Rayong Declared Dengue Disaster Zone

[george]

Rayong declared dengue disaster zone

RAYONG: -- Rayong - The Rayong provincial administration announced that the province is a dengue disaster zone after 1,397 people were infected and two of them were killed this year.

Rayong deputy governor Siripong Hantrakul said declaring a disaster zone allowed the provincial administration to spend its emergency fund of Bt50 million to fight the dengue spread.

He said Rayong remained on top of the provinces with the highest dengue spread rate.

-- The Nation 2008-08-08

[thurien]

Rayong declared dengue disaster zone -- The Nation 2008-08-08

does anybody know the proper Thai language name for dengue?

[tablewater]

does anybody know the proper Thai language name for dengue?

ไข้เลือดออก = khaii ruead oog

[allyfu]

This is really worrying for me as my girlfriend and me are going to Samet for 2 weeks in October, and she is an absolute mossie magnet. Despite being covered in DEET for the whole trip last year she still got over 70 bites in a fortnight.

I may suggest going somewhere else this year - but she will be gutted

[Tony Clifton]

This is really worrying for me as my girlfriend and me are going to Samet for 2 weeks in October, and she is an absolute mossie magnet. Despite being covered in DEET for the whole trip last year she still got over 70 bites in a fortnight.

I may suggest going somewhere else this year - but she will be gutted

Despite all of this, still no spraying or smoking has been done recently in the moo ban. How expensive are those smoking machines? Instead they build fake observation towers at the village entrance which must have cost half the price of a single floor 2 bedroom house.

I did drop a word about it to one of the village heads. Larvae can be see wriggling around down in stagnant water in the sewers where the covers are broken. The little one still gets bitten somehow even though he sleeps in a mozzie proof tent. They are present day and night in the house even though I try my best to keep them out, the village is infested.

[nidhogg]

Rayong declared dengue disaster zone

RAYONG: -- Rayong - The Rayong provincial administration announced that the province is a dengue disaster zone after 1,397 people were infected and two of them were killed this year.

What? They took them out side and shot them for being infected?

[dseawarrior]

does anybody know the proper Thai language name for dengue?

ไข้เลือดออก = khaii ruead oog

Thanks Tablewater,

I would use a slightly changed transliteration... The above sounds a bit strange to my ears...

I offer:

khai leuad awg(k)

with the final g (gaw gai) sounding as a soft "k" sound

BTW: "khai leuad awk" in Thai means "fever (with) blood coming out..."

hence the dengue hemorraghic fever... lovely eh? No real treatment for it... Prevention is best if possible... If you get a serious case / reaction, hospitalization with IV glucose saline is needed for the severe dehydration ASAP...

Luckily, most folks can survive it with paracetamol (Tylenol) bedrest and lots of fluids...

Careful of those mossies!

Chok dee na krab!

dseawarrior

[allyfu]

Right, paranoia has kicked in and I'm now looking to holiday somewhere else

[OJAS]

Despite all of this, still no spraying or smoking has been done recently in the moo ban. How expensive are those smoking machines? Instead they build fake observation towers at the village entrance which must have cost half the price of a single floor 2 bedroom house.

OMG what village are we talking about here? Is it anywhere near Tumbon Chagkphong in Amphur Klaeng where I am intending to settle with my girlfriend from end-October? Would I be signing my death warrant were I to proceed with my plans? Where/what is the "moo ban"??

[Choscura]

Despite all of this, still no spraying or smoking has been done recently in the moo ban. How expensive are those smoking machines? Instead they build fake observation towers at the village entrance which must have cost half the price of a single floor 2 bedroom house.

OMG what village are we talking about here? Is it anywhere near Tumbon Chagkphong in Amphur Klaeng where I am intending to settle with my girlfriend from end-October? Would I be signing my death warrant were I to proceed with my plans? Where/what is the "moo ban"??

"moo ban" is thai for "neighborhood" or "block".

[OJAS]

"moo ban" is thai for "neighborhood" or "block".

Many thanks for the clarification, Choscura. It obviously doesn't relate to the prohibition of cattle then

[Naut.Sirius]

Oich, I'm with Tony Clifton on this. I was thinking of going to Ko Samet in mid September but now it's not sounding like the best of ideas.

This has got to be hard on the local economy, from what I understand tourism has been down the last few years, and is supposed to be so even more due to the rising prices of oil. And now this...

[Spacer]

Oich, I'm with Tony Clifton on this. I was thinking of going to Ko Samet in mid September but now it's not sounding like the best of ideas.

Ko Samet is way overrated, overcrowded, and mosquitos are the worst I have ever seen. They thrived on all the spray and oil we put on.

[OJAS]

Ko Samet is way overrated, overcrowded, and mosquitos are the worst I have ever seen. They thrived on all the spray and oil we put on.

