Dengue fever update: Thailand, Barbados and Madeira
The Thailand Health Ministry said there were more than 70,000 cases of dengue fever in the Kingdom in 2012, and officials say that this year could be even worse, according to a report from the Thai news source, MCOT. com Jan. 7.
According to the report, 74,250 people were infected with the disease, with 79 fatalities last year, representing a proportion of 116 patients in 100,000 people.
The Central region of the country was hit the hardest with more than 30, 000 cases, while the capital city of Bangkok recorded 9,569 cases.
Health officials say that more than half the patients seen were older than 15 years.
Half a world away, the Caribbean island of Barbados reports that dengue cases nearly doubled from 2011 to 2012, according to a Caribbean 360 report Tuesday.
According to the report, the figures released by the Ministry of Health indicated that a total of 391 confirmed cases were recorded up to December 15, and 1,381 suspected cases were sent to the lab for testing. During the same period in 2011, a total of 200 confirmed cases were recorded and 786 suspected cases were sent for testing.
Health authorities say that dengue cases did decrease during the last part of the year,; however, there has been significant rainfall during December and officials are reminding the public to check their premises for possible mosquito breeding sites.
Although Portuguese health officials said they were stopping regular updates on the dengue outbreak on Madeira island, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) did report today, as of 3 January 2013, 74 patients have been diagnosed with dengue after returning from Madeira: 10 in Portugal, 23 in the UK, 19 in Germany, three in France, five in Sweden, four in Finland, two in Denmark, two in Austria, and two in Norway. Croatia, Slovenia, Spain and Switzerland have all reported one case each.
It is possible that there is an under-reporting of imported cases due to the holiday period, according to the ECDC.
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[…] In 2012, Thailand health officials recorded 74,250 cases of the mosquito borne viral disease and 79 deaths. […]
[…] […]
[…] number would be significantly higher than the huge numbers of 2012 where Thailand health officials recorded 74,250 cases of the mosquito borne viral disease and 79 […]
[…] In 2012, Thailand recorded nearly 75,000 cases of dengue fever were reported nationwide, resulting in 79 deaths. […]
[…] 2012, the Thailand Health Ministry reported 74,250 dengue cases with 79 fatalities, representing a proportion of 116 patients in 100,000 […]