By NewsDesk @infectiousdiseasenews
The Thailand Bureau of Epidemiology released the latest chikungunya case numbers this week and the tally has eclipsed the 8,000 mark.
Through Oct. 6, officials report 8,104 cases of the mosquito-borne disease from 52 provinces.
Pattani, Ranong, Tak, Phuket and Songkhla provinces continue to report the highest incidence of the mosquito-borne infection in the country.
No deaths have been reported.
The World Health Organization (WHO) says chikungunya is a viral disease transmitted by the bite of infected mosquitoes such as Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus. It can cause high fever, join and muscle pain, and headache. Chikungunya does not often result in death, but the joint pain may last for months or years and may become a cause of chronic pain and disability.
There is no specific treatment for this infection, nor any vaccine to prevent it. Pending the development of a new vaccine, the only effective means of prevention is to protect individuals against mosquito bites.
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