Thailand Warns Of Rise In Dengue Fever

[george]

Thailand warns of rise in dengue fever

BANGKOK: -- A top Thai health official Friday warned of a surge in dengue fever after the mosquito-borne disease killed six people and infected nearly 6,000 this year.

"It is likely that dengue fever will be more severe this year than last year," Thawat Suntrajarn, director-general of the disease control department at the public health ministry, told Agence France-Presse.

The disease has already killed six and sickened more than 5,800 since the beginning of this year, Thawat said, warning that the number of new infections could surge during Thailand's rainy seasons from June to August.

Thailand has suffered 1,000 more cases than during the same period of last year, he said.

In 2007, dengue fever killed 91 people and infected more than 63,000 in Thailand, according to official data.

Dengue is usually associated with poorer tropical countries. The disease leads to a sudden onset of fever with severe headaches, muscle and joint pains, and rashes.

--AFP 2008-03-14

[george]

Public campaign aims to eradicate striped mosquitoes

BANGKOK: -- Thailand's Public Health Ministry will kick off a campaign to kill striped mosquitoes nationwide in an attempt to fight the alarming increase of dengue fever patients, according to senior ministry officials.

Public health minister Chaiya Sasomsup said this year’s dengue fever outbreak in Thailand was quite worrying.

From January 1 to March 8, a total of 5,837 dengue fever patients were recorded nationwide, seven of whom died from the disease. Compared to the same period of 2007, the number of patients this year was 77 per cent higher.

The ministry has decided therefore to launch a nationwide campaign to raise public awareness as well as to eradicate striped mosquitoes, which carry dengue fever.

Between March 20 and 27, a total of 800,000 health volunteers will cooperate with local administration officials in conducting a door-to-door campaign to villages to promote the eradication of the mosquitos and their habitats.

Director-general of Thailand's Disease Control Department Dr. Thawat Suntrajarn said the density of the disease had shifted from the southern region to the central region. During the first ten weeks of this year, a total of 3,669 patients were found in the central region, compared with 1,105 in the southern region.

In previous years, more patients were recorded in the southern region.

--TNA 2008-03-16

[Goshawk]

Thailand warns of rise in dengue fever

In 2007, dengue fever killed 91 people and infected more than 63,000 in Thailand, according to official data.

I can personally vouch for this. In December Mrs Goshawk (who is Thai) was infected with the Dengue virus, her platelet count dropped to a very dangerous 9000 (A normal platelet count in a healthy person is between 150,000 and 400,000 per mm³ of blood ) which put her in hospital and in need of a platelet transfusion...

This was in no rural location either... we live in Hang Dong, Chiangmai. The doctors said she was lucky to get to the Hospital in time. She's fine now.

be careful people, the Dengue mosquitoes are equally active during the day...

[jdinasia]

"Dengue Mosquitos" are only active during the day.

am at home now and have been to the hospital twice in the last 2 days for IV's and bloodwork (all bloodwork in acceptable norms) but the rash, headache, leg cramps and then general flu-like symptoms are ROUGH! The fever has come and gone a couple of times but I seem to be over the hump!

[burman]

This was in no rural location either... we live in Hang Dong, Chiangmai.

My friend contracted Dengue Fever in Bangkok last year. AFAIK it's quite prevalent in urban locations.

[jdinasia]

This was in no rural location either... we live in Hang Dong, Chiangmai.

My friend contracted Dengue Fever in Bangkok last year. AFAIK it's quite prevalent in urban locations.

The life span of a mozzy is about 7 days? You need to have a population present to pass it along. I am unsure if I picked this up in Maesot last weekend or already had it in BKK before I went up there. (I was pretty sick while I was there but thought it was just sinuses and GI problems)

TRANSMISSION

Mosquito-borne (Aedes aegypti)

RISK GROUPS

Residents of or visitors to tropical urban areas

Increased severe and fatal disease in children under 15 years

No cross-immunity from each serotype

A person can theoretically experience four dengue infections

[Ijustwannateach]

Hang in there and take care of yourself, JD- it's not a trivial illness.

To make things worse, there are 4 varieties so you can catch it 4 times (and each time you've had it apparently makes the severity of the next time worse).

To add to our mosquito worries, I've recently that someone who works in one of the buildings where I work has contracted MALARIA.

"S"

[jdinasia]

It is a nuisance illness .. right up to the point it becomes DHF or DSS .. then it is SERIOUS! (one in twenty die from dengue hemorrhagic fever ) not sure on the stats for dengue Shock

[Tony Clifton]

Wasn`t there an announcement last year that the striped male mosquito had mutated and was also transmitting the disease?

[Goshawk]

It is a nuisance illness .. right up to the point it becomes DHF or DSS .. then it is SERIOUS! (one in twenty die from dengue hemorrhagic fever ) not sure on the stats for dengue Shock

this is what Mrs Goshawk had.. i know all too well how serious it is...

[Bates]

I can only confirm how serious this disease is !

In august 2003 I contracted Dengue Fever after a visit to Doi Suthep in Chiangmai.. atleast thats where I think I got it from.

