Dengue Fever: Thai Health Authorities On Alert For Mosquito Attack

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Health authorities on alert for mosquito attack
The Nation

BANGKOK: -- A nationwide public health campaign against mosquito-borne dengue fever will be launched to forestall a major epidemic forecast at up to 150,000 cases this year - four times last year's total.

The Cabinet meeting tomorrow would be asked to mobilise support from all authorities and the public, Public Health Minister Pradit Sinthawanarong said yesterday.

The campaign will advise families nationwide to stay indoors in rooms with screened windows and sealed door frames all the time, not just when sleeping in mosquito nets.

The application of herbal liquid repellent would be encouraged in place of burning mosquito coils, whose smoke is harmful, especially to children and sick people.

The campaign, if started now, will eliminate mosquitoes before May when the seasonal spread of the viral disease is at its peak.

It is expected to cut dengue treatments by half, he added.

"There could be 120-200 deaths arising from all cases this year,"

In the first two months of this year, 12 patients died out of 9,824 dengue cases. New cases are running at an average of more than 1,200 a week. The ministry estimates that dengue cases could reach 120,000-150,000 this year, of which 15,000 would likely need hospital treatment.

The cooperation and assistance of all ministries involved were needed as the Public Health Ministry's activities alone could eliminate only 10 per cent of the mosquito population, whose larvae hatch in pockets of rainwater or still water at the household level or in nature.


-- The Nation 2013-03-04

[Locationthailand]

Sadly a lot of the city slum dwellers do not have mosquito screens or doors or even nets. Let's hope the predictions are wrong.

[delgarcon]

"The campaign, if started now, will eliminate mosquitoes before May"

Another gem from The Nation's reporters!

[Markaew]

Sounds like a horror movie, "Attack of the Mosquitoes!".

[chainarong]

Hmmm this is a big problem from Singapore and to all points on the compass, in the region, there is no easy solution, even now common in the North of Aust, use plenty of deet and plant lots of lavender , both Dengue and Malaria,hate that smell also.

[emanphoto]

Heck, our fancy condo doesn't have screens either!

Edited March 4, 2013 by emanphoto

[cacruden]

I have noticed walking around Bangkok several areas where they were not diligent about making sure there was no stagnant water. In Singapore if stagnant water is found on your property it is a large fine.

[Valentine]

Where do you buy herbal liquid repellant? It would have been handy information to have in the news item.

[PoorSucker]

Where do you buy herbal liquid repellant? It would have been handy information to have in the news item.

I buy citronella mosquito repellent at my local pharmacy.

No chemicals, just citronella oil and water.

Good for my 1,5 year old son.

[Cats4ever]

Why has Dengue spread so widely in the last decade or so? It is now more of a possibility, it seems to me, than Malaria. Potentially a big threat to a lot of tourist markets.

[Thai at Heart]

Why has Dengue spread so widely in the last decade or so? It is now more of a possibility, it seems to me, than Malaria. Potentially a big threat to a lot of tourist markets.

I met an aussie biologist up country several years ago, and he was studying why dengue goes in 6 year cycles of outbreaks.

The research was given to the government of the time. Maybe its 6 years since the last big outbreak and no one bothered to notice.

[RayHaas]

Had dengue last year. Its not the nicest thing to get! Hopefully I never get it again. The authorities were called and within 3 hours they were at my doorstep with 3 blowers. They fumed the whole street and neighbors gardens. Was also given chemicals to add to water that does not contain fish (stagnant water)

This is on Sathon Road. Thinking that it would never happen in that area had me thinking again.

[jamhar]

citronella and deet are the only 2 things i know that ward off mossys.

Deet works the best for me, but citro will work in a pinch.

Looks like its time to get some mossy netting for bed

and one of those bug zapper tennis racquets.

I have screens on the windows but those damn thing still get in!

