UPDATE: More than 6,000 Diarrhea Patients in Phuket, 70% Infected with Norovirus

[webfact]

 

Phuket – More than 6,000 patients have been suffering from diarrhea in Phuket in a week after many of them have become infected with a Norovirus, said the Phuket Provincial Health Office (PPHO).
 

The PPHO Chief Doctor Koosak Kookietikun told the Phuket Express on Tuesday (June 13th) that from June 5th to June 12th there were in total 6,382 diarrhea patients. The highest number was on June 8th. They were various ages with both Thais and foreigners in all three districts. Seventy percent of diarrhea patients have been infected from a ‘Norovirus’. Now, the number of diarrhea patients are decreasing.

 

It is unclear for the exact cause of the disease. However, the PPHO believes that the disease has been caused from water supplies and ice.

 

By Goongnang Suksawat

 

Full story: https://thephuketexpress.com/2023/06/13/update-more-than-6000-diarrhea-patients-in-phuket-70-infected-with-norovirus/

 

-- © Copyright The Phuket Express 2023-06-14

 

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[ThailandRyan]

Infectious disease experts need to be called in if these folks here in country can not figure this out.  Reminds me of when another norovirus went wild during a convention.

3 minutes ago, webfact said:

It is unclear for the exact cause of the disease. However, the PPHO believes that the disease has been caused from water supplies and ice.

Question for them would be: Did you send inspectors to all of the Ice factories and water companies who bottle water.

[worgeordie]

One reason I never use ice ,even at fast food places ,no ice ,

plus you get more of the drink ,instead of the cup ben full of

ice ,

 

You'll have seen the way they transport ice to restaurants ,on

the back of a truck in dirty sacks ,tipped into containers that i bet 

are never cleaned.....ever.

 

regards worgeordie

 

 

[webfact]

Viral digestive outbreak strikes over 6,000 people in Phuket

By Peter Roche

 

PHOTO: Flickr/Mommy MundoXYZ

We suspect a lot more. A digestive virus that causes diarrhoea and vomiting has spread across Phuket affecting, officially, nearly 6,400 people so far, according to a Nation Thailand report. Dr Kusak Kukiattikul from the Phuket Provincial Public Health Office says that yesterday’s patient count was the highest since June 8.

 

It’s understood the virus has affected adults and children, Thais and foreigners, with symptoms including diarrhoea, nausea, vomiting, and fever. Health officials on the island are rolling out containment measures to prevent the virus spreading, with a confirmed total of 6,382 infected between June 5 and June 12.

 

According to Dr Kusak, around 70% of those infected have been diagnosed with norovirus, which spreads rapidly and causes inflammation of the digestive system. However, the number of patients with diarrhoea is now starting to drop, according to the doctor, and school students who first reported symptoms have now recovered.

 

Full story: https://phuket-go.com/phuket-news/phuket-news/viral-digestive-outbreak-strikes-over-6000-people-in-phuket/

 

-- © Copyright Phuket GO 2023-06-14

 

- Cigna offers a range of visa-compliant plans that meet the minimum requirement of medical treatment, including COVID-19, up to THB 3m. For more information on all expat health insurance plans click here.

 

The most versatile and flexible rental investment and holiday home solution in Thailand - click for more information.

 

[Gottfrid]

27 minutes ago, worgeordie said:

One reason I never use ice ,even at fast food places ,no ice ,

plus you get more of the drink ,instead of the cup ben full of

ice ,

 

You'll have seen the way they transport ice to restaurants ,on

the back of a truck in dirty sacks ,tipped into containers that i bet 

are never cleaned.....ever.

 

regards worgeordie

 

 

Yeah, it´s horrific! However, not such a big problem. After living over 20 years in Thailand, I have never personally met anyone who had any problems with that.

[ChipButty]

Thats the ones they know about, What do you plan to do about it? 

[petermik]

11 minutes ago, ChipButty said:

Thats the ones they know about, What do you plan to do about it? 

SFA.......sweet fanny adams

[KhunBENQ]

1 hour ago, Gottfrid said:

Yeah, it´s horrific! However, not such a big problem. After living over 20 years in Thailand, I have never personally met anyone who had any problems with that.

11 years and sure no problem with the ice.

What I had was from meat and seafood.

