Zika and dengue are on the rise in Thailand
Last week it appeared that 20 infections with the Zika virus had been added in Thailand, the number of cases of infection has already passed the hundred. According to the authorities, there is no need to worry. Bangkok Post has doubts about that.
The Bureau of Epidemiology of the Ministry of Health now says that the rise of the Zika virus has been underestimated. The problem is that the disease (Zika fever) is usually quite mild. Most people have no complaints at all. So notifications go out. Symptoms of Zika fever usually appear 3 to 12 days after being bitten by an infected mosquito. Most people recover within a week without serious problems. Possible symptoms of Zika fever are:
- acute, but usually not high fever
- non-suppurative inflammation of the eye
- muscle and joint pain (particularly of the hands and feet, sometimes with joint swelling)
- skin rash (often starting on the face and spreading to the rest of the body)
- and less often: headache, loss of appetite, vomiting, diarrhea and abdominal pain.
According to Surasak Glahan of Bangkok Post, it is not the first time that the ministry downplayed a potential threat and spread of a virus. It brings back memories of how governments and health authorities have dealt with other disease outbreaks, such as bird flu, in the past. Recognizing and informing the population came too late and was too brief.
Just because a Zika infection is mild and short-lived does not mean there is no risk. One should be concerned, however, when it comes to pregnant women or when there is a desire to have children.
Scientists now agree that there is a link between abnormalities in the unborn child and infection with the Zika virus during pregnancy. Among other things, a brain abnormality (microcephaly) is described in the unborn child.
dengue fever
The Mekong Basin Disease Surveillance Network proposes that Thailand and neighboring countries use the Zika outbreak to also eradicate dengue fever because this disease is spread by the same mosquito. In the first six months of this year, 18.000 cases of dengue fever have been diagnosed and sixteen patients have died.
Many of us find a mosquito bite annoying, but if you look at the number of infections from dengue and Zika, we should realize that mosquito bites are not only a nuisance, but can also be dangerous to your health, says Sarusak.
Source: Bangkok Post