Dengue Fever & Malaria Thread

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PeteC
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Re: Dengue fever 2020

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Dengue fever surges 400% in Northern Thailand province compared to 2019

https://thethaiger.com/dengue-fever/den ... ed-to-2019

The northern province of Mae Hong Son has become a dengue fever hotspot as the number of cases more than quadruple compared to the case numbers of last year. The northern province currently has the Kingdom’s highest number of cases of the mosquito-borne illness, recording nearly 1,400 infections and 1 death.

Mae Hong Son health chief, Supachai Boon-Amphan, says the current infection rate in the province is nearly 500 in every 100,000 people. Nation Thailand reports that the 10-14 year old age group has the most cases, followed by those aged 15 to 24. Most are farmers or students, with the sub-district of Mae Sariang having the highest number of cases in the province, at 863.

It’s understood the recent heavy rains have left many areas waterlogged, creating the perfect breeding ground for mosquitoes.

Check out about some common ways to avoid getting a case of Dengue Fever.....(Video at link)
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Re: Dengue fever 2020

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Lockdown may contribute to Thailand’s rise in dengue fever cases, study suggests

(Full Study: https://journals.plos.org/plosntds/arti ... #abstract0 )

https://thethaiger.com/dengue-fever/loc ... y-suggests. Charts at link

Social distancing and lockdown measures may have contributed to a rise in dengue fever in Thailand, according to a recent study funded by the Singapore Ministry of Health’s National Medical Research Council.

Researchers, which included scientists from the University of Singapore, examined dengue fever cases in Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand. No impact on the dengue transmission was found in Malaysia or Singapore, but in Thailand, they found that social distancing may lead to an increase in the number of coronavirus cases. They say the largest impact is in Bangkok Researchers say social distancing is expected to lead to 4.32 additional dengue fever cases per 100,000 people in Thailand each month.

Many people in Thailand stayed at home during lockdown measures put in place to control the spread to the coronavirus, but the study found that people in Thailand are typically bitten by dengue-carrying mosquitos at home rather than at work. Some people even travelled back home to their home provinces to be with their families during the lockdown period.

“Although it is possible for dengue infections to occur in workplaces, it was found in one study that 60% of dengue cases live less than 200m apart came from the same transmission chain, revealing that residential areas are a focal point of transmission.”
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Re: Repelling Mosquitos

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Talking of Ausies. The Univ in Queensland is working on a great idea to prevent Malaria and Dengue. It is only OLD FEMALE mossies that bite, They are infecting mossies with a parasite that shortens their life so there will be no OLD mossies.
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Re: Repelling Mosquitos

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oakdale160 wrote: Thu Jan 21, 2021 12:08 pm Talking of Ausies. The Univ in Queensland is working on a great idea to prevent Malaria and Dengue. It is only OLD FEMALE mossies that bite, They are infecting mossies with a parasite that shortens their life so there will be no OLD mossies.
Will it then be passed on to the younger mossies?
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Re: Dengue fever 2020

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All female mozzies bite. I've always said that before killing a mozzie, spread it's legs and if it has balls then leave it alone!
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Re: Dengue Fever Thread

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I would bet the ranch that people who come down with Dengue these days immediately think they have Covid due to similarities with the symptoms. :(

Dengue fever on the rise in Bangkok, Department of Disease Control reports

https://thethaiger.com/news/national/ba ... infections (Video below)

Dengue fever is reportedly on the rise in Bangkok and the Department of Disease Control says the number of dengue infections in the capital reported from January 3 to July 3 is “unprecedented,” according to Nation Thailand.

During the six month period, a total of 1,043 people in Bangkok tested positive for the mosquito-borne illness, which is also known as “breakbone fever” because of the common symptoms of muscle and joint pain.

Bangkok districts where dengue is most prevalent include Bang Khun Thian, Chom Thong, Bang Khae, Yan Nawa, Din Dang, Thon Buri, Suan Luang, Lat Prabang, Lat Phrao, and Bang Na.

