25 APRIL 1998. THAILAND:
DISEASE (DENGUE)
" Bangkok Post 24 April: The
incidence of dengue fever is expected to reach its highest level in 40
years this year, affecting some 300,000 persons, the Ministry of Public
Health warned yesterday. Changes in climate as a result of the global warming
effects of El Nino and inadequate preventive measures are blamed, according
to Public Health Minister Rakkiat Sukthana. Usually dengue fever occurs
only during the monsoon season, but since last year it has been escalating
through the cool and hot seasons, he said. In the first three months of
this year, the illness has taken 31 lives and affected 10,197 patients,
a threefold increase over the previous year when it took eight lives and
affected 3,280 patients. According to Epidemiology Division statistics,
nearly 100,000 cases were reported in 1997, compared to 38,000 cases in
1996. Recent cases have been occurring more among older children than among
small children of below five years. Reports of patients treated in state
hospitals show that 70-75 percent of patients with dengue fever are between
5 and 14 years of age. Since dengue fever previously occurred among young
children, its diagnosis on older children is often slow, leading to severity
which often leads to shock and death, said Supachai Rerkngam, an expert
at the Communicable Diseases Control Department. He said most doctors tend
to overlook the possible occurrence of dengue fever among older children
or young adults and often suspect them of being infected with other illnesses.
"By the time they (doctors) finally find out that their patient is suffering
from dengue fever, they (the patient) may have already reached a critical
condition," said Dr Supachai. Studies are being carried out to find out
the cause of infection among older children, he said."--Clyde Markon <docmarkon@worldnet.att.net>
VIA ProMED-mail <promed@usa.healthnet.org>
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1997 El Niño/Southern Oscillation (ENSO 97-98)