Record dengue epidemic looms for Thailand

[Lite Beer]

Record dengue epidemic looms for Thailand

BANGKOK: Thailand could face one of the largest dengue fever epidemics yet with the Public Health Ministry anticipating that over 120,000 people could contract the virus this year. That would surpass the number of infections during the major outbreak in 2010.

Kill the mosquitoes, cut down the dengue cases - that is the theory.
Last winter's warm temperatures and sporadic rainfall were obvious signs that a major dengue outbreak was due this year, health officials say.

More than 28,000 cases of dengue fever were reported between October to December last year even though winter is not the peak season for the disease.

The number of dengue cases continued to rise from January, with nearly 82,000 reported infections and 78 fatalities as of Friday, public health permanent-secretary Narong Sahamethapat said. Most of the fatalities were aged between 15-24 years.

The figure is three times higher than the same period last year, said Dr Narong, who heads the ministry's anti-dengue efforts.

Two major dengue outbreaks have been recorded in Thailand, with more than 170,000 cases reported in 1986, and 118,700 people infected in 2010.

The dengue prevention operation is at its most intense during the rainy season - from this month to September - when mosquitoes breed rapidly.

"But this disease cannot be controlled just through the work of the ministry," Bureau of Epidemiology director Pasakorn Akarasewi said. "It needs a chain of actions."

Dr Pasakorn said the disease control programme needs to work with other agencies and with local communities.

At the start of this year, the cabinet ordered various ministries, such as the Education and the Interior ministries, to work on a vector control and surveillance programme, which aims to terminate the breeding grounds for dengue-carrying mosquitoes.

Hospitals nationwide are also on alert.

So-called "dengue corners" have been set up at hospitals to screen patients with dengue-like symptoms to make a fast and efficient diagnosis.

"But the level of disease control efficiency is different in each area," Dr Pasakorn said.

According to public health reports, dengue fever is now spreading intensely in the border provinces in the North, including Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai and Mae Hong Son.

A number of cases are also being found in northeastern provinces such as Phetchabun and Loei.

Most cases are reported in remote communities which are difficult to reach, such as those in mountainous areas where disease prevention knowledge is poor and the vector control and surveillance programme is absent.

Some of these areas are inhabited by minorities and low-income communities unable to afford mosquito repellent.

The key activity in the dengue prevention programme is vector control, authorities say. Weak vector control at community levels allows Aedes mosquitoes, the carriers of dengue fever, to reproduce rapidly.

Society of Strengthening Epidemiology president Rungrueng Kitphati said changes in the climate might have helped the Aedes mosquitoes in "growing stronger and living longer".

Many Southeast Asian countries, including Thailand, are experiencing warmer temperatures and irregular rainfall, and such conditions benefit the dengue-carrying mosquitoes, he said.

Scientists have found that the Aedes mosquitoe's life span has increased from one to two months.

Normally, the mosquitoes feed in the day, but Thailand's warmer climate allows them to feed at night too, Dr Rungrueng said. He suspects the changing climate has played a part in the changes in the mosquitoes' life cycle and behaviour.

Urbanisation and poor waste management in cities are also to be blamed.

Source: http://www.thephuketnews.com/record-dengue-epidemic-looms-for-thailand-41049.php

-- Phuket News 2013-07-28

[geronimo]

I and my 18 year old son contacted Dengue last month. We live in the suburbs of Bangkok and within a few days some guys came and sprayed around the house, also I had a home visit by a government doctor. I was impressed with the level of communication.

[LuckyLew]

Thailand - the hub of dengue fever

[Thai at Heart]

A distant relatives son died last week. He was studying at Khon Kaen university.

[technologybytes]

"Most of the fatalities were aged between 15-24 years."

I do not doubt that this is correct, but it's difficult to understand... you would think that the 15-24 age group would be the least likely to die.

[trainman34014]

"Most of the fatalities were aged between 15-24 years."

I do not doubt that this is correct, but it's difficult to understand... you would think that the 15-24 age group would be the least likely to die.

I was just thinking the same. I would have expected the victims to be either very young children or old codgers.

[Pimay1]

"Most of the fatalities were aged between 15-24 years."

I do not doubt that this is correct, but it's difficult to understand... you would think that the 15-24 age group would be the least likely to die.