In Thailand, there have been 9,878 dengue infections and four deaths linked to the disease from January to July. The provinces Ranong, Rayong, Nakhon Pathom, and Mae Hong Son also have high infection rates.

Previously, the DDC had launched an anti-dengue campaign in Bangkok. The campaign pleaded with residents to make sure their homes, as well as the surrounding area, were clean with no stagnant water where mosquitoes could breed.

Dengue is a virus that is spread when a mosquito bites someone. The bite can then lead to a fever and produce flu-like symptoms. When dengue fever takes a more severe form, called dengue hemorrhagic fever, there can be serious bleeding and even death. Symptoms of dengue include rashes, headaches, puking, and pain behind the eyes.


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Re: Dengue Fever Thread

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If Bangkok and other provinces cleaned up the standing water in the cities and towns, that would help.
After a rain there is standing water everywhere.
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Re: Dengue Fever Thread

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Our favourite "other" disease. :banghead:

Mozzie bite warning amid dengue fears

https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/ge ... ngue-fears

The Disease Control Department (DDC) is advising people to protect themselves from being bitten by mosquitoes during daylight hours amid fears of a widespread dengue fever outbreak this year.

DDC director-general, Dr Opas Karnkawinpong, said dengue cases are likely to explode in 2022 following two years of relatively few cases due to social restrictions to contain Covid-19 infections. Last month, two of 193 people who caught dengue died.

Dengue fever is commonly found in tropical regions where its vector, the Aedes mosquito which is dark coloured and has typical white markings on the legs, is endemic and most active during daylight hours.

More than 14,000 people have contracted dengue fever and 11 have died since 2020. A report from the Bureau of Epidemiology said the ratio of infection was 21.2 per 100,000 population.

For this year, the DDC reported two dengue fever deaths occurred in January, with the victims being 37 and 40 years old.

Dr Opas warned that most people with dengue who develop a high fever do not realise they have the virus so go to drugstores to get medicine.

They often get non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) to treat themselves but these drugs can cause internal bleeding, especially aspirin, Ibuprofen and Diclofenac, which put patients at higher risk of death, he said.

The DDC recommends the use of paracetamol instead, he said, adding that general dengue symptoms apart from having a high fever, include head and muscle aches, as well as red rashes on the hands, legs and body.

A runny nose is not a symptom, he added.

If people have a fever lasting for more than two days and taking medicine does not help, they should see a doctor immediately, he said.
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Re: Dengue Fever Thread

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Use a mosquito repellant when you go outside.
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Re: Dengue Fever Thread

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Dengue fever cases in Thailand nearly double in past month

https://thethaiger.com/news/national/de ... past-month

Taking extra measures to prevent mosquito bites is advised in Thailand, where cases of dengue fever have nearly doubled in the past month. Health authorities have voiced concerns about the threat of dengue fever this monsoon season.

On July 11, Thailand’s Department of Disease Control (DDC) recorded 9,473 cases of dengue fever since the beginning of the year. By August 16, the number of cases since the beginning of the year had shot up to 17,412.

In July, the DDC reported a total of eight dengue fever deaths in Thailand this year. By August 16, the death toll had risen to 14.

In respective order, provinces with the highest number of cases are Mae Hong Son, Chiang Mai, Ubon Ratchathani, Tak and Si Saket. The department reports that the illness is mostly found among adults.

The department expects intensified dengue fever outbreaks in accordance with the disease outbreak cycle, which usually surges in rainy season.

Dengue fever symptoms include two to seven days of high fever, headaches, body aches, rashes and small red spots on the skin. Other symptoms may include nausea, vomiting, stomach ache and loss of appetite. Special care is required once the fever starts to go down, with most recorded deaths occurring at this stage from shock, says the DDC.

