The dengue virus is accompanied by high fever, headaches, joint pain and nausea.
Authorities in Thailand issued a warning about the increasing spread of dengue fever and advised people to take measures to protect themselves from mosquito bites. Some tourists who visited the country were also affected by the disease.
According to Thongchai Keeratihuttayakorn, Department of Disease Control (DCD) director-general, Thailand recorded as many as 8,197 cases of infection last month. This is a significant increase compared to January of last year, when 4,286 people were infected, amounting to 91.25%, with 13 deaths. These data were published by DCD.
Thongchai added that the majority of patients this year were children between the ages of five and 14, with the highest number of cases being reported in the southern and central provinces.
Patients afflicted by the fever were distributed across 11 provinces, with the oldest patient being 65 years of age. Thongchai stressed the importance of all healthcare facilities providing dengue fever treatment to distribute anti-mosquito cream or spray to safeguard other patients against the virus.
Foreign tourists to Thailand also fell ill. One of them suffered significant hardship after being bitten by a mosquito: he was admitted to a Thai hospital and his family faced high medical bills.
Local authorities expressed serious concern about the situation, noting that dengue fever poses a significant threat, especially in tropical and subtropical regions. They stressed the importance of protecting themselves from mosquito bites and urged the public to seek medical help if symptoms occur.
The dengue virus is accompanied by high fever, headaches, joint pain and nausea. There is a particular focus on the vulnerability of children, with most cases concentrated in the country’s southern and central provinces, including tourist areas such as Phuket, Krabi, Surat Thani and Bangkok.
In addition to dengue fever, Thailand has also reported cases of the Zika virus. Because of this, the public health department urged pregnant women in Hua Hin and surrounding areas to take urgent precautions. The number of people infected in January was 25.
