BANGKOK, 20 May 2013 – Southern residents are being warned of Chikungunya and dengue fever viruses, which can both be transmitted through a mosquito bite, while more than 200 dengue patients have been reported in Trang province.
According to Director-General of the Department of Medical Sciences Dr. Nipon Phopattanachai, patients found to have contracted the Chikungunya virus are mostly in the southern provinces of Trang, Satun, Chumphon and Surat Thani, and the infection rate is rising sharply.
Research suggests that not only can the Chikungunya virus be passed on between humans through mosquito bites, it can also be passed down from a mother mosquito to her larvae, similar to the dengue virus. Moreover, one mosquito can be a carrier of both Chikungunya and dengue fever at once.
Meanwhile, the Trang Provincial Public Health Office has encouraged people to frequently empty water containers in and outside of their houses to prevent mosquitoes from laying eggs in them. For protection, they are also recommended to apply mosquito repellent on any exposed body parts.
Since the beginning of this year, 243 people in Trang have been diagnosed with dengue fever, the highest compared to other provinces. The statistics also reveals that patients with such virus represent all age groups while the majority of them are teenagers, young adults and children respectively.