Spacer - surely you are not suggesting that overrated and overcrowded chav tourist dumps such as Bangkok, Phuket and Koh Samui are in any way superior to Koh Samed, are you? I have to sat that I have never, so far as I am aware, had any major mozzie problems on any of my trips to Koh Samed. Sandflies, however, are another matter entirely....

[NotNew2You]

Wonder how all the condo developers will play down this Doesn't Rayong also have some of the highers cancer rates in Thailand too?

Now in addition to all the industrial air, ground, and water pollution, they can also market it as the Dengue capitol of Thailand!

[Robski]

Is this a seasonal problem or are the Dengue carrying mosquitos prevalent all year round?

[OJAS]

Is this a seasonal problem or are the Dengue carrying mosquitos prevalent all year round?

If there is a problem, I suspect that it would be seasonal - i.e. greater in the wet season rather than the dry season. Also, since mosquitos are, I gather, nocturnal beasts, the risk would be greater in the hours of darkness rather than during the daytime.

However, I wonder whether we (including myself hitherto) might have all been exaggerating the risks here. Sure it would not be nice to be bitten by a dengue-carrying mozzie or (as NotNew2You suggests) succumbing to pollution-induced cancer. But I notice that not a word has been said thusfar in this thread about the outrageous and scandalous carnage which is constantly taking place on the roads of Rayong, Thailand and, indeed, worldwide (UK and USA included). Surely the risks of meeting a fateful end at the hands of a crackpot driver are considerably greater than at the hands of a dengue-carrying mosquito or polluted waterway? On this basis, is not even the act of stepping out on to the street outside our front door (in Rayong or wherever) an act of considerable risk and foolhardiness?

[Robski]

Well we'd never get on a plane and leave our safe european homes if that was the case, but the road accident problems are a matter for an entirely different thread.

I have read previously that the Dengue mosquito is more active in the daytime, is this correct?

[kmart]

Dengue fever is carried principally by the Aedes Mosquito. Rayong has a high infection rate, but places around Samud Prakan and Samud Sakorn are usually the most infested.

The mozzies on Ko Samet are the size of small birds, btw. They are not the dengue fever carriers however.

[NotNew2You]

Dengue fever is carried principally by the Aedes Mosquito.

Yes. These mosquitoes are somewhat larger than average (so easier to spot and squash), have a noticeable black and white striped pattern on their abdomen, and are most active at dusk and dawn (sunrise and sunset). I have seen and killed several of these buggers around my home in Patters.

Also, it is important to note that not all individuals carry the dengue fever virus, only that they are potential carriers...so if you are bit by one, it doesn't automatically mean you are infected. Wouldn't matter anyway, as only treatment is palliative.

[Tony Clifton]

I've noticed that we get swarms in the dry season as well.

[NotNew2You]

Well, never mind that it's one of the pollution (and now apparently Dengue) capitols of Thailand...not to mention just dam_n boring. According to some fareng real estate hustler in today's Post, it's the place to invest for spectacular returns.

Apparently, buying a condo out of a developer bankruptcy a couple years ago for B 500k and now listing it for sale at B 900K qualifies as a 50% return on your investment! I guess I can list my B 2.5Ml Pattaya house for sale tomorrow for B 5.0M and book a 50% gain on my investment too

[stgrhe]

There are two types of dengue virus Dengue och Chigunkunya, which both are spread by the Aedes Aegypti mosquito, hence the same mosquito that is also spreading the yellow fever.

There are four types of Dengue Fever (DF), and in Thailand they are referred to as types 1...4. The types 1, 2 and 4 are mostly affecting children between 2 och 10. These three variants are sporadic, like influenza, and usually see an outbreak in intervals of three to four years. They are all non-fatal.

The third variant can hit anyone irrespectively of age and is present in Thailand at all times, primarily in urban areas. This variant is also the most dangerous one and can, in addition to dengue fever, also cause dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF), which can be fatal.

This is what Waikipedia writes about dengue fever (DF och DHF):

Quote

"Signs and Symptoms

This infectious disease is manifested by a sudden onset of fever, with severe headache, muscle and joint pains (myalgias and arthralgias—severe pain gives it the name break-bone fever or bonecrusher disease) and rashes. The dengue rash is characteristically bright red petechiae and usually appears first on the lower limbs and the chest; in some patients, it spreads to cover most of the body. There may also be gastritis with some combination of associated abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting or diarrhea.

Some cases develop much milder symptoms which can, when no rash is present, be misdiagnosed as influenza or other viral infection. Thus travelers from tropical areas may inadvertently pass on dengue in their home countries, having not been properly diagnosed at the height of their illness. Patients with dengue can pass on the infection only through mosquitoes or blood products and only while they are still febrile.