Spend 7 days at Chiangmai Ram hospital, needed blood tranfusion and way too much medication.

Worst disease I've ever had.. never want to have it again

It's also called the bone breaking disease because it actually feels as if your bones are broken...

I could compare it also with a very very bad flew attack in the beginning stage of dengue

[peter991]

Indian berries may fight dengue mosquitos

Thursday Apr 3 11:57 AEDT

Berries of a common weed found in India may be effective in fighting mosquitoes that spread dengue fever, a study has found.

Synthetic insecticides are increasingly useless in fighting disease-spreading mosquitoes, such as the Stegomyia aegypti that can spread dengue and yellow fever viruses.

In the online open-access journal BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine, scientists in India described how they used juice and extracts from the Solanum villosum weed and found it was particularly effective in eliminating S. aegypti larvae.

"The extract ... from the plant could be used in stagnant water bodies which are known to be the breeding grounds for mosquitoes," Nandita Chowdhury, Anupam Ghosh and Goutam Chandra from Burdwan University in India's West Bengal wrote.

They went on to discover the juices contained certain chemical compounds.

"These act as a repellent which protect(s) against the lethal effects of the larval mosquitoes," they added.

From Africa to Asia to Latin America, around 2.5 billion people live in areas where they are at risk of dengue fever.

There is no vaccine or drugs to treat the illness, which killed an estimated 22,000 people last year, most of them children.

Due to international travel and climate change, the aegypti mosquito's habitat is spreading.

In January, health officials warned that the disease was poised to move across the United States.

It has been spreading aggressively in Latin America and the Caribbean, reaching epidemic levels last year.

Of the 50 million people who contract the disease every year, about one percent get potentially deadly severe dengue haemorrhagic fever (DHF), which requires hospitalisation.

Peter

[thaigene2]

"Dengue Mosquitos" are only active during the day.

am at home now and have been to the hospital twice in the last 2 days for IV's and bloodwork (all bloodwork in acceptable norms) but the rash, headache, leg cramps and then general flu-like symptoms are ROUGH! The fever has come and gone a couple of times but I seem to be over the hump!

Good luck -and glad your seeing fitter times ahead jdinasia.

One of the things that bothers me about all these news reports is that they are rather vague about WHERE the increased incidences are taking place. If it's in Chiang Mai or Bangkok - then they should say so - on a daily basis, neighbourhood-by-neighbourhood if that helps. I mean isn't that what mass media are there for?? To alert the public that there is dengue outbreak in your area - take immediate action/precautions. That's sensible isn't it?

Don't just say dengue is soaring - that helps no one really. I understand they want EVERYONE to take precautions and we are...still - some more precise info please.

[jdinasia]

.. it is everywhere, and the higher the population density the worse it gets.

[thaigene2]

There must be hotspots - it bites my neighbour or the guy walking by my place, the same mossie bites me, then another one bites me again and bites my other neighbour - like that - right? They say mossies can't fly more than 50 metres or so..So it must be localized - and tracked.

[triffid]

Would be useful to know what preventive measures (within reason) can be taken - other than regular application of something like 'jaico' all day.

Does this daytime mosquito like to roam indoors too? If not, at least the jaico could be limited to one's outdoor time.

[jdinasia]

There must be hotspots - it bites my neighbour or the guy walking by my place, the same mossie bites me, then another one bites me again and bites my other neighbour - like that - right? They say mossies can't fly more than 50 metres or so..So it must be localized - and tracked.

An infected mozzie bites someone in dindaeng, 2 days later with a small fever he goes to work. There he gets bitten and so do 2 co-workers ... they go home. 2 days later they have a fever and pass it along at the weekend market... and so on and so on....

Edited April 3, 2008 by jdinasia

[Farma]

Thailand

In 2007, Thailand reported 60,625 cases of dengue fever compared with 42,456 cases in 2006. Increases in reporting were noted particularly from in the highlands in the north of the country where outbreaks are unusual. Source: GPHIN (BBC Monitoring Asia Pacific) 30 December 2007; GIDEON accessed 8 January 2008.

Source - http://www.healthconnect.gov.au/internet/m...v-isr-01-08.htm

From Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Dengue Branch fact sheet

http://www.cdc.gov/NCIDOD/DVBID/dengue/dengue-qa.htm

Q. What can be done to reduce the risk of acquiring dengue?

A. There is no vaccine for preventing dengue. The best preventive measure for residents living in areas infested with Aedes aegypti is to eliminate the places where the mosquito lays her eggs, primarily artificial containers that hold water.

Items that collect rainwater or are used to store water (for example, plastic containers, 55-gallon drums, buckets, or used automobile tires) should be covered or properly discarded. Pet and animal watering containers and vases with fresh flowers should be emptied and scoured at least once a week. This will eliminate the mosquito eggs and larvae and reduce the number of mosquitoes present in these areas.

For travelers to areas with dengue, a well as people living in areas with dengue, the risk of being bitten by mosquitoes indoors is reduced by utilization of air conditioning or windows and doors that are screened. Proper application of mosquito repellents containing 20% to 30% DEET as the active ingredient on exposed skin and clothing decreases the risk of being bitten by mosquitoes. The risk of dengue infection for international travelers appears to be small, unless an epidemic is in progress.

