Dengue fever season is here, and health officials warned that the disease is likely to spread much more this year.
After several years of smaller outbreaks, this January alone saw 2,683 dengue cases reported nationwide, the Disease Control Department announced yesterday, much higher than the 193 it detected during the same period last year. The department forecasts that four times as many people may contract the disease in 2023.
The highest rates of infection were in Bangkok and central Thailand. January’s numbers put Thailand on track to see three to four times the number of cases as 2022, when 45,145 cases and 29 deaths were reported, according to Disease Control chief Tares Krassanairawiwong.
Dengue season spikes from May through September during the rainy season, and the public is urged to empty objects containing standing water to limit the spread of mosquitos. The department also urged people to be on the lookout for symptoms.
Dengue fever can cause fatigue, headache, loss of appetite, and skin rashes. If treated, the survival rate is very high.
Reader Interactions