Influenza cases rise in four northeastern provinces, says govt 

She explained that 6,938 influenza cases were found in Nakhon Ratchasima, Chaiyaphum, Buriram and Surin from January 1 to February 10.

Of them, 3,719 cases and three deaths have been found in Nakhon Ratchasima, followed by Surin (1,753 cases), Chaiyaphum (800 cases) and Buriram (666 cases).

Most flu patients were children aged 5-9 years, followed by those aged four and three years, she explained.

Sasikarn went on to say that dengue fever cases are likely to drop, with 3,550 cases and five deaths found from January 1 to February 12, accounting for 5.37 cases per 100,000 people.

Most dengue fever cases were children aged 5-14 years, followed by teenagers aged 15-24 years, she explained. She said that most cases lived in the South, such as Phuket, Surat Thani, Songkhla, Phatthalung and Narathiwat.

Most fatalities were the elderly due to obesity and consumption of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, she added.

Sasikarn noted that the government has ordered public health agencies to tackle the influenza outbreak, focusing on encouraging people to take care of their health and receive vaccines.

She advised people to wear facemasks and wash hands regularly with soap or alcohol gel to contain the spread of influenza, saying that the disease often spreads during the crowd in schools, prisons, barracks and workplaces.

Though dengue fever cases have dropped, people should be careful especially those in the South, she added.