Bangkok – The Department of Disease Control (DDC), under the administration of the Ministry of Public Health, has issued a warning on the need to take precautions against chikungunya fever. People suffering from a high fever and joint pains should seek medical assistance immediately.
The Director-General of the DDC, Dr. Suwannachai Wattanayingcharoenchai, said that the Nonthaburi Public Health Office recently discovered that more than 10 people in four villages of Pak Kret district had contracted chikungunya fever since July, but their cases were not severe. Their condition had steadily improved in each case. Officials were able to prevent the disease from spreading to other areas. People should not be too concerned about the situation, but they should continually eliminate potential breeding grounds for mosquitoes.
Between January 1 and September 16 this year, there were 7,481 patients with chikungunya fever, while no fatalities were reported. The majority of the cases were those aged 25 to 34 years old, followed by 35 to 44 and 15 to 24. The five provinces with the highest number of chikungunya patients were Pattani, Ranong, Tak, Phuket and Songkhla.
Preventive measures against chikungunya, dengue, and Zika viruses include clearing garbage around households, covering all water and food containers and removing waste water where mosquitoes can breed around the home.
Chikungunya can spread to people of any age by the bite of an infected mosquito. Symptoms include high fever and rashes and may include joint pain, particularly among adults. The pain can last for one to two weeks.
