Unusual Presence Of Mosquitoes This Time Of Year ?

[orang37]

Sawasdee Khrup TV CM Friends,

Merry Xmas: whether you celebrate today as holi- or holy- day; or whether you celebrate ... not !

During the last six days, in anticipation of house guests arriving, while busy doing archaeology on the house (excavating down through at least five levels of previous life-styles), had a lot of stuff out on the porch to enable cleaning it, dusting it, polishing it, and enable cleaning the rooms of the house thoroughly before the "stuff" is brought back in to be re-buried.

Noticed a lot of mosquitoes in the mornings, flying even as late 10am, which seems very unusual given the month. Could those light rains (what ... ten days ago ?) have triggered a moz baby-boom ? Of course, as has been pointed out in the "this month weather thread," now running at a forum near you, this has been, up until now, a warmer winter.

Could the dusty stuff on the porch attract them in some way ... doubt that. 'Tis hardly the season to be Dengue ... is it ?

Ideas ?

thanks, ~o:37;

p.s. first thing handed to my house guests, when they reached my house, was a bottle of "natural" moz repellent each.

[garycm]

Yes I agree. Even after the pestcontrol came last week, we still have those big black ones. More than usual.

[ThaiWx]

All over here as well and it doesn't appear cold air effects them.

[hanuman1]

If the stuff on your porch included things made out of cloth fabrics and/or shoes, these are especially favorite places for mosquitos to congregate and bed down for the night. Get those items back inside and I'm sure the mozzie numbers will drop.

Have an itch-free Christmas.

[Firelily]

someone I know around here in Nong Hoy was hospitalised with dengue a week ago. I was very surprised as well.

[Mapguy]

High season for tourists! Including bugs!

[ThaiWx]

If the stuff on your porch included things made out of cloth fabrics and/or shoes, these are especially favorite places for mosquitos to congregate and bed down for the night. Get those items back inside and I'm sure the mozzie numbers will drop.

Have an itch-free Christmas.

Good advice. I'm always looking for mosquito breeding areas around our house (standing water) and cleaning them. This may help reduce the population and chances of being bit. http://www.dengue.gov.sg/subject.asp?id=101

[Asmerom]

Good advice. I'm always looking for mosquito breeding areas around our house (standing water) and cleaning them. This may help reduce the population and chances of being bit. http://www.dengue.go...ject.asp?id=101

Having clicked on your link I eventually arrived at this site which, due to my mathematical shortcomings, I need help in interpreting. One table says the number of 2010 cases in Thailand of Dengue is 58,000 and a subsequent table says that out of the number of cases reported, only 0.12 were fatal.(This is the "case fatality rate" ; the proportion of reported cases who died. Looks to be a tiny faction until I multiply 58,000 by 0.12 and it makes the astonishing figure of 7000!! Sounds such an unlikely number of dengue related deaths that I'm assuming my maths skills are to blame for this incredibly high figure. Can anyone confirm the maths or indeed the figure?

http://www.searo.who...pdate_SEA_2010. WHO : Situation update of dengue in the SEA Region, 2010

Edited December 28, 2010 by Asmerom

[Samuian]

Yes, a LOT of them - here on Samui too, one morning the entire floor of the lobby was covered with dead mosquitos!

I would say - Yes unusual!

[ThaiWx]

Good advice. I'm always looking for mosquito breeding areas around our house (standing water) and cleaning them. This may help reduce the population and chances of being bit. http://www.dengue.go...ject.asp?id=101

Having clicked on your link I eventually arrived at this site which, due to my mathematical shortcomings, I need help in interpreting. One table says the number of 2010 cases in Thailand of Dengue is 58,000 and a subsequent table says that out of the number of cases reported, only 0.12 were fatal.(This is the "case fatality rate" ; the proportion of reported cases who died. Looks to be a tiny faction until I multiply 58,000 by 0.12 and it makes the astonishing figure of 7000!! Sounds such an unlikely number of dengue related deaths that I'm assuming my maths skills are to blame for this incredibly high figure. Can anyone confirm the maths or indeed the figure?

http://www.searo.who...pdate_SEA_2010. WHO : Situation update of dengue in the SEA Region, 2010

I'm wondering if that "fatality rate" of 0.12 is a percentage of the 58,000 reported cases which would bring the number to about 70 deaths. I saw a write up of the worst case of Dengue fever for s/e Asia and the ratio of the cases to deaths more closely resemble this thinking. " The worst dengue outbreak in recent history in this region was in 1998, when WHO reported 350,000 cases in South East Asia and nearly 1,500 deaths. "

