Thai Health Ministry imposes bubonic plague preventive measures at ports

[webfact]

HEALTH WARNING

Public Health Ministry imposes bubonic plague preventive measures at ports

Image source: wikipedia.org

BANGKOK, 26 Nov 2014 (NNT) – The Ministry of Public Health has adopted surveillance measures at all ports throughout the country following a report of the Black Death in Madagascar.

The Ministry of Public Health has ordered officials in provinces with international ports to sterilize all ships anchoring in Thai ports and get rid of rats on board. Residents in maritime areas have also been urged to keep their houses clean and to stick to the correct methods of waste disposal.

The move came after a report of the Bubonic plague epidemic which has sickened more than 100 and killed 47 people in Madagascar in the past three months.

Bubonic plague, otherwise known as the Black Death, is a flea-born infection that spreads from rats or other rodents to humans and usually causes death. The symptoms of the plague include swellings in the groin, the neck and armpits and elsewhere, high fever, chills, muscle cramps, nausea, seizure and gangrene.

Bubonic plague has reportedly disappeared from Thailand since 1952. The Ministry Public Health has declared the Bubonic plague a dangerous, contagious disease. The disease still exists in some African and Asian countries.


-- NNT 2014-11-26

Bubonic plague. Source wikipedia.org

[worgeordie]

Looks like we are going back in time to the Middle Ages,

don't know how Thailand plans to handle rat infested

ships,a lot better than the suspected Ebola carrier that

they let wander around Bangkok,I hope.

Regards Worgeordie

[aussieinthailand]

try cleaning out some of the so-called restaurants in some places.

Oh and ehh,,, "BRING OUT YOUR DEAD"

[pinkpanther99]

Nothing to worry about here.

Amoxy will cure this.

[Jdietz]

[writeshack]

what a total beat up

[jlwilliamsjr18]

I'm growing skeptical of these so called "oh my" apparitions. It wasn't long ago, we were all ducking and covering from Ebola, then the big WOW, was Thailand discovers cure for Ebola, yet to be revealed, now it's the Black Plague. Is this a strategy to divert our thinking or just sensationalism? I have my doubts. Best we don't forget medicine resistant Malaria, HIV, Leprosy, are still in the shadows in Thailand. The worse kind of information is disinformation. Keep clean, brothers and sisters.

[Jim walker]

Public Health has declared the Bubonic plague a dangerous, they are so sharp in Thailand some of these officials are frightening with their superior knowledge on all matters, so will there be room for the bodies to be left on the street with all the vendors still selling food or will the body collections be pretty regular. hope TAT can put this news to their advantage to drag in more tourists

[Lupatria]

The Black Death was one of the most devastating pandemics in human history, resulting in the deaths of an estimated 75 to 200 million people and peaking in Europe in the years 1346–53–

It looks like nature has its own recipe to get rid of people in overpopulated areas ignoring all hygienic standards.

Hence, LOS as a hub of these standards is safe.

[SOTIRIOS]

......with open canals....and so many stray dogs everywhere...I hate to think of the possibilities.....

[bander]

What lie are TAT coming up with to cover up this plague?

[Ianatlarge]

Is it possible to keep in mind endemic concerns, malaria, dengue, or are these just too boring?

[Chao Lao Beach]

So do you get it form fleas ?

[Rumble]

This is going to be deficult to contain if it starts spreading esspecially with the rats running around in large cities like BKK (remember the song "Ring a ring roses a pocket full of posies), that kids like to sing?

[konying]

There goes further slump in car sales

[noahvail]

There are between 1-17 cases of bubonic plague each year in the US, generally in the western part. Up to four people per year die from it.

Compare that to rabies in the US, which kills only 2 people annually.

[Fred Flinstone]

This is very praise worthy news -

Well done Thailand !

[mickmac]

Can the Bubonic Plague not be treated by anti-Biotics nowadays?

Is it me or does the young man in the photo on Post #1 have frost bite rather than the plague?

Edited November 26, 2014 by mickmac

[Chicog]

Can the Bubonic Plague not be treated by anti-Biotics nowadays?

Is it me or does the young man in the photo on Post #1 have frost bite rather than the plague?

That's what I thought, but...

"Mortality associated with treated cases of bubonic plague is about 1–15%, compared to a mortality of 40–60% in untreated cases."