[smedly]

I thought they had a genetically altered mossi that when introduced into the population prevented them from reproducing effectively wiping them out

[smedly]

I thought they had a genetically altered mossi that when introduced into the population prevented them from reproducing effectively wiping them out

I have screens but I also have about four spiders that are allowed to stay in my condo, they build webs and are very effective at snaring anything that crawls or flies

[paymaster]

When I was living up near BangChak a few years ago a little man with a "fogging machine" of mossie killer wandered around the soi and khlong a couple of times a year and seemed to heavily reduce mossie numbers quite effectively. Where is he now?

[Paul1222]

Why has Dengue spread so widely in the last decade or so? It is now more of a possibility, it seems to me, than Malaria. Potentially a big threat to a lot of tourist markets.

In contrast to the malaria mosquito the dengue mosquito is active during the day, making the mosquito nets inefficient.

[julemanden]

When I was living up near BangChak a few years ago a little man with a "fogging machine" of mossie killer wandered around the soi and khlong a couple of times a year and seemed to heavily reduce mossie numbers quite effectively. Where is he now?

Most likely he's dead same as the mosquito he killed

[masuk]

Heck, our fancy condo doesn't have screens either!

I was shown some fancy new condos at a lakeside development in Chiang Mai. Not one screen in any house. Great thinking there, but then again, so were the huge fireplaces they built!

[Dap]

"The campaign, if started now, will eliminate mosquitoes before May"

Another gem from The Nation's reporters!

Or more specifically "another gem from" Public Health Minister Pradit Sinthawanarong.

[Kitbaikitmah]

Four years ago I got Denge in Chiang Mai. Was as red a beetroot then 5 days in hospital with wonderful painkillers and 6 hourly blood checks. Platelet count down to 20%, oral bleeding then the virus had ran its course. Sent home to recover with the end of infection body rash...2 months till I felt 100% and 15,000B lighter.

Now have window screens, 'draught excluders' and bed nets.

Always cover-up, long seleeves etc plus very very effective homemade essential oil deterent.

Deter and destroy with prejudice.

[Ranched]

DEET is great stuff but it'd be a good idea to stay cautious even when using it:

http://www.lshtm.ac.uk/newsevents/news/2013/mosquito_deet_research.html

[mogoso]

Work on a vaccine is promising. Dengue is actually 4 different viruses, which is the problem. But researchers at John Hopkins human studies showed great promise in recent testing with the most common side effect to be a small rash in 60% of test subjects. Lets hope it is marketable soon.

[Ticketmaster]

In the villages EVERY Thai house is a major mosquito breeder. The rain barrels, ass washer water buckets in bathrooms, and bath water reservoirs all writhe with larvae. If people would learn to AND take action to control this breeding, the incidence of both mosquitoes and dengue could be cut four fold.

When I first moved in with the Thai family, I attacked the mosquitoes, which were IN and around the house in literal swarms. the two bathrooms seemed to have hundreds, if not thousands of them. Everybody put up the nets for sleeping every night. there was the constant sound of slapping. With my campaign, 98% of the mosquitoes we had are gone (ditto for ants) and I also added screens to the house. Nobody uses nets here anymore, and the constant sound of slapping has disappeared. They are now a piece of history.

I think the family considers me somewhat of a god in my war on mosquitoes. But there was no secret to it: Get rid of all the <deleted> standing water (notwithstanding the old men's penchant for collecting rain water). It was a challenge dealing with my father-in-law and all his water collection efforts. I announced to the family unapologetically that any uncovered standing water would be unceremoniously dumped, and I went about my task quite religiously. As fast as my father-in-law collected water and left it in the open, I was right on his heels to dump it. After the mosquitoes began to disappear, and the family began to often and openly praise my success, my father-in-law quietly began to slip into line. I felt bad that he lost a little face, but so be it.

Mosquitoes typically range only 100-200 meters (though they can be blown on the wind much farther). You cannot do anything about your neighbors. But if you are 200 or so meters away from the nearest uncontrollable standing water, you, too, can eliminate over 90% of the mosquitoes that plague you.

