Zika Virus in Thailand but Not Epidemic, Health Officials Assure

[snoop1130]

Zika Virus in Thailand but Not Epidemic, Health Officials Assure
By Sasiwan Mokkhasen
Staff Reporter

Aedes albopictus as seen in a January 2015 file photo. Also known as the Asian tiger mosquito, it is found in Thailand. Photo: microbiologybytes / Flickr

BANGKOK —- While a virus blamed for brain damage in babies spreads through the Americas and has reached Europe, health officials today said it is not spreading in Thailand.

Global health officials today the rapid spread of the Zika virus could make for a global pandemic, yet Thailand’s top health official today urged the public not to worry because the disease has not reached epidemic level in Thailand.

Only pregnant women need be concerned about the virus, Health Minister Piyasakol Sakolsatayadorn said, because it is not fatal.

The virus, first discovered in Thailand in 2012, infects about 5 patients each year. There’s only been one known case so far this year. On Jan. 10, Taiwan announced it found the virus in a 24-year-old Thai man traveling from northern Thailand.

The Department of Disease Control said Zika fever can be found throughout Thailand. Those infected suffer symptoms similar to a mild case of dengue fever and usually recover in two to seven days. Officials said they are taking unspecified mosquito abatement measures.

Full Story: http://www.khaosodenglish.com/detail.php?newsid=1453979940

-- Khaosod English 2016-01-28

[clockman]

When they say dont worry, that is the time to worry!

[thesetat2013]

Perhaps this virus has been around in Thailand and is more widespread than they lay claim to. Judging the way some personalities show themselves and the slow and unresponsive kids could be the reason? But then again! Those things could just be from bad parents and hiding feelings until they explode. Oh well! Good thing my Thai family didn't get bitten by one of these. Although I'm not so sure about the wife's other family members. Some act as though brain damaged.

[Melyn]

Like South America, Thailand has no immunity. It has the right climate, it has the right mosquitoes. Ignore it and we could be seeing some disastrous pregnancies

[erobando]

Dengue fever is prevalent in Thailand and more deadly. But same source so addressing them is the same.

The problem, as always, is 1) educating people how minimize vulnerability to mosquitoes; and 2) getting people to care enough to actually do #1.

[berybert]

Where do they get the idea this virus is in Europe. It is a tropic mozzie. Or is it a case of "if we say it is elsewhere we can make out its not so bad here"

[webfact]

Ministry of Public Health: No zika outbreak in Thailand

BANGKOK, 29 January 2016 (NNT) - The Ministry of Public Health has reported that there is no outbreak of the zika virus in Thailand and confirmed the disease is not fatal. People are suggested to avoid being bitted by dengue mosquitoes which spread the virus.

Minister of Public Health M.D.Piyasakol Sakolsattayathon said the first case of zika infection in Thailand was found in 2012 and the average number of patients was five people/year. Only one zika infection had been reported in Thailand so far this year, said the minister.

The minister urged the public not to panic since most zika patients recovered by themselves. However, he warned that the disease was linked to abnormalities in infants whose mother might have been exposed to the virus during pregnancy.

Director-General of the Department of Disease Control M.D.Amnuay Kachina said the best way to prevent the zika disease was to avoid being bitten by dengue mosquitoes. Pregnant women should avoid traveling to the affected countries.

20 countries--most of them in South America--are now affected by the zika virus.


-- NNT 2016-01-29

[ukrules]

This is good news because there's been an explosion in the number of cases of Guillain-Barré Syndrome in South America which is now suspected of being linked to this virus epidemic according to the WHO.

[DrTuner]

It's only an epidemic after you get caught with pants down.

[BangkokKen]

• H1N1 was supposed to be a world pandemic

Ebola was supposed to wipe out Africa

Chykungunya was going to erradicate Asia

Now Zika....

[cumgranosalum]

The Aedes mosquito is all over Thailand; it is the vector fro zika.......so once the fever takes hold although it may not be epidemic it will certainly be endemic. poorly trained doctors who make diagnoses without blood tests are very likely to report this as "dengue" so one wonders how many cases have gone undiagnosed so far....another factor is that the fever itself is not vey significant so it may not get reported at all.......so it is possible that the first we will notice - if there is actually a link - is an increase in babies with microcephaly.

it seems that for one reason or another the spread of the virus in South America has been "explosive" (WHO) so one would imagine a similar situation in Asia at some point. As the Aedes mosquito is already a serious health threat, it would seem wise to be proactive and embark on a course of irradiation or some form of control.

US is beginning vaccine trials this year.

Edited January 29, 2016 by cumgranosalum

[kimamey]

• H1N1 was supposed to be a world pandemic
• Ebola was supposed to wipe out Africa
• Chykungunya was going to erradicate Asia
• Now Zika....

I think it depends how much effort is put into fighting it. Ebola was spreading to a worrying extent until proper action was taken with the help of countries outside Africa. For a long time it wasn't taken seriously.

