Over 22,000 Thais Infected With Chikungunya

[george]

Over 22,000 chikungunya infections

In the past five months, 22,276 people have been found to be infected with the chikungunya virus, according to the Public Health Ministry.

Public Health Minister Witthaya Kaewparadai, who opened a campaign to combat the virus in the southern province of Phatthalung, said the rapid spread of the virus from the lower South to the upper South between January and May was alarming.

Infected people had been found in 28 provinces, he said. None of them had died from the disease.

Songkhla has the most infections, with 9,078 people being treated, followed by Narathiwat, with 7,011 and Pattani, with 2,942.

The disease causes joint pain and a high fever.

-- Bangkok Post 2009-05-29

[mommysboy]

Over 22,000 chikungunya infections

In the past five months, 22,276 people have been found to be infected with the chikungunya virus, according to the Public Health Ministry.

Public Health Minister Witthaya Kaewparadai, who opened a campaign to combat the virus in the southern province of Phatthalung, said the rapid spread of the virus from the lower South to the upper South between January and May was alarming.

Infected people had been found in 28 provinces, he said. None of them had died from the disease.

Songkhla has the most infections, with 9,078 people being treated, followed by Narathiwat, with 7,011 and Pattani, with 2,942.

The disease causes joint pain and a high fever.

-- Bangkok Post 2009-05-29

What is it then, a sort of flu, or malaria ?

[David006]

Just chatted with mate in Phuket about this.seems to be a problem now in Phuket too.

Not sure the Thai health people have raised the issue publicly yet or are doing anything pro active (don't want to scare off any more tourists hugh?)..except for litlle blurb in the Phuket advertiser/gazette... zip..

500 Chikungunya cases in Trang

By: BangkokPost.com

Published: 19/05/2009 at 02:21 PM

Authorities are urging householders in southern Thailand to eradicate mosquito breeding grounds after more than 500 people in Trang province have contracted Chikungunya disease.

Trang's health official Sathit Paisert said on Tuesday that over 500 people suffered from Chikungunya infection, and many of them were from Muang and Yan Ta Khao districts.

He said the rainy season had allowed mosquitoes to breed more actively, and people should try to eliminate mosquito breeding grounds around their homes, such as stagnant water.

People should also use mosquito nets when sleeping and apply mosquito repellents.

Chikungunya disease is a viral illness transmitted to humans by infected mosquitoes. It is not life threatening and its symptoms are similar to dengue fever. Patients with Chikungunya suffer severe and persistent joint pain.

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"I have the body of an eighteen year old. I keep it in the fridge" ..Spike Milligan

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[LeungKen]

"Great minds think alike"

I just opened a similar thread in the Phuket Forum a short while ago for the very same reason, to try and make more people aware of this disease.

My thread is here :-

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/Chikungunia-...se-t269568.html

and George did post something in the Phuket News section.

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/Chikungunya-...49-t269110.html

Lets see what response we get now

PS Swine flu gets it's own forum and there is hardly a case around here (touch wood) Chikungunya has 20,000 reported cases in the south and hardly a mention around this neck of the woods - perhaps there is more in the Thai press - any news folks ?

Edited t0 say that Bangkok Post is reporting in excess of 22,000 cases

http://www.bangkokpost.com/breakingnews/14...-by-chikungunya

Edited May 31, 2009 by LeungKen

[Sheryl]

Chikungunya is clinically indistingushable from dengue. It takes a (fairly sophisticated) serology test to tell them apart.

It does not seem to have a hemorrhagic form as dengue does, but is rather just like "simple" dengue. (which doesn't feel so simple to anyone who has it!)

It has been around for a long time, nothing new there. Rather the quality of surveillance and serology testing has improved so that the two (dengue and chikungunya) are now being separately identified, at least some of the time, wheras in the past cases would all have been lumped together as dengue. And no doubt there continue to be many cases misdiagnosed as dengue. Not that it makes any difference to the patient: management of the two diseases is identical. As is prevention: avoid daytime mosquito bites. Especially avoid having stagnant water around where you live; keep water jars covered or use a larvicide or tilipia fish.

Probably due to the early onset of the rains this year, incidence of both dengue and chikungunya is unusually high this year

[meme]

My husband, who lives in Trang, has just been diagnosed with this. Is there anything you can reccomend for him (outside of the medication he has been given from the hospital)? Im stressed b/c I am in canada at the moment and he is at home alone. Although he could call his sisters if needed. I would just like to know what I could tell him to do to make him feel better.

[Sheryl]

It is a self-limiting illness and treatment is only supportive:

bedrest

paracetemol for pain and fever, para with codeine if the pain is really bad,

plenty of fluids and IVs if he can't drink enough

If it is sure he has Chikungya rather than Dengue you can take added comfort knowing no risk of hemorrhagic complications.

But for sure he will feel awful for a while and the convalesnce is prolonged. Depression during it is common. It will pass.

[LeungKen]

Might I suggest that this subject is pinned, at least temporarily as it is greatly affecting the southern provinces and now affecting Phuket.

Whilst you may be correct in what you say Sheryl in that some previously identified cases of Dengue fever were in actual fact Chikungunya, this statement tends to downplay the impact of the current outbreak of the virus, merely increases awareness that Chikugunya is now rampant in Southern Thailand

[Sheryl]

2 similiar threads have been merged.

Readers interested in this may also want to see the thread in the Phuket news forum

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/694-Confirme...-P-t272109.html

Ken, pinning is for things that are needed for long-term reference (and pinned notices do not, in my experience, get read any more often than unpinned. In fact often the reverse).

Something like this, if it belongs anywhere other than where it is, would best be in Thailand News Clippings. But as it is already in the Phuket news section and being updates there I am not sure that moving this would add much.

[LeungKen]

OK Sheryl, I stand corrected.

Thanks for the explanation

Cheers

Ken