Flu Outbreak In Isaan?

[pumpuiman]

Hi,

My 18 month old niece has just been hospitalized in Pimai with flu like symptoms. I'm told that there were many children there suffering the same problems...a ward of crying children..(breaks my heart)

Has anyone heard of a flu going around?

I'm a little worried...and am wondering if I should send her to Bangkok....or am I overly concerned?

Their treating her with IV fluids and medicine (anti viral?)

If anyone in Isaan, or Thailand in general has noticed an outbreak of flu or gastrointestinal sickness, or gone through this lately....let me know here please, you can help ease a worried uncle's mind.

Thanks,

Eric

[nidge]

Eric,

Last month i became very sick, although the symptoms did not show until i was on the plane to the UK. I ended up in hospital there and was checked for meningitis and bird flu. In the end it they decided it was an unidentified strain of flu. I believe there were some other people from my village with similar symptoms but i haven't been home yet to confirm. If there are loads of kids where you are with the same symptoms why not leave her where she is. They will all be treated at the same time and you will have a reference of any progress by watching the other kids. Go to bangkok and the doctors will have to start all over again. Plus if your niece is as ill as i was she really will not appreciate the drive to bangkok.

Nidge.

[pumpuiman]

Eric,

Last month i became very sick, although the symptoms did not show until i was on the plane to the UK. I ended up in hospital there and was checked for meningitis and bird flu. In the end it they decided it was an unidentified strain of flu. I believe there were some other people from my village with similar symptoms but i haven't been home yet to confirm. If there are loads of kids where you are with the same symptoms why not leave her where she is. They will all be treated at the same time and you will have a reference of any progress by watching the other kids. Go to bangkok and the doctors will have to start all over again. Plus if your niece is as ill as i was she really will not appreciate the drive to bangkok.

Nidge.

Thanks,

She is still in the hospital, but improving.

What were your symptoms? How were you treated?

She had a fever, vomiting, and diarhea...some kind of stomach Flu?

[Sheryl]

Gastrointestinal viruses and other I illnesses are very common, especially as the weather turns hot. If that is all she has, no need to co0me to Bangkok.

They will not be giving her any sort of anti-viral. They'll be keeping her hydrated and possibly giving an antibiotic if they think it could be bacterial.

If she is in the Provincial Hospital, they should be able to manage this quite adequately. If she is in a district hospital, caapcities at that level are significantly lower but might still be OK for a simple GI bug. The main thing in managing this is maintaining adequate fluids and electrolytes. When the vomiting has stopped and she is able to keep it down they'll have the family give her oral rehydration solution.

[pumpuiman]

Gastrointestinal viruses and other I illnesses are very common, especially as the weather turns hot. If that is all she has, no need to co0me to Bangkok.

They will not be giving her any sort of anti-viral. They'll be keeping her hydrated and possibly giving an antibiotic if they think it could be bacterial.

If she is in the Provincial Hospital, they should be able to manage this quite adequately. If she is in a district hospital, caapcities at that level are significantly lower but might still be OK for a simple GI bug. The main thing in managing this is maintaining adequate fluids and electrolytes. When the vomiting has stopped and she is able to keep it down they'll have the family give her oral rehydration solution.

Thanks Sheryl...exactly right.

Now reports are bacterial infection....The first night in the hospital she had such a high fever she started to convulse, but after icing her down she was OK.

She's back home now...and doing much better, thank God.

If we hadn't gotten her a private room, that the family could stay in with her, no one may have noticed her starting to convulse in her sleep....I dread thinking of those poor kids n the dormitory.....with rows of beds laid out next to each other...and the family not allowed to spend the night.