[Asmerom]

Good advice. I'm always looking for mosquito breeding areas around our house (standing water) and cleaning them. This may help reduce the population and chances of being bit. http://www.dengue.go...ject.asp?id=101

Having clicked on your link I eventually arrived at this site which, due to my mathematical shortcomings, I need help in interpreting. One table says the number of 2010 cases in Thailand of Dengue is 58,000 and a subsequent table says that out of the number of cases reported, only 0.12 were fatal.(This is the "case fatality rate" ; the proportion of reported cases who died. Looks to be a tiny faction until I multiply 58,000 by 0.12 and it makes the astonishing figure of 7000!! Sounds such an unlikely number of dengue related deaths that I'm assuming my maths skills are to blame for this incredibly high figure. Can anyone confirm the maths or indeed the figure?

http://www.searo.who...pdate_SEA_2010. WHO : Situation update of dengue in the SEA Region, 2010

I'm wondering if that "fatality rate" of 0.12 is a percentage of the 58,000 reported cases which would bring the number to about 70 deaths. I saw a write up of the worst case of Dengue fever for s/e Asia and the ratio of the cases to deaths more closely resemble this thinking. " The worst dengue outbreak in recent history in this region was in 1998, when WHO reported 350,000 cases in South East Asia and nearly 1,500 deaths. "

Exactly. Problem solved. Many thanks. I just forgot the % !!

The text just says :"Table 3 shows the case fatality rate (CFR) (proportion of cases that died among reported

cases) in SEA Region countries." No mention of percentages but I'm sure you're right.

http://www.searo.who.int/LinkFiles/Dengue_Dengue_update_SEA_2010.pdf

Edited December 28, 2010 by Asmerom

[orang37]

Sawasdee Khrup, Khun Asmermom, and Khun ThaiWx,

In evaluating Dengue epidemiology, and mortality rates, there are the unfortunate facts that the more severe, and more frequently fatal, episodes (hemorrhagic shock, hemorrhagic fever, profuse bleeding) occur more frequently in children and babies. And more women than men get it. Also, a bit strange is that children who are well-nourished tend to get it more than those that are not. Diabetics and asthmatics more at risk.

See : Wikipedia on Dengue ... look under 'Predisposition

best, ~o:37;

p.s. yes, we had it once: "a roller-coaster ride to Hell in fifteen minutes." never had a rapid onset illness like that before. we did not have joint pain, just high-fever and severe weakness, no appetite. survived on banana and yoghurt smoothies. took six weeks to fully recover full strength (human body about fify-six at the time).

[ThaiWx]

Sawasdee Khrup, Khun Asmermom, and Khun ThaiWx,

In evaluating Dengue epidemiology, and mortality rates, there are the unfortunate facts that the more severe, and more frequently fatal, episodes (hemorrhagic shock, hemorrhagic fever, profuse bleeding) occur more frequently in children and babies. And more women than men get it. Also, a bit strange is that children who are well-nourished tend to get it more than those that are not. Diabetics and asthmatics more at risk.

See : Wikipedia on Dengue ... look under 'Predisposition

best, ~o:37;

p.s. yes, we had it once: "a roller-coaster ride to Hell in fifteen minutes." never had a rapid onset illness like that before. we did not have joint pain, just high-fever and severe weakness, no appetite. survived on banana and yoghurt smoothies. took six weeks to fully recover full strength (human body about fify-six at the time).

Khun Orang37,

In your studies on the subject, have you found any descriptions on what a Dengue fever carrying mosquito looks like? I've read articles (and seen pictures) where they are described as darker colored white white bands on their legs and bodies. Do you know if ths color pattern pertains to the desease carriers only or is it they have these markings along with other types of non carriers. I ask because I've seen this type before and didn't know if it was a Dengue carrier for sure.

Thanks

ThaiWx

[Mapguy]

My apologies, I was silly above. Yes, there are more tourists (which can be like mosquitos) but it is true that there does seem to be some increase in these pests in the past couple of weeks.

If you do clean any morning in dark places or where old socks have been thrown, it is true that you'll gnerallyscare up more mosquitos.

Anyway,"Beastie Man," your neighborhood (in my experience) seems to get more than its fair share. Maybe that and high water generally during floods is why the king moved the city across the river a few hundred years ago!