Am I worrying too much about malaria/dengue fever?

[KhunBENQ]

I am not sure at all Tridsadee Sahawong is dead, where did you learn that? I was convinced he was still fighting for his life. (?)

Last news that I found is from 4 Jan this year.

Still fighting and more complications.

His case is very extreme for an adult.

It seems his second infection, different strain, high level of virus in the blood and he is reacting very strong,

If I got it right: 10 JAN, a story about a little girl donating blood (type A) for him?

[condobrit001]

I have lived in Thailand for 20 years and personally know 3 people (friends and coworkers and all in Bangkok) in that time that got Dengue. No one died but it knocks them out of work for a couple weeks and took them about a month to get back to normal. If they get it again they will get the more serious form of the disease.

Well, yes and no. There are five strains of the dengue virus, and infection with one of these strains will provide on-going immunity from that strain, but not the other four. The odds of dying from a second occurrence by one of the other four strains is no greater than for the initial infection, unless of course your immune system has been compromised.

[Shaunduhpostman]

Malaria, as mentioned earlier is limited to certain areas, it is not going to be a worry for a village visit unless the village is near a forest.

As for dengue, I believe it is actually more of a problem in Bangkok than in rural areas. Even so, in my village out in Isaan, we seem to have a problem with it. Evry year lots of kids come down with it. I get bitten by at least a few mosquitoes several times a week for the last 3 years and have yet to come down with dengue, knock on wood.

I've read on the internet that many contract dengue, but many also have only very mild to no symptoms. Its is mostly children and the elderly who end up getting sick. That said, I've had co-workers and neighbors in Bangkok who were in their 40's 50's get bad cases of it. Pills and sprays and the like are really not the most important way to avoid contracting dengue. Your best bet is to limit your exposure to mosquito bites by limiting your time outdoors, especially if there are mosquitoes about and wearing long sleeves and pants when you go out. I'm not a fan of short sleeves or short pants, so that may have helped me avoid getting dengue.

Just be sensible and I think you have little to worry about, especially for a short visit.

[steven100]

Just buy some spray in the small bottle from 7-11 , it's 35 baht .... make sure you spray your arms and legs before you go out and take the bottle with you.

[sawadee1947]

I got Dengue the first year when I came over here. Was painful but not too bad.

Also ask your Doc: there is a Dengue fever vaccine on the market. DENGVAXIA by Sanofi.

[emilymat]

I managed to catch Dengue Fever a couple of months ago. I spent six days in hospital. I felt like I had influenza from hell. Seriously, I felt like I had been hit by a truck. While I was in hospital, a government man stopped by to take down my address, which puzzled me. On the very day I was released from hospital, the blowers came around to fog the neighborhood around our house. The post by "loonytune" was spot on! When I saw them next door, I immediately closed all the doors and windows. When the guys came knocking at my door asking to be let in so they could fog my entire house, I just said, NO WAY!, and motioned for them to go away. They looked at me, shaking their heads and laughing like I was a complete idiot. Some of them weren't even wearing masks! They fogged all the property around my house, and after the wind blew it all away I stepped outside and mozzies were flying around everywhere. Mission accomplished!

I contact "Dengue' about 7 years ago in Pattaya. I was in BPH hospital for 2 nights and the only thing I had was the intravenous 'drip'. Anyway, like you' some guys came round my house and sprayed inside and out. The smell that lingered was like paraffin.

They told me it was a 'notifiable disease' and spraying was compulsory under the law. (Mine was a new house just 1 year old).

Two years later, I had the same symptoms and went to bed for 36 hours with plenty of water to drink. I was then OK. Yes, it was like a dose of the flu'.

Sometime later, I was told I probably did not have Dengue fever in either case and that the doctor who snet me to hospital in an ambulance - even though I could walk OK etc. received a kickback for every patient. I know my 2 days in hospital was pretty expensive, with a suite of 2 rooms I didn't really want but felt too awful to argue about at the time.

In fairness, I understand there are different varieties of Dengue, mild to serious. Maybe I did have the mild one - I'll never know.

