Rainy season will bring dengue fever, hand-foot-and-mouth disease, warns govt
People have been warned to brace themselves for a dengue fever and hand-foot-mouth disease outbreak during the rainy season.
Government deputy spokesperson Traisuree Taisaranakul said on Sunday that people should particularly protect themselves from dengue fever. She also cited figures from the Disease Control Department, which showed that 16,276 people had contracted dengue fever from January 1 to August 10, and 14 had succumbed to the virus.
She pointed out that most of those who had died from the virus were at least 35 years old, which means dengue fever is no longer a disease that only affects children.
She advised people to see the doctor immediately if they suffer from a high fever for more than two days, and especially if they develop a persistent headache, muscle pain and tiny red spots on the body and limbs.
Traisuree said visiting the doctor in time will help reduce fatalities.
She also encouraged people to get rid of mosquito breeding grounds like stagnant water or cover their water containers with a lid.
She said the Queen Sirikit National Institute of Child Health has also warned parents and teachers to keep an eye out for head-foot-and-mouth disease among youngsters, especially kindergarteners.
Traisuree quoted the institute as saying that the spread of the disease will intensify during the rainy season and all children under five should be closely monitored. Infected children will develop a fever, fatigue, red blisters on the tongue and gums and clear blisters on their hands and feet.