I don't think for instance anyone said Ebola was going to wipe out Africa. What they said was that it could have devastating effects if steps weren't taken to stop it. The trouble is the media like sensational headlines so it gets misreported. I would imagine if enough of the population of Africa were wiped out the spread of Ebola would have stopped before the entire population was wiped out.

[cumgranosalum]

• H1N1 was supposed to be a world pandemic
• Ebola was supposed to wipe out Africa
• Chykungunya was going to erradicate Asia
• Now Zika....

..amnd why aren't we all dead? Because science based mediicine and international organisations are actually quite effective in taking on these kind of threats. compare this to the 1918 flu pandemic.

....and BTW - what major disease or epidemic did CTM ever prevent or stop?

[cumgranosalum]

• H1N1 was supposed to be a world pandemic
• Ebola was supposed to wipe out Africa
• Chykungunya was going to erradicate Asia
• Now Zika....

I think it depends how much effort is put into fighting it. Ebola was spreading to a worrying extent until proper action was taken with the help of countries outside Africa. For a long time it wasn't taken seriously.

I don't think for instance anyone said Ebola was going to wipe out Africa. What they said was that it could have devastating effects if steps weren't taken to stop it. The trouble is the media like sensational headlines so it gets misreported. I would imagine if enough of the population of Africa were wiped out the spread of Ebola would have stopped before the entire population was wiped out.

"For a long time it wasn't taken seriously." - absolute nonsense!

Edited January 29, 2016 by cumgranosalum

[kannot]

Dengue fever is prevalent in Thailand and more deadly. But same source so addressing them is the same.

The problem, as always, is 1) educating people how minimize vulnerability to mosquitoes; and 2) getting people to care enough to actually do #1.

The real problem is inherent laziness, they seem oblivious to anything and then when it all goes wrong run to the govt squealing like pigs.

[kannot]

Ministry of Public Health: No zika outbreak in Thailand

BANGKOK, 29 January 2016 (NNT) - The Ministry of Public Health has reported that there is no outbreak of the zika virus in Thailand and confirmed the disease is not fatal. People are suggested to avoid being bitted by dengue mosquitoes which spread the virus.

Minister of Public Health M.D.Piyasakol Sakolsattayathon said the first case of zika infection in Thailand was found in 2012 and the average number of patients was five people/year. Only one zika infection had been reported in Thailand so far this year, said the minister.

The minister urged the public not to panic since most zika patients recovered by themselves. However, he warned that the disease was linked to abnormalities in infants whose mother might have been exposed to the virus during pregnancy.

Director-General of the Department of Disease Control M.D.Amnuay Kachina said the best way to prevent the zika disease was to avoid being bitten by dengue mosquitoes. Pregnant women should avoid traveling to the affected countries.

20 countries--most of them in South America--are now affected by the zika virus.

-- NNT 2016-01-29

yes im almost sure pregnant Thai women will be going on a 20+hour journey to S.America regularly.....airports always full of them theyre a bleeding menace ( wheres the sarcastic as hell icon)

[MaxLee]

but Not Epidemic, Health Officials Assure

Okay, let's panic now.....

[cumgranosalum]

Dengue fever is prevalent in Thailand and more deadly. But same source so addressing them is the same.

The problem, as always, is 1) educating people how minimize vulnerability to mosquitoes; and 2) getting people to care enough to actually do #1.

THe mosquito is the same and the precautions should be the same....but a vaccine is not the same. It seems that a Zika vaccine may be easier to achieve than the Dengue one.

[cumgranosalum]

Thailand may end up with this problem coming back on them. The country has developed a reputation for ineffective action in situations like this and tourism may well suffer as a consequence.

I have already seen one question about Zika in Thailand on a travel forum.

The fact is that for one reason or another Zika has got a public/media reaction that is a lot stronger than other mosquito-born diseases, and my guess is that unless the government is seen to take action there will be a further drop in tourists from the west.

Platitudes like the one in the OP will do nothing to allay this fear, in fact they only sere to reinforce the public perception on a government's lack of any real action.

[BKKdreaming]

public service announcements warning them about the dangers and showing them where they breed , and how to stop it ,

They need to show the mosquito larvae swimming around in all the vases with water, old tires etc and what to do about it

and plaster the city with billboards to pound the idea that this is important ,

I wonder what will happen to Brazil and the Olympic games ?

Start now , walk around your area and dump the standing water

[geisha]

Where do they get the idea this virus is in Europe. It is a tropic mozzie. Or is it a case of "if we say it is elsewhere we can make out its not so bad here"

This mosquito is present in France at least, and maybe every south European country soon.

[Sharpasatack]

They are assuming whereever the offending mosquitos live will eventually be endemic areas of zika virus.

