Wave of Death: Unstoppable Dengue Outbreak Terrorize Thailand – Fatalities Soar as Thousands Fall Ill Every Week! – THAI.NEWS

Image acknowledgement: Sanook.

An urgent call to wipe out mosquitoes has been deployed by Thailand’s Public Health Ministry, responding to a rapid surge in dengue fever infections. The country is gripped by an alarming weekly spike of around 5,000 new cases, according to Thares Krassanairavirong, the Disease Control Department’s director-general. This unsettling trend has led the government to adopt this stern approach.

The virus has unleashed its wrath predominantly in 30 districts, notably Mae Hong Son, Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Nan, Phayao, Tak, Phetchaburi, Chon Buri, Rayong, Chanthaburi, Trat, Ubon Ratchathani, Krabi, Phuket, Songkhla, Satun, Narathiwat, and the capital – Bangkok. The devastation has seen nearly 40,000 dengue fever cases since the beginning of the year, with approximately 40 resulting fatalities, as stated by Thares.

The situation appears to stretch beyond control as weekly numbers continue to climb. Staggeringly, they are nearing the statistics of 2019 which documented an estimated 70,000 dengue diagnoses and tragically, 70 deaths within 12 months, as reported by Bangkok Post. The recent four-week period unveiled an average rate of infection significantly higher than the mean computed over a matching span in the past five years, Thares highlighted.

On July 31, a high-stake meeting roped in health officials and Provincial Administration Department representatives. A unified goal was set: halt the rampant spread of dengue from July 21 to August 18.

The blueprint to combat the epidemic has marshalled teams from the Bureau of Epidemiology and the 38 disease control centers specializing in insect-borne illnesses. They have been deputized in the regions bearing the brunt of the dengue onslaught. Their mission is to suppress the number of infections below the five-year rolling average through a concerted effort of exterminating mosquitoes and raising locals’ awareness about preventive measures. With sweeping powers bestowed upon them, these officials are free to enter private properties, religious temples, schools, hotels, and other areas to carry out a specialized missile attack to annihilate mosquitoes and their larvae.

Proactive steps to curb the looming spread of the disease have morphed into an urgent mandate of everyday life in Thailand.