HEALTH
WIMOL NOOKAEW
RANONG : Ranong public health authority has declared the province a malaria zone after a sharp rise in the number of people infected in the province.
The number of malaria cases in the province since the beginning of this year had reached 1,464 and 76% of them were in Kra Buri district, said Thongchai Kiratihatthayakorn, the province's public health doctor.
Dr Thongchai said Ranong Governor Kanjanapa Keeman has ordered the province's disaster prevention and mitigation office to declare the province a disaster zone due to widespread malaria, especially in Kra Buri district.
The province will then set aside emergency budget to buy medical supplies for its malaria treatment team.
According to Dr Thongchai, among the 1,464 malaria patients found in Ranong, 835, or 57%, were Thais and another 629, or 43%, were Burmese nationals. Most patients were between 25 and 54 years old, said Dr Thongchai.
Dr Thongchai said Ranong residents and tourists do not need to be worried about the disease spreading as the situation has improved from last year.
He added that malaria is a common infectious disease in Ranong, particularly in communities in forest areas adjacent to the Burmese border.
Malaria patients could be found in the area all year round, but the number of infections usually rose in the rainy months of May and June.
Dr Thongchai said signs of malaria infection in people were high fever, severe headache, feeling cold at normal room temperature, and muscle pain throughout the body. Those having a combination of such symptoms should quickly have their blood tested for malaria.
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