If a fever occurs for longer than two days and cannot be brought down by fever-reducing drugs, than dengue fever is suspected and the patient should see a doctor. The DDC warns against treating dengue with aspirin or ibuprofen.

Dengue is spread by bites from infected Aedes mosquitos, also known as Asian tiger mosquitos, which are easily identifiable by their black and white stripes.

Director-general of the DDC Dr. Opas Karnkawinpong recommends removing mosquito breeding grounds from homes by keeping the home tidy, storing items in an orderly manner and increasing sunlight. Anything that stores water, such as vases, should have lids on and the water should be changed every week, recommends the doctor.

Mosquito bites can be prevented by using mosquito repellent, wearing long sleeves and trousers and by burning mosquito-repelling incense, which is available to buy at 7-Eleven.

SOURCE: DDC
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Re: Dengue Fever & Malaria Thread

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Malaria makes a comeback

https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/sp ... a-comeback

The government's commitment to eradicating malaria by 2024 is facing a tough challenge. The infection rate this year is 2.5 times higher than last year, with 8,229 cases and counting.

Rungrawee Tipmontree, chief of the Malaria Taskforce of Vector-Borne Diseases Division at the Public Health Ministry's Department of Disease Control, said one reason was due to the large number of people crossing from Myanmar to Thailand.

Tak province has the highest number of infections, up by 100% so far on last year's tally, she said. The other areas that have seen infections rise sharply are provinces along the border including Mae Hong Son, Kanchanaburi, Ratchaburi and Prachuap Khiri Khan province, she said.

Another challenge is that over 90% of infected people are asymptomatic and merely serve to silently spread the disease, she said.

She said the department and its alliances set up the Malaria Post project to open malaria clinics and recruit volunteers to help find infections in their communities by using rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs).

The volunteers will also help distribute medicine to patients, she added.

The volunteers also follow up with patients to make sure that there is no Plasmodium parasite left in their system -- as Anopheles mosquitoes can spread the disease to uninfected individuals after feeding from an infected patient.

"The fact is that we can't eradicate mosquito-borne malaria and the border is the highest risk area because dense forests in mountainous areas make perfect habitats for mosquitos.

"Also, people's mobility along the border is hard to control. Some are disease carriers. We are still facing a stiff challenge in eradicating the disease," she said.

The jump in infections

Since Thailand announced its National Malaria Elimination Strategy in 2016 in which the government pledged to eliminate domestic infections by 2024, cases fell from 35,911 in 2012 to 5,433 in 2019, according to the Department of Disease Control.

During the Covid-19 pandemic when people weren't able to move around as much, the number of infections dropped significantly to 3,944 cases in 2020 and 3,268 cases last year. However, once the pandemic situation eased, numbers jumped 151% to 8,229 cases this year.

Due to the large number of infections this year, the department will ask the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) to donate 4,000 bottles of artesunate, an antimalarial medication to treat severe cases. The previous lot of 3,000 bottles is finished, said Ms Rungrawee.

Vaccine is the hope

Speaking at the 20th International Congress for Tropical Medicine and Malaria last week, Alongkot Ponlawat, chief of the vector biology and control section at the Department of Entomology at the US Army Medical Directorate of the Armed Forces Research Institute of Medical Sciences (USAMD-AFRIMS), said the US and Thailand have been cooperating on research and development into the prevention and treatment of tropical diseases, especially malaria, for over six decades.

That cooperation also included malaria vaccine development, in which USAMD-AFRIMS applied a technology used in the mRNA Covid-19 vaccine for malaria in the hope of getting an outcome soon.

"Malaria is one of the most dangerous mosquito-borne diseases, leading to the death of one person every three minutes. So, we do need to develop technology or products for disease prevention," he said.

"It is a complicated issue because different mosquito species need different methods to eradicate them."

Col Matthew A Levine, director of USAMD-AFRIMS, said climate change plays a role in human health.