By the way, I chased the little man with the hand held fogger away screaming at him like a crazy man an attempt to completely terrorize him so he would never come back. They are spraying malathion mixed with diesel, which the machine atomizes into a fog -- VERY BAD for your lungs. Sometimes a little mosquito spray is in order, but there are far better way of mosquito control that just killing all the insects -- even the beneficial ones. Water control = mosquito control.

The last time I chased the fogger man away I learned later that my father-in-law had invited him. I guess he was trying to salvage his rainwater collecting effort from the water dumping depredations of the farang. Oh well, since I don't speak Thai very well, I often do not even know I have stepped on toes. Who says ignorance is not bliss?

[XINLOI]

Why has Dengue spread so widely in the last decade or so? It is now more of a possibility, it seems to me, than Malaria. Potentially a big threat to a lot of tourist markets.

I have been here a few years now (7) and the biggest problem seems to be the spray campaign has been stopped because of other concerns. These guys used to come around every year and spray all standing water as well as inspect for standing water. Then the chicken boxing fad came into our midst and all this has been stopped. People are more concerned about their chickens and the money they can make on the gambling and side attractions, than their own health. When the people are living for here and now, nothing will change for the better here (future). This is only one instance of the growing problem.....

[AhFarangJa]

Education seems to be the main problem, We live and work abroad and go home twice a year to Prasar ( Surin). I always spend the first day picking up drink cans and emptying old tyres of water. Then I remove all the saucers from the planting pots. Alas, after I leave it will all be back in a short while. Also, I seem to get bitten whilst my family sit and say " must be farang blood they are after". totally ignored by the little b#$gers!!

[chuenyongman]

Hmmm this is a big problem from Singapore and to all points on the compass, in the region, there is no easy solution, even now common in the North of Aust, use plenty of deet and plant lots of lavender , both Dengue and Malaria,hate that smell also.

I did not know mosquitoes had returned to Singapore . Last time I were there I was informed that they had eradicated mosquitoes and flies. I never saw mosquitoes whilst I were there . I only saw one large green fly.

[dharmabm]

fear, the number one tool of any government. i've been bitten some 2000 times per week by the little buggers, maybe alcohol is a good defense?

[siberianwarcat]

I was struck down by Dengue last June. I live in Jomtien. I can honestly say that during the low-point of the ten days of absolute incapacity, I honestly lived through the worst experience of sickness I can remember in my life. I am sure different people suffer differently, but aside from the migraine-like headache, it felt like my bone marrow was burning/melting with white-heat pulsing from inside my bones.

Your right; it is awareness and education. The more everyone is made aware of this, the better.

Furthermore, two weeks after I had recovered, my Thai gf was struck down resulting in her having two drips at our doctors clinic and in obvious pain in all her joints. The diet might in general terms mean Thai people get bitten less, but chili was no prevention against this.

Our house now benefits from 15-interval auto sprays from Tesco Lotus. A refill canister left switched on 24/7 lasts just over 1 month. As a result, the house remains a mosquito free zone and I recommend them to anyone worried.

[Asiantravel]

I was struck down by Dengue last June. I live in Jomtien. I can honestly say that during the low-point of the ten days of absolute incapacity, I honestly lived through the worst experience of sickness I can remember in my life. I am sure different people suffer differently, but aside from the migraine-like headache, it felt like my bone marrow was burning/melting with white-heat pulsing from inside my bones. Your right; it is awareness and education. The more everyone is made aware of this, the better. Furthermore, two weeks after I had recovered, my Thai gf was struck down resulting in her having two drips at our doctors clinic and in obvious pain in all her joints. The diet might in general terms mean Thai people get bitten less, but chili was no prevention against this. Our house now benefits from 15-interval auto sprays from Tesco Lotus. A refill canister left switched on 24/7 lasts just over 1 month. As a result, the house remains a mosquito free zone and I recommend them to anyone worried.

Can you tell me what I should ask for at Tesco Lotus because I have never seen this device before?

What is in the canister? Does it have to be an array of chemicals or can you choose your own filling because I would feel considerably better with something natural, like citronella or lavender being sprayed around the room than a lot of chemicals.

Thanks

Edited March 13, 2013 by Asiantravel