A couple of reasons come to mind. They wait too long to go to the doctor. And when they go to a government hospital their blood is not checked for dengue, at least not here in Isaan.

[trainman34014]

"Most of the fatalities were aged between 15-24 years."

I do not doubt that this is correct, but it's difficult to understand... you would think that the 15-24 age group would be the least likely to die.

I was just thinking the same. I would have expected the victims to be either very young children or old codgers.

[Colabamumbai]

I tell the kids at school at least once a week, go home and empty out water and look around your place where mosquitos may breed.....and go to the neighbors and do the same. I noticed that they were spraying here in Kalasin this weekend. It didn't smell like hash.

Edited July 28, 2013 by Colabamumbai

[TackyToo]

"Urbanisation and poor waste management in cities are also to be blamed."

Are we getting a little sloppy here? As it is absolutely clear Thailand does in no way contribute to climate change, I’m missing the usual quote that foreigners are to blame for the epidemic, as they always do when sh**t hits the fan.

[Colabamumbai]

I and my 18 year old son contacted Dengue last month. We live in the suburbs of Bangkok and within a few days some guys came and sprayed around the house, also I had a home visit by a government doctor. I was impressed with the level of communication.

Only because you would make a bad statistic. A foreigner killed in Thailand by Dengue Fever. That would cost them a few bucks all round, besides all the bad publicity.

[Thai at Heart]

"Most of the fatalities were aged between 15-24 years."

I do not doubt that this is correct, but it's difficult to understand... you would think that the 15-24 age group would be the least likely to die.

I was just thinking the same. I would have expected the victims to be either very young children or old codgers.

Schools and student accommodation make a great way to spread it around.

[Emdog]

I'm an old codger and had it two times. Guess there is an advantage to getting old. Eat your hearts out 15-24 year olds!

[willy1957]

[................Normally, the mosquitoes feed in the day, but Thailand's warmer climate allows them to feed at night too, Dr Rungrueng said. He suspects the changing climate has played a part in the changes in the mosquitoes' life cycle and behaviour.............]

Warm nights?

Yeah....gone are the frosty/sub-zero nights of yesteryear...

Feed at night too?

Can this 'official' tell the difference between the Aedes and the common nightime mosquito...?

Nah...they are just 'yung'...

Why don´t they ask for help in Europe where there are several Tropical institutions( Belgium for example) who have the knowledge to deal with this epidemy in scientic way, because poisining the water causes other health Problems?

[arnestockholm]

What kind of solutions could Belgium provide? Also don't blame Thailand on this issue. Even in Singapore they have the same issue.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk 2

[Thai at Heart]

What kind of solutions could Belgium provide? Also don't blame Thailand on this issue. Even in Singapore they have the same issue.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk 2

I met an Ozzie scientist from the oz army several years ago researching dengue over here. I think tropical countries don't need too much advice from Europe about dengue.

[bri1guy]

In a past report infants or very young children or old people were more at risk.. Schools being a common breading place it said for Dengue so don't know what to think when they say 15-24 now??

[theblether]

"Most of the fatalities were aged between 15-24 years."

I do not doubt that this is correct, but it's difficult to understand... you would think that the 15-24 age group would be the least likely to die.

A couple of reasons come to mind. They wait too long to go to the doctor. And when they go to a government hospital their blood is not checked for dengue, at least not here in Isaan.

It seems to rattle that age group hard for some reason, a lady I know ended up in intensive care for 5 days and was lucky to survive ( aged 24 at the time ).

The authorities seem to have a grip on the causes and possible eradication methods, but blaming the poor is not on, it's up to the government to provide the specialist teams in those high risk areas.

[theblether]

"Most of the fatalities were aged between 15-24 years."

I do not doubt that this is correct, but it's difficult to understand... you would think that the 15-24 age group would be the least likely to die.

A couple of reasons come to mind. They wait too long to go to the doctor. And when they go to a government hospital their blood is not checked for dengue, at least not here in Isaan.

It seems to rattle that age group hard for some reason, a lady I know ended up in intensive care for 5 days and was lucky to survive ( aged 24 at the time ).

The authorities seem to have a grip on the causes and possible eradication methods, but blaming the poor is not on, it's up to the government to provide the specialist teams in those high risk areas.

[doremifasol]

Had Dengue twice 25 years a go. The first time I almost died. Back then no medications were available. The only thing I could do was praying, That's what I did.