Meanwhile, research professor Jetsumon Sattabongkot Prachumsri, director of the Mahidol Vivax Research Unit of the Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, said the World Health Organization (WHO) has recommended the use of malaria vaccine RTS,S on children living in malaria-endemic areas in Africa.

Although the vaccine does not fully protect children it can reduce severe symptoms and prevent fatalities.

She said her research team is now conducting a laboratory test for an mRNA-based malaria vaccine against the parasite Plasmodium vivax, which is mostly found in Asia and Latin America.

"We expect to complete the lab study in 2023. If it works well, we will test the vaccine efficacy in monkeys in the year 2024-2025 before starting a clinical test in humans," she said.
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Re: Dengue Fever & Malaria Thread

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Dengue fever in Thailand: How the zebra-striped mosquito wreaks havoc on residents

https://thethaiger.com/news/national/de ... -residents

We have all heard that mosquitoes are the most dangerous creature to encounter. But, what kind of havoc does a tiny, zebra-striped mosquito in Thailand (and other sub-tropical areas) actually wreak on humans? Well, the answer is the widely-feared Dengue or DENV virus. As it comes in four lovely serotypes, the virus that is transmitted by the Aedes Aegypti mosquito can actually kill you. But, not to worry, as many who are infected are usually asymptomatic. The four serotypes of DENV include DENV-1, DENV-2, DENV-3, and DENV-4.

According to the World Health Organisation, if you are bitten by one of the many Aedes mosquitoes in Thailand, it is important to monitor yourself if symptoms arise.

Symptoms of DENV or Dengue fever include:

A high fever (40°C/104°F) that is accompanied by two of the following symptoms during the febrile phase (two to seven days):

severe headache
pain behind the eyes
muscle and joint pains
nausea
vomiting
swollen glands
rash

If you have any of these symptoms, it is best to seek medical care as soon as possible. While you are there, it is advised to be informed of what serotype of DENV in which you have been infected. This is because recovery from one of those serotypes can provide lifelong immunity against that particular strain. However, cross-immunity to the other serotypes after recovery is only temporary or partial. Therefore, it is important to know which serotype you have been infected with as your next bout of infection could be less or more symptomatic.

For those that are infected with the severe dengue serotype, it will most likely be quite obvious as symptoms can be severe and life-threatening. As a patient enters the critical phase, which is normally about three to seven days after illness, the first day or two can reveal an actual deterioration of symptoms.

However, this decrease in symptoms is a sign of Severe DENV-2 and it must be monitored closely by your doctor. The most common decrease in symptoms is that of a temperature that is dropping. Beware of this symptom as it does not mean you are getting better, but rather that you may have been unluckily infected with Severe Dengue or DENV-2. As this serotype can cause dengue hemorrhagic fever and has been shown to belong to the Southeast Asian genotype, its symptoms include leaking plasma, respiratory distress, severe bleeding, organ impairment and fluid accumulation. Thus, it is extremely vital to stay under the care of a medical professional.

Severe DENV-2 symptoms include:

severe abdominal pain
persistent vomiting
rapid breathing
bleeding gums or nose
fatigue
restlessness
liver enlargement
blood in vomit or stool.

As Severe DENV-2 is a leading cause of serious illness and death in some Asian and Latin American countries, its wrath is no less severe to those residing in Thailand. Keep in mind, however, that early detection can lower fatality rates of this serotype to below 1%.
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Re: Dengue Fever & Malaria Thread

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Best plants to repel mosquitoes in Thailand

https://thethaiger.com/guides/best-of/l ... n-thailand

Rosemary, Basil and Mint.

Photo and details at link.
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Re: Dengue Fever & Malaria Thread

Post by hhinner »

PeteC wrote:Best plants to repel mosquitoes in Thailand

https://thethaiger.com/guides/best-of/l ... n-thailand

Rosemary, Basil and Mint.

Photo and details at link.
Lemongrass also.
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