Dengue outbreak hits South East Asia

The number of cases of dengue fever reported so far this year in Phuket has increased by one third. At a recent meeting of the World Health Organization, officials called on local health groups to implement stricter control measures in order to contain what seems to be a growing problem.

According to Thailand’s Public Health Ministry’s Disease Control Department there were 41,975 cases of dengue fever reported between January 1st and September 8th this year. In 47 cases, the patient died from the disease which is carried by the Aedes Aegypti mosquito.

Thailand is not alone in combating this disease. This year’s outbreak of dengue fever has left no nation in South East Asia untouched. Indonesia has seen the highest total number of reported cases this year at 160,000. In Cambodia, 300 children under the age of 15 died from the disease which affected a total of 25,000 in the country this year. Malaysia reported an increase of 50 per cent this year with 56 deaths due to dengue in June alone. In Vietnam 33,000 people were affected by the disease which was responsible for the death of 32 people.

Rapid urbanization is being labeled as one of the major contributors to the rise in dengue infections. Decaying construction sites full of stagnant water are ideal places to breed dengue-carrying mosquitoes, especially in areas like Bangkok.

There are currently no cures for dengue fever, however scientists are working on a vaccine which may be effective against four serotypes of the disease. Until such measures are perfected, the only way to avoid dengue is to avoid mosquitoes. When traveling in Thailand, keep covered and apply mosquito repellent during the day.