So far, 1,675 people have fallen victim to the fever this year, said the Minister, Witthaya Kaewparadai.
The ministry's deputy permanent secretary, Dr Paijit Warachit will chair the war room - teaming up with agencies including the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration's Health Department, the World Health Organisation, and a joint activity of the Ministry of Public Health of Thailand and the US Center for Disease Control and Prevention, to monitor the spread of disease within Thailand and neighbouring countries.
They will meet at least once a week to keep a close watch on any possible outbreak.
Wittaya added he has assigned all provincial public health offices, local administration organisations and health volunteers to strictly control and monitor the transmission of dengue fever in local areas.
Local authorities have been advised to 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.
Citing Bureau of Epidemiology records, Paijit said in January this year, 1675 people had been infected with dengue fever and two had died. The figure for the same period last year was 1,553 dengue fever cases reported and two lives lost.
The Central region was the hardest hit with 886 patients, the Southern region suffered the second worst outbreak with 546 patients and Bangkok, 303. Songkhla, Pattani, and Yala were the worst affected provinces. Nearly half the patients this year were over 15 years old.
Last year saw a total of 91,003 patients, with 65,581 cases in 2007.
In a bid for early detection of dengue fever infection, Wittaya said he has asked the Department of Medical Services to study a test kit to screen patients.
This month the Department of Disease Control will organise meetings to brainstorm on prevention and control planning in 30 high risk areas nation-wide.
Wittaya has asked the public to keep a close watch on people in their households and nurseries. If anyone develops a high fever over a two-day period, they should be taken to a doctor.
-- The Nation 2009-02-09
