Dengue Fever Outbreak

February 10, 2009

Thanks for all the advice,much appreciated.

I would also try and avoid bars and restuarants where you are sitting close to plant pots and pools with standing water.

February 10, 2009

Fatal or just really shitty?

YEA Fatal my cousin died from it is not nice take care up country guys even in the city's now

cheers chris

February 10, 2009

thanks for the warning. I will make sure to take precautions and ask my doctor about it.

February 10, 2009

I had dengue last year in my own country (not pattaya).

It was a terrible experience, its the worst kind of sickness you'll ever get.

All sorts of funny symptoms, fever, cold, muscle/joint pain, diarrhoea, eye pain, severe headache and more...

Basically it is an ALL-IN-ONE sickness lol.

The percentage of death is not high, around 2 out of 1000. Usually it happens to children.

I hate carrying mosquitoes repellent around and I am sure you too, it is so troublesome, and it stinks.

So here's a simple yet effective safety precaution:

Whenever you encounter a place with lots of mosquitoes, LEAVE that place IMMEDIATELY.

That's it.

The chances of you getting stung by an dengue-virus-infected Aedis is actually very very low.

But the longer you hesitate to leave, the more you get stung, thus increasing the chances.

It's a numbers game.

Edited February 10, 2009 by revenant

February 11, 2009

Firstly can I say that standing near pots or not will have little or no effect on your chances of getting Dengue. pots are where the mosquitoes hatch out - after that they have to find an infected person and bite them...then they have to need to feed on blood again and successfully bite someone else.

however a place with many mozzies and people is the best place to transmit the disease - pots or no pots - remember mosquitos dont feed that often once or twice a day is usual

TIPS -

Tips to avoid Dengue

NB – I’m not a doctor of medicine.

There is at present no vaccine against or cure for Dengue fever.

Treatment is basic – rest, water and paracetamol – NO ASPIRIN

It lasts from 4 to 10 days

It is a virus transmitted by mozzie bites

The mozzie has to bite an infected person and then infect another person by biting tem. (A mozzie can live up to 4 months)

There are 4 types of dengue virus – so immunity to one doesn’t provide protection from the other.

Many people don’t report their illness from Dengue as it can be quite mild and go unnoticed or un-diagnosed.

Subsequent bouts of Dengue appear to be the more serious. Haemorrhagic (bleeding) Dengue can be fatal.

The only way to avoid Dengue is not to be bitten – to avoid this it helps to know a little about the animal you are trying to avoid.

The Aedes Mosquito that transmits Dengue is particularly at home in URBAN areas – it likes to breed in small pools of water – e.g. flower-pots, car tyres etc etc – don’t think because you are in a town or any particular area that you are lees at risk – Dengue is pretty much pandemic in Thailand.

Only the females feed on blood (and therefore bite humans), they only feed once every few hours (up to 24 hrs)

Multiple bites are usually from multiple mosquitoes – one may make several unsuccessful attempts – but just because you can’t see or hear others doesn’t mean they’re not there.

There is a theory (British Military) that we ALL get bitten more or less the same, it’s just that some people get a stronger reaction (e.g. itchy lump) to the bite – so no red marks, doesn’t necessarily mean no bites.

The Aedes Mozzie is regarded as a “daylight” flyer – and apparently the highest risk of being bitten is at dawn and dusk – these are times when humans can be least covered in clothing – either getting up or after a day in the sun.

The best thing to do is cover up – put on long-sleeved and long-legged light-coloured clothing. (There is a theory that many mosquitoes look for dark silhouettes to land on). – Don’t forget feet and ankles.

DEET is a proven repellent – buy a cream or spray that contains it – 30% is considered the maximum amount that works.

Mozzies are sensitive to CO2 – but don’t have a highly developed sense of smell – there is a lot of talk about diet etc that has no scientific proof.

Last year 2008 – the Thai govt claims that 10000 cases of dengue (Whether reported or estimated, I don’t know) – and there were 15 fatalities.

The risk of a tourist catching Dengue is really quite slim – and getting the serious symptoms is even less – if you do get it the incubation period is about one to two weeks so you may well be at home by then – just bear in mind that the virus is more common than ever before at present, and if you get ill suggest this to your Doctor.....he may overlook it at first.

February 11, 2009

I don't recall ever being bitten by a mosquito whike in Patts.

February 11, 2009

Its Russian Rulett Some Mosseys have it Some dont,, The best Advice is always put mossye protection on . There are many good ones Around, Eating or taking vitamin B is good, it makes you blood smell so they dont like it , You cannot smell it , Suppose you could always blame the smell on your vitamine B when you Drop one .

If I start to smell my Tilac wont love me any more

February 11, 2009

Firstly can I say that standing near pots or not will have little or no effect on your chances of getting Dengue. pots are where the mosquitoes hatch out - after that they have to find an infected person and bite them...then they have to need to feed on blood again and successfully bite someone else.

however a place with many mozzies and people is the best place to transmit the disease - pots or no pots - remember mosquitos dont feed that often once or twice a day is usual

TIPS -

Tips to avoid Dengue

NB – I’m not a doctor of medicine.