[cumgranosalum]

Where do they get the idea this virus is in Europe. It is a tropic mozzie. Or is it a case of "if we say it is elsewhere we can make out its not so bad here"

Aedes mozzie (one kind at least) is now in parts of Europe....climate change has allowed it to increase its range. Malarial mozzies have always been able to thrive in Europe.

Edited January 29, 2016 by cumgranosalum

[Ricardo]

"health officials today said it is not spreading in Thailand."

and " No zika outbreak in Thailand "

and yet ...

"the first case of zika infection in Thailand was found in 2012 and the average number of patients was five people/year. Only one zika infection had been reported in Thailand so far this year, said the minister."

and " The virus, first discovered in Thailand in 2012, infects about 5 patients each year. There’s only been one known case so far this year. "

and "The Department of Disease Control said Zika fever can be found throughout Thailand"

There appears to be some contradiction in these various pronouncements, there is no outbreak and it's not spreading here, yet people have been found since 2012 to be infected and it's found throughout Thailand !

[cumgranosalum]

It seems some Thai officials show all the characteristics of Dunning-Kruger effect.........and believe they know best so can make these sweeping pronouncements to "restore harmony"

Edited January 29, 2016 by cumgranosalum

[kimamey]

• H1N1 was supposed to be a world pandemic
• Ebola was supposed to wipe out Africa
• Chykungunya was going to erradicate Asia
• Now Zika....

I think it depends how much effort is put into fighting it. Ebola was spreading to a worrying extent until proper action was taken with the help of countries outside Africa. For a long time it wasn't taken seriously.

I don't think for instance anyone said Ebola was going to wipe out Africa. What they said was that it could have devastating effects if steps weren't taken to stop it. The trouble is the media like sensational headlines so it gets misreported. I would imagine if enough of the population of Africa were wiped out the spread of Ebola would have stopped before the entire population was wiped out.

"For a long time it wasn't taken seriously." - absolute nonsense!

http://www.bbc.com/news/health-34877787

My point was that the reason these predictions didn't come true is because once there's a global focus on the problem it can be dealt with. Without that focus, particularly from the scientific community things would have been a lot worse.

One of the problems is that people dying in Africa or anywhere else that is not "developed" is it often doesn't get reported or at least not prominently and in the West we can see it as something unfortunate that just happens. It takes lot of effort by those closely involved or a link to someone in the western world to push it up the agenda.

Edited January 29, 2016 by kimamey

[cumgranosalum]

• H1N1 was supposed to be a world pandemic
• Ebola was supposed to wipe out Africa
• Chykungunya was going to erradicate Asia
• Now Zika....

I think it depends how much effort is put into fighting it. Ebola was spreading to a worrying extent until proper action was taken with the help of countries outside Africa. For a long time it wasn't taken seriously.

I don't think for instance anyone said Ebola was going to wipe out Africa. What they said was that it could have devastating effects if steps weren't taken to stop it. The trouble is the media like sensational headlines so it gets misreported. I would imagine if enough of the population of Africa were wiped out the spread of Ebola would have stopped before the entire population was wiped out.

"For a long time it wasn't taken seriously." - absolute nonsense!

http://www.bbc.com/news/health-34877787

My point was that the reason these predictions didn't come true is because once there's a global focus on the problem it can be dealt with. Without that focus, particularly from the scientific community things would have been a lot worse.

One of the problems is that people dying in Africa or anywhere else that is not "developed" is it often doesn't get reported or at least not prominently and in the West we can see it as something unfortunate that just happens. It takes lot of effort by those closely involved or a link to someone in the western world to push it up the agenda.

Governments tend to react slowly, but in most of these cases the medical professionals, scientists and health organisations take it seriously from the start....they just have to persuade the authorities to act. Thailand however seems to be flying in the face of the accepted predictions for this particular virus....this from the country that for years denied the existence of AIDS within its borders..........nothing must disrupt "harmony"

[Jonmarleesco]

'... the rapid spread of the Zika virus could make for a global pandemic, yet Thailand’s top health official today urged the public not to worry because the disease has not reached epidemic level in Thailand.' Just the time to worry, then. Especially as the time for the authorities to worry is before it reaches epidemic, never mind pandemic, level.

'Officials said they are taking unspecified mosquito abatement measures.' So they are still scratching their heads.

[rickudon]

Zika virus has been in Africa for a long time, SE asia for 50 years (including Thailand). Just rarely diagnosed. It was only in 2007 it started to spread elsewhere and in epidemic proportions. Whether it represents a real danger to Thailand is debatable, after all it hasn't caused epidemics in the last 50 years, but maybe this is a new more virulent strain.

[ukrules]

Zika virus has been in Africa for a long time, SE asia for 50 years (including Thailand). Just rarely diagnosed. It was only in 2007 it started to spread elsewhere and in epidemic proportions. Whether it represents a real danger to Thailand is debatable, after all it hasn't caused epidemics in the last 50 years, but maybe this is a new more virulent strain.

This is the problem, it's not the same as it was before. It's changed and it's much worse than before.