 

[Taboo2]

The "Bum Gun" was quite busy this weekend in Phuket....55555.

[Bim Smith]

Had it in England and here. Horrible illness. I put it down to drinking cold coffee here with ice. Never had another. 

[ThaiFelix]

Only time in over 30 years here getting severe diarrhoea was from eating mud crab in a 5 star hotel in Pattaya.  Cant remember the name of the hotel, maybe thats for the best lol.  I never hesitate with ice and water when Im out.

[Bepah umayun]

Is that the correct pose when one needs to throw up? 

[superal]

I used to take ice with my beer to keep it cool until I got a parasite infection that I still had on returning to the UK where the doctor took a stool sample . Back from the laboratory it showed a water borne parasite which survives in ice . I was using the toilet 12 times a day and stinking the house out . Finally after 1 month it was over after taking anti bio tics    . I visited an ice factory in Thailand to pick up some ice but the ice chute was blocked . The worker took a piece of dirty , rusty metal rod and cleared it . Low hygiene and no unannounced health/hygiene inspections .  

Needless to say I no longer have ice in Thailand . However I used a hotel in Udon Thani where the ice was made in house . It was as clear as glass . Apparently the water is boiled twice to remove impurities before freezing . I would assume that ice to be safe . Also I do not drink beer from a glass , only straight from the bottle . Unclean glasses are another hazard .

[herfiehandbag]

I remember having a quick beer in the transit lounge at Mumbai Airport one night. As I drained the glass I caught sight of the bottom of the glass. I just made it to Suvarnabhumi before Ghandi's revenge struck!

 

Never had a problem with ice or glasses here, but anywhere in India or Bangladesh, only drink from a bottle, and make sure it is sealed when you buy it.

[Pinot]

My friend and I were suppose to get together for a night. He called me up in the afternoon and said I've got diarrhea and I feel awful, I have to cancel. I said, I was just about to call you, I have the exact same symptoms. I'd been reading online and said this might be Norovirus.

 

It was. Norovirus was for me the worst I've ever felt. Constantly on the toilet, feeling like someone punched me in the face, aches, pains, omg it was bad. The weirdest thing...I never had a fever yet I felt like I had a high fever. Norovirus was truly the worst 48 hours I can remember...and then it was over. So weird!

 

I have no idea where I got it. My wife never got it she was always with me, yet it's incredibly contagious. 

[ThailandRyan]

28 minutes ago, herfiehandbag said:

I remember having a quick beer in the transit lounge at Mumbai Airport one night. As I drained the glass I caught sight of the bottom of the glass. I just made it to Suvarnabhumi before Ghandi's revenge struck!

 

Never had a problem with ice or glasses here, but anywhere in India or Bangladesh, only drink from a bottle, and make sure it is sealed when you buy it.

The way you can tell you have ice from a factory here in Thailand is the cylindrical shape and hole in the middle.  Made using proper equipment, yet sometimes that can be bad as well if the equipment is not cleaned or sanitized, and why I mentioned in my comment above about them checking the factories which bottle water and make Ice.  For those that get there water from a machine at 1 baht per liter how do you know the machines filter is not old and nasty.

[Pink Mist]

Off topic posts discussing seafood have been removed.

[hotchilli]

3 hours ago, ThailandRyan said:

Question for them would be: Did you send inspectors to all of the Ice factories and water companies who bottle water.

Ice I would say is a good carrier bacteria, used in most drinks and the source of water used for ice is dodgy to say the least.

The other thing is the source of water used to wash/clean anything in the food chain.

[jchfriis]

I worked in a cruise ship. And we got it. Many passengers and a lot of the crew got sick. We got two experts on board in the next port to help us get rid of it. It was a lot of work and gallons of chloride before the ship was declared clean of the virus. Even one of the experts got sick. I managed to avoid it. Probalby because I wash my hands all the time. Keep your hands clean and try to avoid any who may have it. It spreads by air and touch and is very contagious. According to NHS alcohol based sanitizers are not effective against this virus.

[PETERTHEEATER]

1 hour ago, Taboo2 said:

The "Bum Gun" was quite busy this weekend in Phuket....55555.

Spray that again......

[BKK4]

Well, after many, many years of no serious issues (discounting 24-hour stomach issues), I fell victim to this in Phuket whilst there 01-04 June. 6 days of straight diarrhea followed. Miserable. I ate the same food as two others, but had a mango shake and an iced milk tea, which others did not have. Lesson learned. 