[mrtoad]

The big problem is stagnant water, which is considered breeding grounds for Mosquitos, and with it rising the incidence of Dengue.

In Singapore there is an active campaign to reduce Dengue, by prosecuting people for breaking rules regarding stagnent water. Construction sites are often an area where this is a problem, and if found in breach of it, then a hefy fine will follow.The sameapplies to individulas who also leave stagnent water on their property

I think the big thing here is that people need to be educated in how to prevent the increase. It's not rocket science, and with a little bit of thought and effort from the governemnt much could be done to reduce the dengue outbreaks.

[too true]

A few questions for those in the know -

Does EVERY striped mosquito carry the dengue virus? Will I get dengue fever if ANY striped mosquito bites me, or is it luck of the draw kind of thing? Is it possible that a mosquito might bite me and then bite someone else in the same room as me and that person get dengue but I don't? (Like if a person has a cold not everyone in contact with them will get sick from them)

My husband's uncle died from Dengue Fever a few years ago.

I've killed a few striped mosquitos in my classroom, and it's a bit concerning, especially since I've got 25 10 year olds with me all day.

Cheers,

tt

[Farma]

TT this is from the CDC Fact sheet link I posted above.

Q. How are dengue and dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF) spread?

A. Dengue is transmitted to people by the bite of an Aedes mosquito that is infected with a dengue virus. The mosquito becomes infected with dengue virus when it bites a person who has dengue or DHF and after about a week can transmit the virus while biting a healthy person. Dengue cannot be spread directly from person to person.

[MustaphaMond]

Something pharmacuetical companies don't want you to know ,but if you catch a virus early enough ANY virus , you can stop it with megadoses of zinc.

About 150 mg every 3 hours , 4 or 5 doses. Make sure you have food in your stomach and do NOT use chelated types( formulated to stay intact until reaching the lower intestine)

The metal prevents the virus shell from dividing, it's that simple . I haven't been sick in 10 years, except the one time I couldn't find zinc.

Also be aware that caucasions can have different Dengue symtoms that asians. In women, extremely excessive menstual flow is one symptom.

A friend with Dengue went to Bangkok- Phuket hospital, (the five star one!) and because she didn't have a fever at that time as it came and went, but many other symptoms including organ pain, they said she should go to an oncologist and be checked for cancer in the uterus. .

[george]

Update:

Public alerted to dengue fever during summer: Health Ministry

BANGKOK: -- Thailand's Public Health Ministry warned the public to be alert regarding dengue fever prevention measures as nine persons died and over 7,000 patients have suffered from the disease during the first quarter of 2008, according to Minister Chaiya Sasomsub.

During the first three months of this year the cumulative number of patients soared to 7,413, he said, adding that 99 per cent of the patients were completely recovered.

However, there were nine fatalities in eight provinces: Ayutthaya, Phuket, Ang Thong, Ratchaburi, Kanchanaburi, Samut Sakhon, Samut Prakan, and Sing Buri, he said.

The number of victims increased from the same period of last year, in that there were 4,209 patients and four dengue fatalities, in the comparative, the minister said.

Mr. Chaiya said he had instructed local health officials nationwide to maintain the campaign to eradicate the mosquito breeding habitats.

Even though the summer is not the high risk season for dengue fever, he said, the eggs of striped mosquitoes could adjust themselves to withstand drought for from six months to one year.

The eggs could stick to the containers and they could hatch in 20-60 minutes after being soaked in water.

Dr. Praj Boonyawongvirot, permanent secretary for Public Health, said earlier that there were signs the number of dengue fever patients would rise due to the effects of global warming and striped mosquitoes – which carried the disease – were now able to give birth faster.

--TNA 2008-04-07

[Choscura]

another dengue case to report, my SO was diagnosed with it early yesterday morning. she's on antibiotics (the size of horse pills!) and paracetamol, I'm getting her to eat as much as I dare and she's drinking plenty of water. also I got my hands on some very good mosquito repellent and we are using that to keep her from spreading the disease.

I'll update more if anything else of note happens, but be careful people. I was floored when she was diagnosed, because I'd joked wit her about being diagnosed with all sorts of horrible diseases earlier, and dengue was one of them. just a big shocker.

[MustaphaMond]

another dengue case to report, my SO was diagnosed with it early yesterday morning. she's on antibiotics (the size of horse pills!) and paracetamol, I'm getting her to eat as much as I dare and she's drinking plenty of water. also I got my hands on some very good mosquito repellent and we are using that to keep her from spreading the disease.

I'll update more if anything else of note happens, but be careful people. I was floored when she was diagnosed, because I'd joked wit her about being diagnosed with all sorts of horrible diseases earlier, and dengue was one of them. just a big shocker.

Antibiotic, for a virus?? Isn't Dengue a virus?

Try the Zinc remedy...Though it needs to be done as early as possible . Works really well for cold and the flu.

( 150 Mg every 4 hours , 4 or 5 doses on full stomache, not chelated zinc)