BANGKOK: -- Dengue fever has spread across the country, killing 48 people and infecting more than 40,000 so far this year, Public Health Minister Wicharn Meenchainant said yesterday.
Up to last Saturday, 41,307 patients have been diagnosed nationwide with dengue haemorrhagic fever and Bangkok was the hardest hit with 3,763 patients, according to the Disease Control Department's Bureau of Epidemiology.
Ratchaburi suffered the second worst outbreak with 1,710 victims, followed by Nakhon Sawan with 1,582, Phetchabun with 1,304 and Rayong with 1,291.
Vichan said the risk of catching dengue fever from mosquitoes this year was running high compared to last year, which saw 29 fatalities out of 60,000 cases.
The ministry's report identifies four strains. This year's seasonal epidemic was blamed on type 2, while last year type 1 was virulent.
People could hypothetically get infected by each of the four dengue strains separately in their lifetime.
Permanent secretary Prat Bunyawongwiroj said this year type 2 was more dangerous to humans as it was more resistant to the immune system.
Vichan has ordered provincial public health offices to strictly control and monitor the transmission of dengue fever among people in the local area.
Local authorities should spray insecticide to eradicate the adult Aedes aegypti mosquito, which bites humans in the daytime.
Residents should drain off any stagnant water to prevent mosquitoes from breeding and use abates sand, a pesticide, to destroy their larvae.
-- The Nation 2008-08-01
