The number of dengue fever cases in Thailand increased by another 848 cases during the past week, bringing the country total to 7515 cases from all 77 provinces. The death toll remains at one to date.
Officials from the Phuket Provincial Health Office (PPHO) are reporting a tripling in dengue cases since the beginning of the year as compared to the same period last year. “The number of people in Phuket contracting dengue is rising, and it’s serious,” according to Dr Bancha Khakong, Chief of the PPHO.
Twenty-two cases were reported during the first 40 days of 2015, while health officials in Phuket put the total at 70 in 2016 to date. The province saw more than 800 cases during the whole of 2015.
Bangkok remains the hardest hit region in the kingdom with a rate of 33.94 / 100,000 population. This is followed by Samutsakorn, Rayong, Nakornpathom and Phuket.
Dengue is transmitted by the bite of an Aedes aegypti mosquito infected with any one of the four dengue viruses. It occurs in tropical and sub-tropical areas of the world. Among the estimated 2.5 billion people at risk globally, more than 70% reside in Asia Pacific countries, according to the World Health Organization.
Severe dengue (fever, abdominal pain, vomiting, bleeding) is a potentially lethal complication, affecting mainly children. Early clinical diagnosis and careful clinical management increase the survival of patients.
Related:
- Malaysia reaches 20,000 dengue cases in 2016, consistent with 2015
- Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease: Japan reports increase while China saw a decrease in 2015
- Angola yellow fever outbreak prompts CDC issues travel notice
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