Health Officials On Alert For Dengue Fever After 4 Deaths

[george]

Health officials on alert for dengue fever after 4 deaths

BANGKOK: -- Public health offices throughout Thailand were on alert for dengue fever after the disease have so far killed four people this year, with the accumulated number of patients soaring to 2,824 in just over a month, said Dr. Praj Boonyawongvirot, permanent secretary for Public Health.

The alarming figures were recorded from January 1 to February 9 this year, Dr. Praj said. As many as 70 per cent of patients were in provinces in the Central region, he added.

In the same period of 2007, there were 1,702 patients and no deaths reported, Dr. Praj noted. During calendar 2007, 29 people died of dengue fever while the number of patients stood at about 60,000.

Dr. Praj said there were signs the number of dengue fever patients would rise this year due to the effects of global warming and striped mosquitoes – which carried the disease – were now able to give birth faster and better withstand drought.

--TNA 2008-02-17

[Tony Clifton]

What puzzles me is that I've noticed after a few years that there are more mosquitos this time of year, winter, when it's dry. The house is infested, they come in from the drains as well. I would have thought the rainy season and higher temps was best to lay their eggs anywhere.

[Jai Dee]

Public Health warns against dengue fever with 4 fatalities in the past 40 days

Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Public Health Dr Prat Bunyawongwirot (ปราชญ์ บุณยวงศ์วิโรจน์) revealed after traveling to Nakorn Sawan province to review the dengue fever situation. He revealed that the year 2008 has witnessed an increase in the disease's danger. Dr Prat stated that within the 40 days from the beginning of last month until the 9th of this month 2,824 reported cases of dengue fever have already been logged with 4 fatalities.

70 percent of all reported cases of the disease were filed in the central region of the nation with children, adults and the elderly all being affected. When compared to the same period last year which saw 1,702 cases of illness with no fatalities a 66 percent increase can be seen. Dr Prat warned that the figures should be of concern as the presence of the illness in one person means that hundreds of people around the living area of that person may be carrying the sickness without exhibiting symptoms.

The Public Health Permanent Secretary said that analysts have projected dengue fever cases will escalate throughout the year and have warned that repeated infection will increase the severity of the disease.

Source: Thai National News Bureau Public Relations Department - 18 Febuary 2008

[Scott]

I've always had more problems with mosquitos during the cool, dry season than the rainy season. I always assumed it was because there is more stagnant water during the cool season. In the rainy season, water starts running and probably the natural predators increase. Also, I may have more things open during the cool weather than the rainy weather.

It's interesting I know because my house is full of them now as well. (Yes, I have everything screened).

[george]

Update:

Health authorities move to control dengue fever

BANGKOK: -- Thailand's Public Health Ministry plans to impose stringent rules to control the spread of the dengue fever as the number of patients has been rising at an alarming rate since early this year, according to Dr. Thawat Suntrajarn, director-general of Thailand's Disease Control Department.

From January 1 to February 9, the disease has killed four people this year, with the accumulated number of patients soaring to 2,824 in just over a month. As many as 70 per cent of patients were in provinces in the Central region, he added.

In the comparable period last year, there were 1,700 patients and no deaths reported.

During calendar 2007, 29 people died of dengue fever while the number of patients stood at about 60,000 overall.

Expressing worry over the crisis, Dr. Thawat said the Ministry of Public Health will impose severe measures to respond to the situation.

He said the ministry has authorised local administrative bodies to impose fines on households that failed to cooperate with the ministry to eradicate the mosquito breeding habitats.

Under the Public Health Act, violators could be fined Bt2,000 (US$60) or maximum jail terms up to six months or both.

If any areas are unable to control the spread of the dengue fever, the Department of Disease Control would advise the ministry to enforce this act.

Normally, the ministry used 'carrot' measures by asking for cooperation from the public and communities, he said.

Dr. Thawat also said that the global warming had affected the rising numbers of the striped mosquitoes which carried the disease.

The striped mosquitoes were able to lay more eggs, Dr. Thawat said, while the male mosquitoes could mate with many female mosquitoes.

Research conducted three years ago also pointed out that the striped mosquitoes had longer time of 'hunting,' from daytime until late at night.

The director general said that the dengue fever vaccine was one option to control the disease effectively as Mahidol University was carrying human trials and expected that the process would end up with successful result.

--TNA 2008-02-18

[jfchandler]

I have some personal good news to report, as relates to yung....

I was having a big problem with them before..in my apartment. All the windows are screened...but every time I opened the main entrance door even briefly to go in or out, I'd get a seeming swarm of them coming in from the hallway/stairwell outside... So I had taken to regular hunting with the electric tennis racket, etc etc. And every time I checked my inside curtains, I was zapping a half dozen or so morning and night.

But lately, my landlady had one of those ultra sonic pest repeller devices sitting outside on the stairwell, and not using it most of the time... So..just to try, I started plugging it in in the outside hallway during the daytime...and bingo... the episodes of me finding and killing any mosquitoes inside my apartment dropped to near zero.

So, I went to Big C the other day shopping for a device of my own, just in case the landlady's one disappears or stops working someday. Now at least I have a backup, that's plugged into a wall outlet just inside my front door.

The one I bought at Big C cost about 350 baht. They had a double-sized unit, also for plugging into the wall, that cost about 800 baht and claimed to cover about 80 sq mt. They also had a battery powered one, that I took a pass on...

I've never read or seen anything bad about them, in terms of health effects for humans. And...at least in my apartment, the addition of one seems to have done wonders. My ankles and thighs are actually beginning to heal from all the recurring bites of the past.

PS - I also had previously tried the flourescent blue light device inside, and while it did catch and kill some mozzies, it never was particularly good at keeping my apartment free/clean of the dam_n things... It was just taking a drop out of the bucket..so to speak.

[Tony Clifton]

We have the fluorescent blue light in the bedroom for the little one and it does kill some but not all, sometimes we find he's been bitten during the night even though his bed is covered with a tightly would mosquito net. Maybe ants, I dunno.

Are there any known side effects for humans and pets from these ultra sonic pest repelling devices?