February 12, 2009
Bangkok (ASTV Manager Online) – The dengue fever situation becomes worse because the number of patients nationwide has risen since 2004.
The number of dengue fever patients rose from 39,135 in 2004 to 91,003 in 2008. The figures increased 132 percent mainly due to long rainy season.
The number of patients was 1,675 in January 2009 compared to 1,553 in the same period last year.
Dengue fever is a communicable disease and carried by Aedes egypti mosquito.
In Khon Kaen, there were 1,483 patients in 2006. The illness rate was 84 per 100,000 populations.
The rate was 917 in 2007 which was higher than expected.
It is suggested that people should close their water jars firmly, change water every seven days, put fish into lotus pond to get rid of mosquito larva, and clean the environment.
Dengue fever is caused by dengue fever virus. The risk is high in Africa, Southeast Asia and China, the Indian subcontinent, the Middle East, South and Central America, the Carribean Island, Australia, and the south and central Pacific.