There is at present no vaccine against or cure for Dengue fever.

Treatment is basic – rest, water and paracetamol – NO ASPIRIN

It lasts from 4 to 10 days

It is a virus transmitted by mozzie bites

The mozzie has to bite an infected person and then infect another person by biting tem. (A mozzie can live up to 4 months)

There are 4 types of dengue virus – so immunity to one doesn’t provide protection from the other.

Many people don’t report their illness from Dengue as it can be quite mild and go unnoticed or un-diagnosed.

Subsequent bouts of Dengue appear to be the more serious. Haemorrhagic (bleeding) Dengue can be fatal.

The only way to avoid Dengue is not to be bitten – to avoid this it helps to know a little about the animal you are trying to avoid.

The Aedes Mosquito that transmits Dengue is particularly at home in URBAN areas – it likes to breed in small pools of water – e.g. flower-pots, car tyres etc etc – don’t think because you are in a town or any particular area that you are lees at risk – Dengue is pretty much pandemic in Thailand.

Only the females feed on blood (and therefore bite humans), they only feed once every few hours (up to 24 hrs)

Multiple bites are usually from multiple mosquitoes – one may make several unsuccessful attempts – but just because you can’t see or hear others doesn’t mean they’re not there.

There is a theory (British Military) that we ALL get bitten more or less the same, it’s just that some people get a stronger reaction (e.g. itchy lump) to the bite – so no red marks, doesn’t necessarily mean no bites.

The Aedes Mozzie is regarded as a “daylight” flyer – and apparently the highest risk of being bitten is at dawn and dusk – these are times when humans can be least covered in clothing – either getting up or after a day in the sun.

The best thing to do is cover up – put on long-sleeved and long-legged light-coloured clothing. (There is a theory that many mosquitoes look for dark silhouettes to land on). – Don’t forget feet and ankles.

DEET is a proven repellent – buy a cream or spray that contains it – 30% is considered the maximum amount that works.

Mozzies are sensitive to CO2 – but don’t have a highly developed sense of smell – there is a lot of talk about diet etc that has no scientific proof.

Last year 2008 – the Thai govt claims that 10000 cases of dengue (Whether reported or estimated, I don’t know) – and there were 15 fatalities.

The risk of a tourist catching Dengue is really quite slim – and getting the serious symptoms is even less – if you do get it the incubation period is about one to two weeks so you may well be at home by then – just bear in mind that the virus is more common than ever before at present, and if you get ill suggest this to your Doctor.....he may overlook it at first.

Do you know of any Brand names that have Deet?

I bought a few Mossie repellents in the UK and they dont work well, I ended up covering up every time I went out in the evening.

February 11, 2009

Do you know of any Brand names that have Deet?

I bought a few Mozzie repellents in the UK and they dont work well, I ended up covering up every time I went out in the evening.

most have the DEET content on the bottle - "OFF" available in Thailand has it - get it a Watsons or several other places.

a lot of it boils down to how well you apply it.

you should rub creams well into the skin ubntil virtually dry - that way it won't wear/rub off so quickly.

I use mozzie coils and Aussie sandal wood/citronella sticks - they seem to work even outdoors! - but there is some concern about having the mozzie coils burning away whilst you are sleeping - the chemicals in some have a bad history.

February 11, 2009

Covering up is the best way - and lets face it most of the middle-aged men stagering around Pattay in te evening could do with a bit of covering up - especially if one's eating.

A little sense of decorum could save you from a very unpleasant illness

February 11, 2009

"I don't recall ever being bitten by a mosquito whike in Patts. "

some people don't recall anything whilst in Pattaya

February 11, 2009

dengue very common in bangkok/sukhumwit

seen the distinctive stripey mozzies many times

i always wore long clothing with shoes and socks, so no troubel

but a pal got took sick for a while, he was off his beer, worst week of his life.

but its not something to take lightly

but then tourist never listen

February 11, 2009

Well as i said ecopest will stop them from biting you i have used it on myself and my two young daughters for the past 2.5 years and my eldest daughter used to get eaten alive by mossies,she never gets bitten now by anything,you can also spray it on your bedding and clothes and it will go through a wash cycle,it has no smell and does not stain.pm me if anyone wants it delivered in the pattaya region

February 11, 2009

My son contracted Dengue last Summer, probably in the North. It takes awhile to develop. He was at the end of his trip and did not get sick until he was back in the US. He is 20, very strong and fit and does not abuse himself or drink. But he was very very sick. High fever (103 F), sweats, chills, fever, loss of fluids for several days, lethargic. then the pain. First in his bones and joints, then behind his eyes. About a week of really bad symptoms. He is pretty tough and obviously had no choice but he was very very sick. Yes, it is a virus, not communicable between people, self-limiting but I do not want it. So there is no actual treatment except to keep fluids up, fever down, and tough it out. It is really nasty.

