Dengue fever outbreak in Thailand’s Isaan region

Four provinces in northeast Thailand have seen an outbreak in cases of dengue fever since January. So far, a total of 1,199 cases of the mosquito-borne illness have been recorded in Nakhon Ratchasima, Chaiyaphum, Buriram and Surin. The most commonly affected age group are 10 to 14 year old children.

Symptoms of dengue include high fever, headache, vomiting, muscle and joint pain and a skin rash. Dengue has gained the nickname “breakbone fever” because of the severe joint pain it can cause. Cases often require hospitalisation and symptoms typically last two to seven days.

The disease is spread by infected mosquitoes. In Thailand, two species can spread dengue fever, the Yellow fever mosquito and the Asian tiger mosquito, both characterised by their black and white stripes.

Yesterday, The Office of Disease Prevention and Control revealed the following case numbers from January 1 until now…

• Nakhon Ratchasima: 737
• Chaiyaphum: 223
• Buriram: 143
• Surin: 96

Nakhon Ratchasima has seen the highest number of cases, mostly concentrated in Non Thai, Non Sung and Chokchai districts. The most commonly affected age group is 10-14 year olds. The province’s public health office are accelerating measures to quell the outbreak by fumigating breeding grounds of the Asian tiger mosquito in the affected areas.

There are four strains of the dengue fever virus, and the body is able to build immunity to the strains it has been exposed to. It is possible to contract all four strains of dengue in one lifetime.

If you get a high fever, chills and a skin rash, see a doctor right away.

Watch our video on the best ways to avoid getting Dengue fever.

SOURCE: Ejan