Shiloh
Editor, Senior Moderator
Source: http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/local/30052/old-diseases-never-die-they-just-relapse
Old diseases never die, they just relapse
Even as we face a new threat from H1N1 flu, old foes such as cholera are reviving
* Published: 27/12/2009 at 12:00 AM
* Newspaper section: News
As Thailand faces the new threat from an influenza pandemic, old foes such as bird flu, cholera and dengue fever are threatening to make a comeback, experts warned.
As of Dec 23, there were 29,886 confirmed case of type-A H1N1 flu and 191 deaths.
"No bird flu death case [for a long time] doesn't mean the virus has disappeared," said Pasakorn Akarasevi, director of the Bureau of Epidemiology.
In Thailand, 17 of 25 confirmed bird flu victims died between 2004 and 2006. Although there has been no confirmed human case since 2006, bird flu is still circulating among poultry populations.
Ten provinces, including Sukhothai in the lower North, which was once declared a red zone of the virus outbreak, also reported bird flu infections early this month.
"Continuing reports of avian flu cases in Egypt as well as the latest human death in Cambodia and Vietnam's Dien Bien Phu town are a warning sign that the virus is still around and could strike any time without a well-planned surveillance system and cooperation between health and livestock officials as well as local communities," he said.
It was crucial to follow the national strategic and surveillance plan on bird flu in both humans and poultry to ensure that the virus would not claim more lives, he added.
Apart from bird flu, Mr Pasakorn believes dengue fever will flare in urban areas. Vector-borne disease outbreaks, particularly among adults, will become a big issue next year in densely populated cities and municipal areas.
Dengue has spread nationwide, mostly in central provinces, with 50,132 cases and 42 deaths as of Dec 12.
There may also be a rise in chikungunya fever, caused by garden-striped mosquitoes, said Kamnuan Ungchusak of the Disease Control Department. Asia is regarded the epicentre of the re-emergence of the disease.
Climate, environment and rapid global transport are conducive to its transmission. Chikungunya outbreaks have been reported in India, Malaysia, Singapore and Sri Lanka but no statistics of infections have been reported to the World Health Organisation.
In Thailand, chikungunya cases increased from 2,500 last year to 47,800 this year.
Although the disease is not life-threatening, most patients face persistent joint and muscle pain for up to a year or more and there is no specific drug treatment or vaccines available.
While a surge of vector-borne diseases is expected, Thailand also cannot afford to overlook a re-emergence of cholera next year via seafood consumption. Of 212 "vibrio cholerae ogawa" cases this month, 205 were reported in Pattani province alone while the rest were found in Rayong.
Dr Kamnuan warned thousands of vibrio cholerae cases are expected next year as people do not have natural immunity against the Ogawa strain of bacteria.
The lack of a public sanitary system causes problems to the food chain, leading to the spread of bacteria. Bacteria released from human excrement lives well in seaweed and brackish water. Cockles, crabs, shrimps and fish consume such seaweed. People then contract cholera from seafood consumption. "Operators in the seafood sector should invest more on public sanitary systems to solve this health problem," he said. Frozen seafood exports could be also hit.
"Seafood business operators and local authorities in the 20 provinces with coastal fisheries should develop public sanitary and tapwater systems to the correct standard and prevent the bacteria spreading," Dr Kamnuan added.
Old diseases never die, they just relapse
Even as we face a new threat from H1N1 flu, old foes such as cholera are reviving
* Published: 27/12/2009 at 12:00 AM
* Newspaper section: News
As Thailand faces the new threat from an influenza pandemic, old foes such as bird flu, cholera and dengue fever are threatening to make a comeback, experts warned.
As of Dec 23, there were 29,886 confirmed case of type-A H1N1 flu and 191 deaths.
"No bird flu death case [for a long time] doesn't mean the virus has disappeared," said Pasakorn Akarasevi, director of the Bureau of Epidemiology.
In Thailand, 17 of 25 confirmed bird flu victims died between 2004 and 2006. Although there has been no confirmed human case since 2006, bird flu is still circulating among poultry populations.
Ten provinces, including Sukhothai in the lower North, which was once declared a red zone of the virus outbreak, also reported bird flu infections early this month.
"Continuing reports of avian flu cases in Egypt as well as the latest human death in Cambodia and Vietnam's Dien Bien Phu town are a warning sign that the virus is still around and could strike any time without a well-planned surveillance system and cooperation between health and livestock officials as well as local communities," he said.
It was crucial to follow the national strategic and surveillance plan on bird flu in both humans and poultry to ensure that the virus would not claim more lives, he added.
Apart from bird flu, Mr Pasakorn believes dengue fever will flare in urban areas. Vector-borne disease outbreaks, particularly among adults, will become a big issue next year in densely populated cities and municipal areas.
Dengue has spread nationwide, mostly in central provinces, with 50,132 cases and 42 deaths as of Dec 12.
There may also be a rise in chikungunya fever, caused by garden-striped mosquitoes, said Kamnuan Ungchusak of the Disease Control Department. Asia is regarded the epicentre of the re-emergence of the disease.
Climate, environment and rapid global transport are conducive to its transmission. Chikungunya outbreaks have been reported in India, Malaysia, Singapore and Sri Lanka but no statistics of infections have been reported to the World Health Organisation.
In Thailand, chikungunya cases increased from 2,500 last year to 47,800 this year.
Although the disease is not life-threatening, most patients face persistent joint and muscle pain for up to a year or more and there is no specific drug treatment or vaccines available.
While a surge of vector-borne diseases is expected, Thailand also cannot afford to overlook a re-emergence of cholera next year via seafood consumption. Of 212 "vibrio cholerae ogawa" cases this month, 205 were reported in Pattani province alone while the rest were found in Rayong.
Dr Kamnuan warned thousands of vibrio cholerae cases are expected next year as people do not have natural immunity against the Ogawa strain of bacteria.
The lack of a public sanitary system causes problems to the food chain, leading to the spread of bacteria. Bacteria released from human excrement lives well in seaweed and brackish water. Cockles, crabs, shrimps and fish consume such seaweed. People then contract cholera from seafood consumption. "Operators in the seafood sector should invest more on public sanitary systems to solve this health problem," he said. Frozen seafood exports could be also hit.
"Seafood business operators and local authorities in the 20 provinces with coastal fisheries should develop public sanitary and tapwater systems to the correct standard and prevent the bacteria spreading," Dr Kamnuan added.