems' not the ones usually credited for carrying DF.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

And yet more than 4 times as many COVID deaths (69) in just one week compared to 5 months of dengue deaths (15).... I guess there's an awful lot of your "unluckyness" going round.

 

[NanLaew]

1 hour ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

And Thailand just reported 69 new COVID deaths in the past one  week....  Guess that helps put things in perspective some.

 

What perspective? Are you trying to downgrade the seriousness of dengue, an epidemic that has grown year-on-year or upgrade the seriousness of Covid, a pandemic that's in remission?

Edited June 12, 2023 by NanLaew

[KhunLA]

22 minutes ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

And yet more than 4 times as many COVID deaths (69) in just one week compared to 5 months of dengue deaths (15).... I guess there's an awful lot of your "unluckyness" going round.

 

A covid death is usually a high risk, older or unhealthy person, and death isn't  much of a  surprise.

 

DF doesn't discriminate as much, or mostly kill the old & unhealthy.  Along with, nasty symptoms just for having, and last about 2 weeks, if not the 'hemorrhage' strain, which can be fatal.

 

To put it in perspective, I'd welcome 5 or 10 more cases of covid, vs 1 more case of DF, and I am high risk, due to age.  

 

Take covid any day over DF.

Edited June 12, 2023 by KhunLA

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

8 minutes ago, KhunLA said:

A covid death is usually a high risk, older or unhealthy person, and death isn't  much of a  surprise.

You have no credible basis for making that claim.... (that COVID deaths among the elderly aren't "much of a surprise."

 

Just because a person is older and/or has other health issues doesn't by any stretch mean they're already at death's door.

 

And, many of the chronic health conditions that increase a person's risks from dengue also increase their risks from COVID:

 

"The main risk factors for severe dengue fever were secondary infection, and co-morbidities (hypertension and diabetes).

 

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7810113/

 

 

 

 

Edited June 12, 2023 by TallGuyJohninBKK

[Mickeymaus]

Dengue is no fun especially if you get it a second time with a different Dengue strain. And it happens only in remote areas? No, I got it in Central Pattaya some years ago. I should not stay in a Dengue country now anymore... It is dangerous for me. I know. 

[KhunLA]

1 minute ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

You have no credible basis for making that claim....

 

Just because a person is older and/or has other health issues doesn't by any stretch mean they're already at death's door.

 

You may want to catch up on the death stats, by age, and contributing factors, and you'll see where my claim comes from.  That's common knowledge by now.

[jacko45k]

1 hour ago, KhunLA said:

A covid death is usually a high risk, older or unhealthy person, and death isn't  much of a  surprise.

Not a good start.... surely a surprise to the victim.

[KhunLA]

1 minute ago, jacko45k said:

Not a good start.... surely a surprise to the victim.

I'm very old, and or unhealthy ... getting a respiratory disease, and dying from, wouldn't be a surprise.   Though I guess ignorance is bliss for some.

 

On Topic ... DF ... cover up, and mozzy repellent spray (DEET) is in order, if having a mozzy (Aedes species) problem in your area.

 

covid been argued to death elsewhere ... PEACE OUT

[ukrules]

2 hours ago, KhunLA said:

On Topic ... DF ... cover up, and mozzy repellent spray (DEET) is in order, if having a mozzy (Aedes species) problem in your area.

You know the vast majority of people who get Dengue don't even know they've had it.

[chalawaan]

I hope you're all wearing your masks! A "yoong" with Covid on its paws might fly up your nose on your motosai. ????????????

[Moonlover]

4 hours ago, KhunLA said:

To put it in perspective, I'd welcome 5 or 10 more cases of covid, vs 1 more case of DF, and I am high risk, due to age.  

 

Take covid any day over DF.

I agree. I think I may have had Covid, but never tested to see if the very mild symptoms where, in fact C19.

 

But I know I've had Dengue, it was bloody awful!

[Mickeymaus]

10 hours ago, Moonlover said:

I agree. I think I may have had Covid, but never tested to see if the very mild symptoms where, in fact C19.

 

But I know I've had Dengue, it was bloody awful!

Since I had Dengue already I studied this problem in more detail. The problem with Dengue is the following. Let's say you had Dengue with strain 1 (there are 4). If you get strain 1 again you have luck. Your body is prepared to fight against it. If you get a different strain then it can get problematic. Your body tries to fight against it with the antibodies for strain 1. It uses the wrong immune response and this is where the problems start.

 

Is there vaccination? Yes for instance Denguevaxia. A long story... If you never had Dengue before it can increase the risk of complications (see my strain remarks before). And then there is for instance the Qdenga vaccination. Read here for more information about Dengue and vaccination:

 

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

 

[Wongkitlo]

We always had mosquitoes everywhere till my neighbour's daughter had dengue. Now they have lessened enormously. Since it affected her family she cleaned up all the water lying around. A bit of public  education can help.

[Moonlover]

3 hours ago, Wongkitlo said:

We always had mosquitoes everywhere till my neighbour's daughter had dengue. Now they have lessened enormously. Since it affected her family she cleaned up all the water lying around. A bit of public  education can help.

3 years ago contractors came along, without warning and installed a 100 meter long drainage ditch through the village. We didn't have a big problem with drainage, rainwater quickly ran off down to the river anyway.

 

The ditch doesn't work. Instead of channeling water off the street, it fills up with water and so we're now left with a 100 meter long mosquito breeding trough.

 

The next rainy season that came along the village had its first Dengue outbreak in 6 years, including me and nothing has been done about it since. The public education system hasn't worked here!

[anrcaccount]

21 hours ago, KhunLA said:

You may want to catch up on the death stats, by age, and contributing factors, and you'll see where my claim comes from.  That's common knowledge by now.

Spot on. If you saw these 69 unfortunate souls in a room, I think you'd quickly ascertain most of them are very near deaths door already. 

 

In many places, average covid death age is at or around life expectancy, well into the 80s.

 

Do we have the ages of the dengue deaths? I bet anything they'd be much younger overall. 

[kwilco]

Under cover or Covid, dengue has been forgotten by many. At least one can adopt habits that will minimise your chances of getting Dengue. 

Although Corona is now mostly mild or even symptomless, you can't vaccinate against dengue - or at least the vaccines are not readily available. Like Covid Dengue can be mild or even symptomless but it can also kill. The most effective prophylactic is don't get bitten

“BANGKOK - Thailand recorded 18,173 dengue cases from January to May this year, up 4.2 times on the same period last year and the highest caseload for three years, government spokesman Traisuree Taisaranakul said on Monday.

An average of 900 infections per week had resulted in 15 deaths in the January-May period, she said.

Bangkok had the highest number of cases, followed by Trat, Nan, Chanthaburi, Rayong and Mae Hong Son.

The worst affected age group was children aged five to 14, followed by the 15-24 group.”

https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/se-asia/thailand-issues-dengue-warning-as-cases-soar-to-3-year-high-with-children-the-worst-affected-group