The classic dengue fever lasts about six to seven days, with a smaller peak of fever at the trailing end of the disease (the so-called "biphasic pattern"). Clinically, the platelet count will drop until the patient's temperature is normal.

Cases of DHF also show higher fever, haemorrhagic phenomena, thrombocytopenia, and haemoconcentration. A small proportion of cases lead to dengue shock syndrome (DSS) which has a high mortality rate.

Diagnosis

The diagnosis of dengue is usually made clinically. The classic picture is high fever with no localising source of infection, a petechial rash with thrombocytopenia and relative leukopenia.

The WHO definition of dengue haemorrhagic fever has been in use since 1975; all four criteria must be fulfilled:

Fever

Hemorrhagic tendency (positive tourniquet test, spontaneous bruising, bleeding from mucosa, gingiva, injection sites, etc.; vomiting blood, or bloody diarrhea)

Thrombocytopenia (<100,000 platelets per mm³ or estimated as less than 3 platelets per high power field)

Evidence of plasma leakage (hematocrit more than 20% higher than expected, or drop in haematocrit of 20% or more from baseline following IV fluid, pleural effusion, ascites, hypoproteinemia)

Dengue shock syndrome is defined as dengue hemorrhagic fever plus:

- Weak rapid pulse,

- Narrow pulse pressure (less than 20 mm Hg) or,

- Cold, clammy skin and restlessness.

- Serology and PCR (polymerase chain reaction) studies are available to confirm the diagnosis of dengue if clinically indicated.

Treatment

The mainstay of treatment is supportive therapy. Increased oral fluid intake is recommended to prevent dehydration. Supplementation with intravenous fluids may be necessary to prevent dehydration and significant concentration of the blood if the patient is unable to maintain oral intake. A platelet transfusion is indicated in rare cases if the platelet level drops significantly (below 20,000) or if there is significant bleeding.

The presence of melena may indicate internal gastrointestinal bleeding requiring platelet and/or red blood cell transfusion.

It is very important to avoid aspirin and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs; these drugs may aggravate the bleeding tendency associated with some of these infections. Patients should receive instead paracetamol preparations to deal with these symptoms if dengue is suspected.

Emerging Treatments

Emerging evidence suggests that mycophenolic acid and ribavirin inhibit dengue replication. Initial experiments showed a fivefold increase in defective viral RNA production by cells treated with each drug. In vivo studies, however, have not yet been done."

End of quote

Göran

[Tim207]

OMG what village are we talking about here? Is it anywhere near Tumbon Chagkphong in Amphur Klaeng where I am intending to settle with my girlfriend from end-October? Would I be signing my death warrant were I to proceed with my plans? Where/what is the "moo ban"??

Population of Rayong approx 522,000

Dengue infections approx 1400

Odds of infection .00268%

Odds of death .000383%

Signing your death warrant? The odds look pretty good to me. Pick any activity and your odds of death will probably be worse.

[ding]

Kai lood ogg, Dengue Fever, cuz it has been raining a lot. Cover, spray, and pray.

[nidhogg]

There are two types of dengue virus Dengue och Chigunkunya, which both are spread by the Aedes Aegypti mosquito, hence the same mosquito that is also spreading the yellow fever.

There are four types of Dengue Fever (DF), and in Thailand they are referred to as types 1...4. The types 1, 2 and 4 are mostly affecting children between 2 och 10. These three variants are sporadic, like influenza, and usually see an outbreak in intervals of three to four years. They are all non-fatal.

The third variant can hit anyone irrespectively of age and is present in Thailand at all times, primarily in urban areas. This variant is also the most dangerous one and can, in addition to dengue fever, also cause dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF), which can be fatal.

This is what Waikipedia writes about dengue fever (DF och DHF):

Mate - almost everything you write there is WRONG. Completely, utterly and dangerously.

Chikungunya is an ENTIRELY different virus. Its an alphavirus, where as dengue is a flavivirus. They are both transmitted by mosquioes (true) - but so are a hel_l of a lot of other things.

To say that dengue infections are non-fatal is hugely wrong. With appropriate treatment dengue can be controlled, but estimates suggest up to 25,000 people each year worldwide die from dengue.

Your contention that 1,2 and 4 are primarily infect childen while 3 hits anyone is similarly WRONG.

All four dengue viruses can (and do) cause the hemorrhagic form - most noticibly on a second infection (although you CAN get the hemorrhagic form on a first infection). laughably, type 3 is the one LEAST associated with the hemorrhagic form.

Infections with dengue result in a spectrum of symptoms, and the degree of severity defines whether the patient is classed as having "Dengue fever", "dengue hemorrhagic fever" or "dengue shock syndrome". They are all caused by the same four dengue viruses.

Wikki quote is right.