Boy in northeast Thailand dies of respiratory disease

A boy in Thailand’s northeast province of Nakhon Ratchasima died of a respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) on Monday. This is the first death from RSV reported this year, but a doctor from Maharat Nakhon Ratchasima Hospital warns that RSV could be more virulent this year.

The doctor, Jiraruj Chomchoey, said that at least one child has been admitted to the hospital with the virus every day, and put on a ventilator. Dr Jiraruj said this could be a sign that RSV could be more virulent this year. He said that parents should be aware of its spread.

RSV has similar symptoms to the flu, and the disease is often found among young children. There is no cure for RSV, so it can cause severe lung infections in small children, especially those younger than two years old.

The provincial public health office has not reported the total number of RSV cases so far this year. Last year, a 10 month old baby in another northeast province, Chaiyaphum, died of RSV. That year, eight children in Nakhon Ratchasima were also infected with the disease. However, officials denied that there was an outbreak in the two provinces.

SOURCE: Bangkok Post