What a terrible, terrible thing to go through. OUCH!!!!

[Suradit69]

"Most of the fatalities were aged between 15-24 years."

I do not doubt that this is correct, but it's difficult to understand... you would think that the 15-24 age group would be the least likely to die.

Age is a susceptibility factor for dengue because children have shown higher sensitivity to severe forms of dengue, such as dengue hemorrhagic fever and dengue shock syndrome [91]–[93]. The risk of death from DHF is much higher in children compared with adults, possibly due to capillary fragility in children [94], [95]. Dengue is a major cause of hospitalization and death of children in some Asian and Latin American countries [3], [84]. School-aged children are especially vulnerable to infection because school buses and school yards present opportunities for human-vector-human transmission during early morning biting hours [96], [97].

http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi/10.1371/journal.pone.0063584

[Halion]

What kind of solutions could Belgium provide? Also don't blame Thailand on this issue. Even in Singapore they have the same issue.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk 2

All tropical country's are prone to Dengue, however, the degree of infestation is related to the sanitation, vegitation andsensible practise and regulations. Singapore has strigent practice and regulations regarding the control protocols for Dengue and applies them diligently while Thailand has few indeed.and dislocated and random at best. Singapore recorded cases of Dengue are very few indeed..

[GAS]

Also don't blame Thailand on this issue. Even in Singapore they have the same issue.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk 2

Bu then they can not blame Thailand and whine and cry.

[GAS]

Thailand - the hub of dengue fever

Thailand- the hub of bitter expats.

[noitom]

This comes as a big surprise that mosquitoes and dengue fever would be a major catastrophe in such a well managed place like Thailand.

[NongKhaiKid]

"Most of the fatalities were aged between 15-24 years."

I do not doubt that this is correct, but it's difficult to understand... you would think that the 15-24 age group would be the least likely to die.

I was just thinking the same. I would have expected the victims to be either very young children or old codgers.

Steady on, I'm an old codger and hope to have many years of codging left but the age group mentioned doesn't seem right.

I live in Udon Thani province and it's usual for the municipal workers to come around and spray, well it's more of a " fog " machine, on a regular basis but despite all these warnings there's been nothing this year.

Maybe somebody has nicked the piggy bank holding the mossy fog machine fund.

[NongKhaiKid]

"Most of the fatalities were aged between 15-24 years."

I do not doubt that this is correct, but it's difficult to understand... you would think that the 15-24 age group would be the least likely to die.

I was just thinking the same. I would have expected the victims to be either very young children or old codgers.

Steady on, I'm an old codger and hope to have many years of codging left but the age group mentioned doesn't seem right.

I live in Udon Thani province and it's usual for the municipal workers to come around and spray, well it's more of a " fog " machine, on a regular basis but despite all these warnings there's been nothing this year.

Maybe somebody has nicked the piggy bank holding the mossy fog machine fund.

[Bagwan]

What kind of solutions could Belgium provide? Also don't blame Thailand on this issue. Even in Singapore they have the same issue.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk 2

I met an Ozzie scientist from the oz army several years ago researching dengue over here. I think tropical countries don't need too much advice from Europe about dengue.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/London_School_of_Hygiene_%26_Tropical_Medicine

Thailand need all the advice that it can get on practically any subject. Think about the education system and the granting of degrees for starters. It wasn't such a good idea to cover up the bird flu epidemic either.

[thaidel48]

My girlfriend and her daughter have both had it over the last month . they caught it near Kalaksin

[MoonShadow]

What kind of solutions could Belgium provide? Also don't blame Thailand on this issue. Even in Singapore they have the same issue.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk 2

All tropical country's are prone to Dengue, however, the degree of infestation is related to the sanitation, vegitation andsensible practise and regulations. Singapore has strigent practice and regulations regarding the control protocols for Dengue and applies them diligently while Thailand has few indeed.and dislocated and random at best. Singapore recorded cases of Dengue are very few indeed..

Actually percapita Singapore has more cases than Thailand; the warm and wet climate is ideal and despite the stringent activities of the Goverment agencies dengue is still prevalent and on the increase this year. The Singapore government is very good at recording the statistics....see http://www.dengue.gov.sg/subject.asp?id=73

Edited July 29, 2013 by MoonShadow