At least 85 people are being treated for chikungunya in hospitals in the southern Thailand city of Phuket, according to The Phuket Public Health Office (PPHO), which prompted authorities to set up a task force and a “war room” to get the outbreak under control.
Despite the number of hospitalized patients, Phuket health officials expect the actual number of cases to be more than 1,000, as most sufferers do not seek hospital treatment but rather go to clinics or treat themselves, the Phuket Gazette reported.
Affected areas include Srisoonthorn and Cherng Talay in Thalang district, Kamala and Kathu town in Kathu district, and Rawai and Phuket City in Muang district.
The PPHO “war rooms” will convene on Tuesdays and Thursdays and not only are tasked with the battle against chikungunya, but also monitoring H1N1 “swine flu” patients. For more infectious disease news and information, visit and “like” the Infectious Disease News Facebook page
