Dengue Fever Questions

[DixiePig]

There is a woman at my Chiang Mai guesthouse who presents with symptoms of dengue. (103 F fever, chills, severe headache and body aches).

I know there is not dengue mosquito at this time of year in Chaing Mai. Prior to Chiang Mai she traveled in the following Thai locations: bangkok, Ko Phangnan, Ko Samui, Krabi, Phi Phi, and Phuket.

Does anyone know of any dengue at this time of year in any of these locales? No guesswork, please.

[Sheryl]

There are mosquitoes carryuing dengue in CM at this time of year, just far fewer of them than usual. Though I grant you that the recent cold wave up there probably put a sizable dent in their numbers.

http://www.th.ird.fr/sedid/programme/pdf/WS.pdf

http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/14/7/07-1412-f3.htm

Dengue cases in Thailand show definite seasonal spikes but there is no time of year that is free from cases.

But of course, it is far most prevalent during and immediately after the rainy season. which in the Gulf (Samui, Pha Ngan) extends well into December.

Incubation period is usually 3 - 15 days.

While Dengue is certainly a good guess in her case there are other possible causes as well and many of the quite seriously. She should see a doctor ASAP if she has not already.

[chivo]

See a doctor. They can also look for malaria, meningitis, cmv, and many other possibilities.

[sirchai]

Please see a good doctor,as many of them do not know what they're doing. Getting a second opinion is always useful!

[chivo]

Send her to bamrungrad in Bkk- they have a few tropical disease specialists- one excellent doctor especially, named Anuwat K.

[RoninTech]

Dengue is definitely in the Southern islands. My wife contracted it on Koh Lipe in February this year (2012). Ended up spending some time in the Hat Yai Bangkok hospital. Wasn't until we got to the mainland clinic in Satun where they did a blood test that we found she had the hemorrhagic variety and they said get to hospital ASAP! Island nurse said Chickungya (sp?), then a couple of days later with her still getting worse a visiting Dr said stomach bug and gave antibiotics! Finally a couple more days later we got the heck out of dodge to the mainland where the clinic in Satun actually did a blood test. Freaky! Her skin looked like it had been pricked all over with a needle. Other fun symptoms were puking, diarrhea, red eyes (from the hemorrhaging), fever, chills, aches, joint pain... She was actually quite sick last year on Lipe as well for a few days so I think this might have been her second Dengue bout and why it progressed to DHF. The more times you get it the worse it will be. There are simple blood test kits that detect it and since you can end up with Dengue Shock Syndrome from your blood platelets dropping too low it can kill you if not treated so don't mess about!!

"If" we go again, we'll be using the 95% DEET stuff. We want to go back (been going every year since '05) but it's spooky thinking what if she gets it again....