Sharp Rise In Haemorrhagic Dengue Fever

[Goshawk]

dengue hemorrhagic fever, a nasty illness.. Mrs G (Thai) had this a couple of years ago, hospitalised & had to have a platelet transfusion... a worrying time, thankfully turned out fine...

[Keesters]

No fogging, in my area, as a preventative against mosquitoes for many years now = Mosquito population increases = cases of Dengue fever increase = cases of haemorrhagic dengue increase = deaths from both increase = warning notices from public health departments increase = nothing much happens except people die.

[A Member]

... despite the fact that it has been proven dengue is very hard to diagnose.

You are making that up. The symptoms are pretty much standard across the board in that most people get the tell-tale rash and most people have the debilitating 'break bone' pain. I was provisionally diagnosed when I presented my sick arse to the Bangkok Pattaya Hospital after 3 days of misery. When I came back for the follow-up visit 3-days later (to check the blood platelet count and determine exactly how my body was coping with it) they confirmed the type (from the blood taken earlier) and assessed that I was low-risk and let the self-healing begin.

The one aspect that didn't seem to be stressed enough IMHO, was the fact that for a given period, I was considered infectious in that I could transmit the fever via mossie bites, to people near me. They mentioned a sort of quarantine should be considered which was easy for me as I was working in Bangkok and just canceled a couple of weekends when I would normally have flown home to see the family.

Last time this subject there was a post from a member who was in hospital for 5 days and was only correctly diagnosed by an Indian doctor.

[xylophone]

Quote Pesche: "It (Aspirin) is therefor in NO WAY a medicine to take in case of hemorrhagic Dengue Fever !!

I survived the 3rd Dengue Fever attack (since 21 years here) and all I can say is:

Paracetamol in NORMAL doses + drink as much as you can!!
Take Isotonic drinks to prevent dehydration!

Dehydration is extreme during Dengue Fever".

Good advice from Pesche, with paracetamol to ease the pain, and in my case, the "vice-like" headache. Also rest as much as possible.

In addition, I am convinced that symptoms of extreme tiredness can re-occur from time to time in the first year, but the medical profession seems a little "vague" on that point, although I have seen a few references to it on the internet, esp from previous sufferers.

Edited June 10, 2013 by xylophone

[NanLaew]

... despite the fact that it has been proven dengue is very hard to diagnose.

You are making that up. The symptoms are pretty much standard across the board in that most people get the tell-tale rash and most people have the debilitating 'break bone' pain. I was provisionally diagnosed when I presented my sick arse to the Bangkok Pattaya Hospital after 3 days of misery. When I came back for the follow-up visit 3-days later (to check the blood platelet count and determine exactly how my body was coping with it) they confirmed the type (from the blood taken earlier) and assessed that I was low-risk and let the self-healing begin.

The one aspect that didn't seem to be stressed enough IMHO, was the fact that for a given period, I was considered infectious in that I could transmit the fever via mossie bites, to people near me. They mentioned a sort of quarantine should be considered which was easy for me as I was working in Bangkok and just canceled a couple of weekends when I would normally have flown home to see the family.

Last time this subject there was a post from a member who was in hospital for 5 days and was only correctly diagnosed by an Indian doctor.

Yes. And my American friend caught it in Thailand but the symptoms kicked in when he was back home in Texas. He too had a rough week while the doctors farted about and was only correctly diagnosed when a mutual friend mentioned that I had dengue in Bangkok. Penny drops!

Without a link to the post you refer to, chances are the tale of 'misdiagnosis' until the Indian doctor showed up was not in Thailand either.

The doctors here do generally know what the symptoms are but unfortunately the great unwashed do not so they labour away with self medication, self diagnosis and grandma's remedies BEFORE they consider seeing a real doctor. For their part, the Government's health authorities should be much more proactive than annual water trap emptying exercises IMHO.

It is quite strange that for a quite prevalent sickness, most everyone here (including myself) had to google the symptoms and find out that, Wow! Dengue fever is a HUGE problem in Thailand and I have caught it!

[NanLaew]

No fogging, in my area, as a preventative against mosquitoes for many years now = Mosquito population increases = cases of Dengue fever increase = cases of haemorrhagic dengue increase = deaths from both increase = warning notices from public health departments increase = nothing much happens except people die.

It would be interesting to know why the regular fogging programs seem to be a thing of the past across the country. Maybe it wasn't as efficacious as originally claimed? Every city, town and moobahn has a pickup or ten rigged with speakers that crawls around the streets doing noisome advertising. What better idea than to have them do fogging at the same time? They could also advertise about dengue!

[iancnx]

The Permanent Secy. is still telling infected people to see a doctor as early as possible despite the fact that it has been proven dengue is very hard to diagnose.

How many folks will arrive at clinics saying they think they have dengue and get tossed out on their ears with some half arsed diagnosis by a doctor who is aggrieved that a patient thinks he knows more than him ?

Insist on a blood test to specifically rule out Dengue.

[balo]

Is Dengue fever something we have to worry about in Bangkok or Pattaya area ?

[NanLaew]

Is Dengue fever something we have to worry about in Bangkok or Pattaya area ?

As I mentioned in another dengue thread, I caught it while living in Bangkok as did my buddy from the US who was on vacation and drinking beer and smoking cigars on my patio most afternoons and evenings. A kid at an orphanage in Pattaya died from it about 6 weeks ago. My neighbour in Udon also caught it about 2 months ago.

It is a NATION WIDE health threat and it peaks about this time of year.

[BradinAsia]

Here is a very informative guide on eliminating the mosquito breeding sites:

http://www.bentzjaz.com.sg/brochure/Breedings_of_Mosquitoes_Feb_07.pdf