February 11, 2009

Oh and dont go to soi 4 Pattaya International Hospital (unless you have good insurance to pick up the bill)

If you have insurance, Bagkok Pattaya Hospital is much better choice.

Comparing with PIH it's like another planet.

February 11, 2009

As Dengue is un-treatable, I would be very careful about going into somewhere like Bkk Pattaya which has a reputation for gratuitously overcharging - especially patients who have a good insurance company.

February 12, 2009

Thanks for the info! I'm heading to LOS in April and I heard rains a lot. So I'll make sure to add mosquito repellent to my list: Money-checked, Condoms-checked, OFF Bug Repellent-checkeeeddd!!!!

February 12, 2009

I remember hearing about the mozzies a few years ago.

They said (I forget who), that the mozzies rarely stray much more than a couple of hundred

away from their breeding place.

Can anyone confirm this?

February 12, 2009

The aedes aegypti mosquito is the transmission agent for

Dengue Fever. It bites humans between an hour or so after

dawn until about an hour after sunset.

Story taken from thaivisa.com, e-disco

so how safe are we in pattaya i thought the dangerous mosquitos were in the Jungle areas although i had all my jabs and do every year before i fly , this is not something i would wont to get,or wont to take home to britain,is it curable , i only have a week left ,but how dos anyone avoid something you can barly see?

February 12, 2009

The short answer is you are probably ok in Pattaya, especially if you stay downtown and around the bars etc.

The mosquitos are not very common in the city itself. They are much more common around the outskirts and in any area that is Jungle like. I know several areas like that around town. So yes, you do take your chances, but you take your chances anywhere.

I have lived in Pattaya for 8 years now and yes have been bitten on a number of occasions. I luckily have not had dengue yet, though my daughter did. She was lucky to get to the hospital in time.

Take care and do everything possible to avoid exposure, but you still have to live - right?

February 13, 2009

The short answer is you are probably ok in Pattaya, especially if you stay downtown and around the bars etc.

The mosquitos are not very common in the city itself. They are much more common around the outskirts and in any area that is jungle like. I know several areas like that around town. So yes, you do take your chances, but you take your chances anywhere.

I have lived in Pattaya for 8 years now and yes have been bitten on a number of occasions. I luckily have not had dengue yet, though my daughter did. She was lucky to get to the hospital in time.

Take care and do everything possible to avoid exposure, but you still have to live - right?

Another short answer - this is RUBBISH!

The 2 people I personally know who had dengue in Pattaya almost certainly got it on Soi 8. One of them had a bar there and hadn't been the other side of Sukhumvit for about 6 months!!!

Again for those who somehow have missed the point - the mosquito thrives in URBAN areas and like CROWDS as that's how it can transmit easily from one person to another.

If the authorities in Pattaya undertook a major spraying campaign, the risk might be reduced - but this sort of thing has been extremely haphazard in Pattaya. In fact it appears that the authorities are in denial and hoping that if they ignore the problem it will go away and not affect tourist figures.

February 13, 2009

I remember hearing about the mozzies a few years ago.

They said (I forget who), that the mozzies rarely stray much more than a couple of hundred

away from their breeding place.

Can anyone confirm this?

Yes...and no....the mozzies - all mozzies - have a limited range....but as they can breed almost anywhere - old tires, flower-pots, lotus pots etc they can easily spread their population around town - the life span is about 1 to 4 months - I believe.

The disease is carried from one person to another by infected mozzies - THe point is that a person infected by the mozzie can move around too and then a subsequent bite by another mozzies arms that one to spread the disease further

February 15, 2009

About a year or so ago, I remember someone believed he had contracted dengue fever after getting bitten near a construction site in Pattaya. Remember, that the mosquito must first bite someone who is infected with dengue before it can be passed on to someone else. Many of these construction workers come from up country where dengue is more prevalent. Also, construction sites often have pools of water which are natural breeding grounds for mosquitoes.. So, avoid construction sites if possible!!

As mentioned, this mosquito usually bites during daytime, but not always.. Dusk and dawn are the prime feeding times. Book a room with aircon. Wear light colored clothing.. Use mosquito repellent (DEET) during the day, especially if you out golfing, etc. Yeah, it stinks, but that is the most effective solution available to you at the moment.

The discussion on vitamin B acting as a repellent is interesting. I haven't heard that before. I need to research that one. Mosquitoes don't like lemon... So lemon juice rubbed on the skin might also help.

This fever is bad news. I know several people who have contracted it. It's not something you want to get. There is no vaccine so the best strategy is prevention.

February 16, 2009

Many of these construction workers come from up country where dengue is more prevalent

There is nothing to suggest that Dengue is more prevalent "up country" - the idea that it comes from rural areas etc is misleading - it thrives in URBAN AREAS - that includes Bangkok and Pattaya!

February 16, 2009