Explosive increase in dengue fever in Thailand: 300% increase
This year, a significant increase in the number of infections due to dengue fever has been recorded. In Thailand, the number of registered patients with dengue fever rose to more than 1 between January 1 and November 123.000. This is a disturbing increase of almost 300% compared to the previous year.
According to Dr. Thongchai Keeratihattayakorn, the acting director general of the Department of Disease Control, said 123.000 deaths have been recorded among the 139 infected people. Most victims were between 25 and 34 years old.
Dr. Thongchai further reported that extensive research has been done on the breeding grounds of the Aedes mosquitoes, which are responsible for the spread of the disease. These breeding grounds have been identified in various areas, including religious places such as temples, mosques, churches, as well as hotels, resorts, schools, factories, hospitals and government buildings. This study found that 60,9% of temples were major breeding grounds for mosquitoes, followed by 55,6% of factories and 46% of schools.
Four different strains of the dengue virus are known. Dr. Thongchai emphasized that individuals who become infected with two different strains have an increased risk of developing more severe symptoms. He advises people who suspect they have dengue fever not to purchase medication themselves, such as aspirin from a pharmacy, but to seek immediate medical attention. This is especially critical for adults with underlying health conditions, such as liver cirrhosis, and for menstruating women, as delays in treatment can be fatal.
Source: Thai Public Broadcasting Service
This scares me a bit if I have to be honest.
In the evening I am always attacked by mosquitoes when I go outside.
Is there a vaccine for this? Maybe that's worth considering.
Bart, yes, there is a vaccine against dengue, but no serum. I read on the internet that the vaccine is new, that no one knows how long it works, and that it costs 110 euros in the Netherlands.
But you can better protect yourself against mosquitoes. There are more diseases spread by mosquitoes for which there is no vaccine. Malaria, filariasis, Japanese encephalitis, chikungunya and Zika. Find information on medical or travel sites on how to protect yourself from mosquitoes.
By the way, no aspirin for dengue as mentioned above.
I had 2x Denque myself, I was advised to use paracetamol to suppress the fever and to continue drinking plenty of water. This mosquito preys on you during the day... my last double infection was also diagnosed with Chikungunya, also by a 'day' mosquito test carried out back in the Netherlands...
With my 1st Denque we all got it in our complex, it was on Hatta Island, Moluccas... so contagious...
Johanna, I read that dengue, dengue fever, is not contagious from person to person. You have to be bitten by a mosquito or you won't get it.
That's right Erik, according to https://lci.rivm.nl/richtlijnen/dengue.
Although it is possible through blood, it turns out that you normally don't have that at the coffee table.
Ehhhhh,
1. about malaria. I often visit Gambia, it is bursting with malaria there. So I go to the pharmacy and ask for anti-malaria medication. Does the pharmacist ask: before or after? Do I really have to explain that or can you think for yourself? Seems obvious to me, so I won't explain.
2. about dengue. You could do a search on this blog, I've explained it before. In India they don't have malaria, but they have had dengue for centuries. So they know exactly what to do with a patient to make it better. Dengue is not dangerous, just very uncomfortable for a few days. I assume that the Thai hospitals were smart enough to request that knowledge in India.
The mosquitoes that transmit dengue do not bite in the dark. That is a big misunderstanding.
Dengue mosquitoes mainly bite in the early and late daylight hours. So apply during the day and not just at night or in the dark.
Oh well, the mortality is lower than that of the Covid Vaccines and they were taken “voluntarily”. Curiously enough, Ivermectin also seems to be of significance here.
Aspirin is downright dangerous, especially if the hemorrhagic (bleeding) form occurs
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30452439/
I don't know if it's reassuring, but the tiger mosquito, which can transmit dengue, mainly bites during the day. Constant protection against mosquitoes is the motto.
And I assume that aspirin is not recommended because of its blood thinning effect, paracetamol does not.
NB! The striped so-called tiger mosquito that spreads dengue only bites during the day! I had dengue twice myself, I thought I was going to die.
Regards, Len
1. Wear covered clothing after 4 p.m. bugs sleep during the day and then emerge.
2. the mosquitoes are under the table, so wear long pants, socks, and closed shoes.
3. we are talking about 0,25% of the population…..
4. use deet if necessary
The mosquitoes that transmit dengue bite during the day. The evening mosquitoes are different, I wouldn't worry about that unless you are in a malaria area.
Read in an article by Tino Kuis posted in 2014 in this blog that the current numbers are more common.
see the link and then look at his response:
https://www.thailandblog.nl/lezersvraag/thailand-oppassen-dengue-mug/
In Chiang Mai you can get vaccinated for 12.000b for 3 injections.
There is indeed a vaccine on the market (since this year).
I had one installed at the beginning of September.
Unlike in the Netherlands, I paid 86 euros for it in Belgium.
A booster is recommended after 3 months. Since I am in Thailand for a period of 6 months, this will be posted to me at the beginning of April.
In any case, you should consider getting vaccinated. I know some people who contracted dengue here in Thailand and were hospitalized. Then I'd rather just give it a shot.
Had asked here at two private hospitals, costs 4900 for 2 injections.
And the pediatrician offered 4000 injections for 2 baht (3 months apart)
(Nakhon si Thammarat)
On August 22, we (my wife and I) had the first Dengue vaccine administered at the KLM Health Center (Schiphol-East). The 2nd vaccine will be administered in a week's time on November 22. The total costs are +/- 700 euros, so 350 euros per person. We contracted Dengue in Hua-Hin in 2019 and both spent a week in Bangkok Hospital. The costs of the Dengue vaccines are reimbursed by our health insurer because we have had a 1st Dengue strain. Another restriction is that there must be 3 months between the 1st and 2nd vaccine. To Hua-Hin in December. We were almost certainly stuck in our bedroom during the night or early morning.