[uptoyoumyfriend]

i had dengue 3 times ,two of which i did't even notice.more like a light flue.

a functioning immune system is the key of course.

stay away from malaria tablets -they do more harm than they help.

as always ymmv.

[gandalf12]

The trouble with Dengue is that it is a mix of 4 types of Malaria and at this point in time there is no tablets you can take for it. I would suggest you contact the school of tropical medicine and ask them. If you are in the UK try the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine they are pretty much an authority on all tropical diseases. If in the USA or outside of the UK I am sure the local hospital can find out for you.

[gerry1953]

It is difficult for me to believe a doctor would fake diagnosis to get someone admitted for treatment at an international hospital. A good doctor is used to seeing this disease in the tropics and knows exactly what to look for. He takes an oral history that is usually followed by a series of blood tests to confirm if the White Blood cell count is extremely low along with several other blood tests. I never was admitted but had my lady return to monitor me as I had a hard time keeping my temperature under 104 F and my thinking was not "normal". I took hourly trips into a cold shower followed by fan evaporation to get rid of body heat. All medications were oral so I did not need to be admitted and there is no treatment, it has to run it's course. In the second week I was retested and the blood counts returned close to the normal range but it took awhile for the rash to subside. If you feel they are scamming - you should ask them to justify their recommendation to admit you.

[sead]

A 5 year old to miss kindergarden. That really doesnt matter.

[gerry1953]

I read with interest about the vaccine Dengvaxia which according to reports is available in the Philippines and Mexico. I read Thailand is testing another version called Denvax at Mahidol University in Bangkok (along with other countries). If it gets approved after proper testing it may be an option for expats in high dengue areas.

[thaipo7]

I live in a village about 18 miles south of Korat and there were two cases of dengue that were sisters. I went to visit them in the hospital and talked to the head nurse and she said that during the month of December there were 20 cases. Have to watch the "zebra" mosquitoes. You have to be bitten by a mosquito that bit an infected person.

[KunMatt]

After living in a village in Ubon for a few years, the risk of my young kids getting Dengue was definitely a check in the "reasons to move back to UK" column. Dengue swept through the village at least twice in the 3 years we lived there and many people on our street, including one of our next door neighbours, contracted it. Nobody died as far as I'm aware but a couple of the cases were serious. I'm pretty sure I caught it too as I had what felt like the worst flu, hangover and migraine that lasted for 5 or 6 days which knocked me for 6 and fave me a bad headache that lasted for about 6 months afterwards but nobody else in our house had similar symptoms.

I understand you cannot completely mitigate the risks but it doesn't matter how diligent you are when all of your neighbours keep huge jugs of water and reservoirs around every property and do nothing to help the situation. I made sure there was no water containers around our house, we had mosquito screens on every window and I would avoid sitting outside at dusk but every single person who walked into my house would leave the doors wide open, and then I'd close them only for the same people to leave another door wide open on their way out, so we'd always end up with mozzies in our house because of this stupid avoidable reason.

Malaria was of no concern to me but dengue is a real risk and the locals are too stupid or lazy to do anything to limit the spread of it so it will always be a serious threat.

Use sprays, long socks, bands and don't sit outside at dawn or dusk. You will still get bitten but hopefully not by a pregnant dengue carrying Aedes mosquito.

[KunMatt]

A 5 year old to miss kindergarden. That really doesnt matter.

Year 1 is not kindergarten in the UK.

[manarak]

The trouble with Dengue is that it is a mix of 4 types of Malaria

I think you have a very confused idea of dengue.

Dengue is totally different from malaria, not even the same type of infection, as dengue is due to a virus and malaria due to a parasite.

[sead]

A 5 year old to miss kindergarden. That really doesnt matter.

Year 1 is not kindergarten in the UK.

Ok so in England child start school from 5 year? If that's so then i think that she shouldn't leave school. First year is more important than second. The child finds friends and bonds and developes alot during first year.

Any grammatical errors are a gift from me to you...

[KunMatt]

A 5 year old to miss kindergarden. That really doesnt matter.

