THAILAND TRAVEL NEWS: The deputy director of Phuket’s Public Health Department, Dr. Wiwat Keetamanoch, has reacted angrily to reports in a local publication claiming seven people had died in one week on the island province from Dengue Fever.

Dr. Wiwat said, “we have had no deaths at all from dengue on Phuket this year. This report is wildly inaccurate. I would expect to see a correction published immediately to prevent panic. If we had three deaths on Phuket, it would be classed as a catastrophe and I would be moved to another province”.

While Dr. Wiwat said Phuket had not recorded any dengue deaths, the number of cases throughout Thailand (and Southeast Asia generally) has increased dramatically this year, reaching a five-year high in the kingdom.

He said that from January to July 2010 383 people on Phuket have contracted the disease, compared with 194 in the same period of 2009, representing a 97.42 percent increase.

The latest figures from the Public Health Ministry in Bangkok put the number of people who have contracted the debilitating disease at about 60,000 – an 83 percent increase in 2009 figures – with a total of 70 deaths up to August 22.

Jurin Laksanawisit, Minister for Public Health, said about 230 new cases a day were being detected, with the highest number of cases to date being in Thailand’s southern provinces, where, according to Dr. Panumas Yanawetsakul, head of the 11th Disease Control Office in Nakhon Si Thammarat, hospitals could not provide sufficient beds for the number of patients.

Mr. Jurin said there had so far been 14,361 cases in the south, 15,871 in the central region, 8,843 cases in the north, and 15,517 in the northeast.

He said Kanchanaburi in the central region was said to have the most mosquito larva incubating grounds, followed by Chachoengsao, and Chon Buri. In the southern region, Phuket, Trang and Pattani had the most larva breeding grounds, while in the North, Kamphaeng Phet, Uthai Thani and Phichit had the most.

In Thailand’s northeast Surin, Chaiyaphum, Buri Ram and Nakhon Ratchasima had the most incubating grounds.

Mr. Jurin said officials in these provinces have been urged to spray all areas where mosquito larva might incubate, as well as conduct public education campaigns advising residents to remain vigilant against providing possible breeding grounds for mosquitoes.

Also known as the bone-crusher disease, dengue is transmitted to humans by the female Aedes aegypti mosquito, which feeds exclusively during daylight hours.

There is no tested and approved vaccine for the dengue flavivirus and a classic dengue fever infection can last between two to seven days, with a smaller peak of fever at the trailing end of the disease.

Symptoms are very similar to influenza and can very in intensity, but include fever, bad headaches, muscle and joint pains, skin rashes, and overall weakness in the body.

By John Le Fevre

Thailand Travel News for August 31, 2010