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BANGKOK – Thai health authorities report an increase in dengue fever this year. In fact, they report the highest number of cases on this date in five years.
The cases of powerful infection – which can be fatal – have increased by almost twice as much as this year, with a number of deaths already equal to that of 2018.
Dengue has killed fifty-eight people in 2019, up from just 33 in 2018, according to what doctors say "one of the most serious dengue epidemics in recent years."
Health officials said that there were 40,402 cases – 1.6 times more than in 2018 – of the disease this year. The virus is carried by the mosquito Aedes aegypti and is transmitted by bites.
Dr Cheewanan Lertpiriyasuwat, director of the country's Bureau of Vector-borne Disease Control (DDC), said that "the current situation with regard to the dengue epidemic is worrying".
The prevalence of dengue fever in Thailand increased from 38.6 people last year to 38.6 people per 100 000 population, to 61.16 people per 100 000 population.
Dr. Cheewanan said, "Given the current infection rate, we are facing one of the most serious dengue epidemics in recent years.
"The number of dengue cases in the first six months of this year is already higher than that recorded for a whole year in the last five years.
"Thailand alone is not affected by an upsurge in dengue cases. Neighboring countries such as Laos, Cambodia and Myanmar are also experiencing a rapid spread of dengue fever at a record rate. "
According to doctors, during the current upsurge of cases, the strain that transmits the dengue virus is the DENV-2 or dengue type 2 virus, which is more deadly than other strains of dengue fever, especially in adults.
To prevent the spread of dengue fever, they urged residents of the country to avoid mosquito breeding grounds.
About dengue fever
Dengue fever is a viral infection transmitted by the bite of an infected mosquito. Four closely related but antigenically different virus serotypes can cause dengue fever (DEN1, DEN 2, DEN 3, DEN 4).
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- Dengue fever (DF) – characterized by the sudden onset of high fever, severe headache, pain behind the eyes and pain in the muscles and joints. Some may also have a rash and varying degrees of bleeding in various parts of the body (including nose, mouth and gums or bruising). Dengue fever has a broad spectrum of infection (asymptomatic to symptomatic). Symptomatic illness may range from dengue fever to more severe hemorrhagic fever.
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- Dengue haemorrhagic fever (DHF) – is a more serious form, observed only in a small proportion of infected persons. DH is a stereotypical disease characterized by 3 phases; febrile phase with high fever continues usually less than 7 days; critical phase (plasma leakage) lasting 1 to 2 days, usually apparent when the fever drops, causing shock if not detected and treated promptly; convalescence phase lasting 2 to 5 days with improvement of appetite, bradycardia (fast heart rate), convalescent rash (white plaques on a red background), often accompanied by generalized itching (more intense in the palms and soles of the feet) and diuresis (increase in urinary output).
- Dengue shock syndrome (DSS) – Shock syndrome is a dangerous complication of dengue fever and is badociated with high mortality. Severe dengue occurs as a result of secondary infection with a different serotype virus. Increased vascular permeability, badociated with myocardial dysfunction and dehydration, contributes to the occurrence of shock resulting in multiorgan failure.
Dengue, Department of Disease Control, Thailand
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