Thai authorities concerned over dengue fever

BANGKOK, June 19 (TNA) - The Thai Ministry of Public Health's Disease Control Department on Monday expressed its concerns over, probably, more outbreaks of dengue fever in the country this year, after there have been higher dengue fever patients in 10 provinces so far this year, a trend found to be in line with other member countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). According to the department's director general Dr. Pornthep Sirivanarangsan, updated statistics from the Bureau of Epidemiology during January 1-May 21, 2012 showed that the number of dengue fever patients in the country had reached 10,147, approximately 15.97 per cent or 16 people per 100,000 Thai population, with nine fatalities most of them aged above 15 years old and living in areas where there were sources of mosquito-breeding in the wake of heavy downpours. Dr. Pornthep said that the 10 Thai provinces with the highest dengue fever cases per 100,000 population this year include Krabi with 211 patients, Rayong with 102 patients, Ranong with 66 patients, Samut Sakhon with 65 patients, Trat with 57 patients, Pang-nga with 54 patients, Satul with 54 patients, Ratchaburi with 53 patients, Phuket with 52 patients and Chantaburi with 52 patients, an average year-on-year increase of 1,000 patients. The senior Thai health official acknowledged that higher dengue fever cases had also been reported in other ASEAN member countries with more than 200,000 cases region-wide so far this year. The senior health official foresaw that Thailand should have a newly-developed dengue vaccine to protect local young children aged 2-3 years old from the fatal disease within one year. (TNA)