123 dengue cases in Phuket

PHUKET: There are 123 confirmed cases of dengue fever in Phuket, public health workers have confirmed.

Dr Narinrat Pitchayakamint of the Phuket Public Health Office said the number of cases is higher now than this time last year.

According to Ministry of Public Health statistics, Phuket currently ranks 11th out of Thailand’s 76 provinces in terms of incidence of infection, with about 30 cases per 100,000.

Cases of dengue typically increase during the May to December rainy season. Global warming may be creating hot and humid conditions more favorable for breeding of the Aedes aegypti mosquito that spreads the disease, Dr Narinrat said.

To prevent an epidemic the Phuket Public Health Office is once again working with local administrative organizations and other agencies to encourage people to empty standing vessels of water, coordinate spraying of homes and other preventative measures aimed at stopping the mosquito from breeding, she said.

— Atchaa Khamlo