Year 1 is not kindergarten in the UK.

Ok so in England child start school from 5 year? If that's so then i think that she shouldn't leave school. First year is more important than second. The child finds friends and bonds and developes alot during first year.

Any grammatical errors are a gift from me to you...

Kids start school in the year that they turn 5 in the UK, so my son is 4 but in the first year of school in the UK. The OP's kid could be in the first or second year because of this (1st year is sometimes called reception year, 2nd year is Year 1) .

Either way, you are not allowed to take kids on holiday during the school term in the UK.

[lostinisaan]

Mosquitoes don't like pot. Maybe..............

[lostinisaan]

A 5 year old to miss kindergarden. That really doesnt matter.

Year 1 is not kindergarten in the UK.

Ok so in England child start school from 5 year? If that's so then i think that she shouldn't leave school. First year is more important than second. The child finds friends and bonds and developes alot during first year.

Any grammatical errors are a gift from me to you...

Olreeedy raporttedd to Se Grammerl pouliz.

[mrfaroukh]

I read in news the vaksine has been developed against Dengue fewer and Philippine is the first to use it. I think it was developed by them only.

[RedQualia]

If your primary concern is when the best time to travel might be, or whether you should postpone a trip, then yes, you're worrying too much. Though it may be more common in the rainy season, dengue can be contracted almost any time of the year.

Dengue is something of a "neighborhood disease." Mosquitoes depend on standing water to breed. Mosquitoes also spread the disease by biting infected people, and etc. Not all neighborhoods will have dengue. This year, the moo baan in which I live doesn't have dengue problems. The next moo baan up the road, one km away, has had about 12 cases. Lots of problems there getting a migrant family there to control/eliminate the standing water around their home. "We're not gonna, and you can't make us" kind of attitude, for whatever reason.

Our two daughters both had dengue a couple of years ago. Both attended school in Chiang Mai, 15 km away from home, in roughly the same neighborhood (near Kad Suan Kaew, but again, that was a few years ago and there may not be problems there at this time). One daughter had it bad. The other pretty much laughed it off. Neither hospitalized.

25,000 cases of dengue in Bangkok as of December. The area most affected is from Nana to On Nut, north of Sukhumvit, or so this article suggests: http://whatsonsukhumvit.com/tips-for-avoiding-dengue-fever-on-sukhumvit/

Dengue may or may not be in other areas of Bangkok, but if so , then more randomly and in lower concentrations.

I worry about dengue quite a bit. As I said, both daughters have had it. But not me. What do I do for prevention? We're big fans of mosquito nets in rural areas. I don't generally visit any areas where I know there are recent or ongoing cases of dengue. We keep the doors (or screens) to the house pretty much closed all the time, and we kill all mosquitoes on sight. That's about it.

It's OK to come to Thailand in July/August. Use mosquito nets as required, and especially in the countryside. Wear long pants (khakis work well) and maybe long sleeves. Kill the mosquitoes. Etc. If it should turn out that there are recent or ongoing cases of dengue fever in your wife's family's village, then take the kid, and/or the wife, and go to another area and stay in a hotel. Make sure she knows that's the plan before you travel.

My wife has also had malaria in the past... 15-20 years ago, when she was working in Mae Sot, up near the Myanmar border. She is the only one I know who has had it. It is uncommon in most areas of Thailand, to the point that doctors don't necessarily know its symptoms nor how to treat it. (The doctors in Chiang Mai had no idea what they were looking at. The docs in Mae Sot did.) Always be vigilant, of course, but there appears to be little to no reason to worry about malaria in Thailand, unless in the Myanmar or Cambodian border regions. My wife is the only one I've personally ever known of who actually contracted malaria. I'm sure there are others around... I simply haven't met them.

Good luck, and have fun.

[Issangeorge]

Malaria is not a problem. Dengue, can be, however I am now spending my 31st winter in Thailand, 13th in my small village at the edge a forest in Isaan. I never, and I mean never take precautions. Compare to Canada Thailand's mosquitoes don't bother me, so quite often I get bit, and don't notice it or worry about it. I have never got dengue. It is my feeling that in the small villages you are safer than the cities. Our village they spray against mosquitoes on a regular bases, it's not that easy to do in a city.

