This Cautionary Notice directed to Cruisers in Indonesia; Malaysia; Thailand; Philippines; Burma and Northern Territory-Australia. ( The Cruising Rally leaving Darwin in the next few days for Langkawi - Malaysia via Indonesia and Singapore included)
DENGUE FEVER EPIDEMIC - 9th. June 2007
The Health Authorities of South East Asian Countries are reporting serious outbreaks
of Dengue Fever in epidemic proportions.
SINGAPORE: A strain of dengue new to Singapore is impeding efforts to stem the spread of the mosquito-borne disease that has infected hundreds in the affluent city-state this year, a top health official said Thursday.
Health Minister Khaw Boon Wan said the current rise in infections, including a record 210 cases last week and one fatality, evoked memories of a 2005 epidemic that killed 25 in the tropical island-nation of 4.5 million.
"I'm quite worried about the dengue trend," Khaw told reporters on the sidelines of an infectious diseases exhibition.
Authorities said earlier this week that Singapore recorded a nearly 50 percent increase in dengue infections in the first 4-1/2 months of this year compared to the same period in 2006.
Dengue cases reported from the start of January to May 12 rose to 1,488 — up from 993 in the corresponding period last year, the Health Ministry said.
The disease, which causes joint pain, high fever, nausea and a rash, is endemic to the region. In severe cases, it leads to internal bleeding and sometimes death.
Khaw said the emergence in Singapore of a different dominant type of dengue was compounding the problem.
"What is a little against us is because of the strain, the strain type. It is ... largely new to the population here," Khaw said. "It's troublesome because many people have no current, existing immunity."
The dengue virus now predominant in Singapore is believed to be the same as in neighboring Indonesia, and is different from the main active strain in Singapore over the past few years, according to local media reports.
Those previously infected with other types of dengue are not immune, and may even face a higher risk of complications when infected with a different strain, The Straits Times newspaper said.
Health officials have been combing public housing estates in search of mosquito breeding sites. Dengue-carrying insects can breed in tiny pools of water found in flower pots, discarded bottles or cans, or old tires.
The Health Ministry said the recent spike in infections is likely due to warmer weather during this period of the year, which is conducive for breeding mosquitoes and the spread of dengue.
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THAILAND
Dengue fever outbreak kills 14 across Thailand
Thailand's Ministry of Public Health announced on Thursday that the number of dengue fever patients nationwide has risen to over 10,000 and 14 people have been killed by the dangerous disease this year.
Until June 7, a total of 11,574 dengue fever patients, most of them between 10-24, have been found across the country, especially in the central, northeastern and southern Thailand, a public health official said.
The high-danger season of dengue fever is July but earlier-than- usual rains has meant that dengue is a greater concern this year than before, the official was quoted by local radio FM 100 as saying, adding that the insurgency in the far South means that anti-mosquito measures are more difficult to apply.
More breeding grounds for dengue-carrying mosquitoes emerge during the rainy season, he explained, especially in the three southernmost provinces where heavier rainfall contributes to a higher population of mosquitoes than in the country's other regions.
The Ministry of Public Health has ordered health officials to work with local authorities to prevent the further spread on any outbreak.
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MALAYSIA
Dengue fever has killed 44 people nationwide in Malaysia in the first four months of this year, an increase of more than 100 percent compared with the same period of last year, a health official said on Sunday.
The country saw 900 suspected dengue cases last week, a record high this year, Malaysian Health Ministry's Parliamentary Secretary Lee Kah Choon said.
The state of Selangor alone reported over 200 cases last week, followed by Kuala Lumpur and Pinang, he told local reporters in Pinang after launching a health campaign in the capital city of Malaysia's northern state of Pinang.
That could be attributed to the erratic weather conditions that encouraged breeding of aedes mosquitoes, he said.
Lee said the ministry was launching several health programs to increase public awareness on the danger posed by dengue, including fogging in high-risk areas.
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Cruisers Info :-
The Mosquitoes carrying the virus are
Aedes aegypti and A.albopictus - they both are most active late afternoon until the sun goes down. Long Sleeves, Long Trousers - 20% Deet - Stay clear of heavy vegetation. Don't get bitten !
WHO Fact Sheet :-
http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs117/en/
Linear Mode