[ChaiyaTH]

I've not been near Phuket but had near a full week of this, worst I ever had, a few weeks ago. 

[Udom]

3 hours ago, worgeordie said:

One reason I never use ice ,even at fast food places ,no ice ,

plus you get more of the drink ,instead of the cup ben full of

ice ,

 

You'll have seen the way they transport ice to restaurants ,on

the back of a truck in dirty sacks ,tipped into containers that i bet 

are never cleaned.....ever.

 

regards worgeordie

 

 

And unloaded from trucks with shovels whilst the guy stands on the ice "barefoot"...

Seen over and over again...

[ChipButty]

I had it a couple of weeks ago, I put it down to a Dodgy toasted sandwich that I eat about 9-30 in the morning sure enough when I got the packet out of the bin, it was past it's sell by date, 

[geisha]

Sorry to say, but I’ve always found that Thailand has a huge problem with storing food and general hygiene. I’ve seen it too many times to count. One that shocks me the most are the buffets , where anyone can touch and breathe on , cough on , and the cutlery used for serving has been used by how many people ?? Ladies coming out of the toilets and passing the wash basins, very often !! I suppose the men’s toilets are the same . Those seafood boats where they are full of fish and shellfish all day exposed to heat, then put back in the fridges . I’ve even seen pork chops on display in phuket , wrapped in cling film on display, obviously frozen, then unsold and put back into those portable coolers with ice. Coughing sneezing and not using a tissue or the elbow ! I was recently in Bali, and in a five star hotel at breakfast, a Chinese man sneezed 10 times over the whole table , over the salt and pepper pots etc. I had to call a waitress to tell him to sanitize that table when they left , which they did. That said, I find Asians quite clean in personal hygiene, and most times look cleaner than some of the sweating tourists ! 

[ChipButty]

7 minutes ago, geisha said:

Sorry to say, but I’ve always found that Thailand has a huge problem with storing food and general hygiene. I’ve seen it too many times to count. One that shocks me the most are the buffets , where anyone can touch and breathe on , cough on , and the cutlery used for serving has been used by how many people ?? Ladies coming out of the toilets and passing the wash basins, very often !! I suppose the men’s toilets are the same . Those seafood boats where they are full of fish and shellfish all day exposed to heat, then put back in the fridges . I’ve even seen pork chops on display in phuket , wrapped in cling film on display, obviously frozen, then unsold and put back into those portable coolers with ice. Coughing sneezing and not using a tissue or the elbow ! I was recently in Bali, and in a five star hotel at breakfast, a Chinese man sneezed 10 times over the whole table , over the salt and pepper pots etc. I had to call a waitress to tell him to sanitize that table when they left , which they did. That said, I find Asians quite clean in personal hygiene, and most times look cleaner than some of the sweating tourists ! 

Thai's know nothing about refrigeration and how to store food you will find these mom and pop shops they turn the fridges of at night, washing their hands after using the toilet it's not a Thai thing, I noticed that a long time ago, I have a friend who has a good restaurant he told me they will take stuff out of the freezer then put it back later he said to me he cannot make them understand.

[JayClay]

26 minutes ago, Sticky Rice Balls said:

curious how much the thai "pretty" made taking that stock photo.....ooo look everyone im famous.....should have called Nong Olive...who im sure is desperate to get back in the limelight

Nice rant but she's clearly not Thai...!

[Bundooman]

3 hours ago, Taboo2 said:

The "Bum Gun" was quite busy this weekend in Phuket....55555.

And I wonder when they, (All of them in Thailand, or anywhere else for that matter), were last cleaned?

How much cack builds up on them from the spray or on the trigger?

Followed by the tap turning - straight after a dump!

and of course, the impeccably clean towel provided that one might use............

[Bundooman]

3 hours ago, Bepah umayun said:

Is that the correct pose when one needs to throw up? 

I was just thinking about her height and how she is throwing up.

Is she kneeling or exceptionally short?

I'd do it from the rear.......

Vomit excluded, of course.

[Bundooman]

18 minutes ago, JayClay said:

Nice rant but she's clearly not Thai...!

How, specifically and 'clearly', can you tell she's not Thai?