Mind you I have a swelling in the groin area most times I'm in Thailand so I doubt I'd notice if I had it.

[wonder6281]

What lie are TAT coming up with to cover up this plague?

Bet they are in their bunker now developing another Video!

[Cylon]

How low can a high season go.

[Lupatria]

So do you get it form fleas ?

No, in a first step fleas infect rodents, dogs and cats who give it to humans. Better leave your fur coat at home this winter.

[simonuk]

No chance . Way to lazy to even wear a helmet or seat belt.

[xerostar]

That's what I thought, but...

"Mortality associated with treated cases of bubonic plague is about 1–15%, compared to a mortality of 40–60% in untreated cases."

Mind you I have a swelling in the groin area most times I'm in Thailand so I doubt I'd notice if I had it.

Looks like frostbite to me too!

Mind you I have a swelling in the groin area most times I'm in Thailand so I doubt I'd notice if I had it.

[spermwhale]

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I'm growing skeptical of these so called "oh my" apparitions. It wasn't long ago, we were all ducking and covering from Ebola, then the big WOW, was Thailand discovers cure for Ebola, yet to be revealed, now it's the Black Plague. Is this a strategy to divert our thinking or just sensationalism? I have my doubts. Best we don't forget medicine resistant Malaria, HIV, Leprosy, are still in the shadows in Thailand. The worse kind of information is disinformation. Keep clean, brothers and sisters.

At least Thais are good at keeping clean. I have to say they are probably some of the most hygienic people on the planet. If I ever smell someone with bad B.O. I can rest assured it's not a Thai. Usually a foreigner.

THAT SAID, I'm not as confident in their food cleanliness!

[spermwhale]

<script type='text/javascript'>window.mod_pagespeed_start = Number(new Date());</script>

Can the Bubonic Plague not be treated by anti-Biotics nowadays?

Is it me or does the young man in the photo on Post #1 have frost bite rather than the plague?

That's what I thought, but...

"Mortality associated with treated cases of bubonic plague is about 1–15%, compared to a mortality of 40–60% in untreated cases."

Mind you I have a swelling in the groin area most times I'm in Thailand so I doubt I'd notice if I had it.

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That's the start of elephantitis! If you don't want to walk around with your scroat in a wheelbarrow, better get that checked..!

[partington]

Plague was largely eliminated simply because it is treatable with most common antibiotics. There is usually nothing to worry about.

Unfortunately antibiotic resistant strains have been observed in a number of areas, including Madagascar. As far as I know there aren't any that are resistant to ALL antibiotics in current use, but it may delay effective treatment if you have to try several before one works, and this can allow the disease to take hold.

This is the reason why doctors and health authorities warn against overusing antibiotics for mild diseases, or for diseases which they have no effect on like viral flu or viral stomach upsets. Unfortunately Thailand is a hub of over the counter purchased antibiotics that the population use to self medicate.

This allows harmless bacteria in their bodies to become antibiotic resistant. Not a problem until they get a plague infection. The harmless bacteria can then transfer their antibiotic resistance to the plague bacteria by exchange of DNA (happens all the time in nature when bacteria co-occupy the same space). Then you get antibiotic resistant plague - big problem.

This is the reasoning behind the largely unheeded warnings not to use antibiotics unneccessarily.

[arrowsdawdle]

"

What lie are TAT coming up with to cover up this plague?

"Come for a Month and Stay for a Lifetime."

[monk213]

Looks like we are going back in time to the Middle Ages,

don't know how Thailand plans to handle rat infested

ships,a lot better than the suspected Ebola carrier that

they let wander around Bangkok,I hope.

Regards Worgeordie

No not really, these days it is not much to worry about at all if you actually go and get medical treatment fairly sharpish. It has been around since the middle ages and there have been cases since, just we have medication to stop wide spread cases nowadays

[partington]

So do you get it form fleas ?

No, in a first step fleas infect rodents, dogs and cats who give it to humans. Better leave your fur coat at home this winter.

This is completely wrong. Rats carry the disease. Fleas bite the rats and swallow plague-infected blood. The same flea then bites humans and passes the infectious agents to humans through this bite, just like mosquitoes with malaria.

It is directly fleas that infect humans, NOT the host animals!