[Robert24]

People are correct that you should take the usual precautions for Dengue. Malaria is no issue. And Issangeorge is right, the more densely populated an area, the higher the risk you get it. Simply because the sickness spreads human-mosquito-human. Precautions is everything that stops you fro, getting bitten by mosquitoes. So simple things for a short visits are clothing (cover legs and arms), use mosquitoe cream, sleep under mosquito net, use a mosquito lamp. And if you do get symptoms of a cold, do check the blood for Dengue. Especially if you return to the UK! Ah one more thing. Don't take Aspirin for pain killer, use paracetamol instead. Hope this helps.

[loonytune]

there are many species of mosquito. the ones you see most often in bkk now are the ones that spread dengue. it wasnt always this way. metropolises arent their historical habitat. why are there not a multitude of species if bkk is such a favorable habitat. think about this very carefully.

[mgjackson69]

I had dengue once while working in Bangkok, about 10 years ago. I was pretty well knocked on my ass for a week or so. I continued work, but certainly was not running at top efficiency.

To the OP's question: Are you worrying too much? If it is impacting travel and family visit plans, I would say "yes".

Use insect repellent (DEET) during the day, sleep with mosquito nets and a fan....and live your life.

[ubonrthai]

His death was just announced today. No doubt dengue will be discussed a lot in the news this week. The FB post announcing it was shared 17,000 times in the first 12 minutes.

A young prominent Thai Actor recently died of DENGUE Fever in Bangkok.

He suffered for several weeks, they even amputated a foot where he had been bitten but he eventually died, despite the very BEST Medical Care available.

A family friend in Chiang Mai also contracted it but she was lucky and has survived it.

Suggest you take all possible precautions,

I am not sure at all Tridsadee Sahawong is dead, where did you learn that? I was convinced he was still fighting for his life. (?)

To the OP the mortality with dengue fever is less than 0,1%.

102,000 people have come down with the disease in Thailand last year, DHF (Dengue haemorrahgic fever) killed 102 people.

My dil's husband got it last year in Samui, in Chaweng, it was tough but his life was never in danger, so the risk is exactly the same in towns than in the countryside.

[Tchooptip]

His death was just announced today. No doubt dengue will be discussed a lot in the news this week. The FB post announcing it was shared 17,000 times in the first 12 minutes.

A young prominent Thai Actor recently died of DENGUE Fever in Bangkok.

He suffered for several weeks, they even amputated a foot where he had been bitten but he eventually died, despite the very BEST Medical Care available.

A family friend in Chiang Mai also contracted it but she was lucky and has survived it.

Suggest you take all possible precautions,

I am not sure at all Tridsadee Sahawong is dead, where did you learn that? I was convinced he was still fighting for his life. (?)

To the OP the mortality with dengue fever is less than 0,1%.

102,000 people have come down with the disease in Thailand last year, DHF (Dengue haemorrahgic fever) killed 102 people.

My dil's husband got it last year in Samui, in Chaweng, it was tough but his life was never in danger, so the risk is exactly the same in towns than in the countryside.

I guess we'll see it everywhere now

RIP young man condolence to the family and friends.

[BKKdreaming]

May his death save a few 100 lifes with the Press it will get ,

RIP

[willyumiii]

I don't know that the rainy season should be the big concern.

No matter what time of year, if you are in an area with irrigated rice farms ( or any other standing water) there is good breeding for all types of mosquitos, and that incomapasses most of northern Thailand, all year round!

I have read that the mosquito that carries dengue fever is most active in the early evening and early morning.

I try to avoid exposure at those times and if I must be out, I use repellant.

As harsh as it is, DEET ( originally developed as a solvent for plastics! ) is the only one you can count on.

Five years living in the heart of the rice farms and so far, so good!

[downtown]

well after a compromise on my my part we're off to deepest det udom next week - has there been much reporting of dengue in ubon/surrounding areas?thanksD