Health authorities have voiced their concern about the threat of dengue fever during the current rainy season. The Department of Disease Control (DDC) has indicated the illness is now being increasingly found in the adult population.
DDC Director-General Opas Karnkawinpong said 16,276 dengue fever patients were found in Thailand from January 1 to August 10 this year. 14 of these patients have lost their lives. The group of deceased patients aged more than 35 years has grown by 2.2 times its size compared to the same period last year. The provinces with the highest patient numbers are, in respective order, Mae Hong Son, Chiang Mai, Ubon Ratchathani, Tak, and Si Saket. For this year, the DDC expects intensified dengue fever outbreaks in accordance with the disease’s outbreaks cycle. The department says there is a tendency for a greater prevalence of the disease among adult patients.
Dengue fever entails 2-7 days of acute high fever in combination with headaches, body aches, a reddened face, and small, red spots on the skin. Nausea, vomiting, stomach ache, and loss of appetite may also occur. Most dengue fever patients do not experience coughs or runny rose. When the fever starts to level off, special care must be exercised to shocks and deaths being commonly observed during this stage.
The DDC director-general asks that people look after the conditions of people in their families who come down with fever. If a high fever persists for more than 2 days and cannot be brought down via fever reducers, there is cause for dengue fever to be suspected. In this scenario, aspirin and ibuprophen drugs are to be avoided and the patient should quickly be taken to see a doctor.
Dr. Opas encouraged people to remove mosquito breeding grounds around their homes. This can be done by keeping the home tidy, storing all items in and around the home in an orderly manner, and increasing sunlight intake. Lids should be placed on items that contain water and vases should have their water changed every week. (NNT)
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