Doctors await Zika tests on 30 people

Doctors await Zika tests on 30 people

A woman reads a new pamphlet with information on the Zika virus and other mosquite-borne diseases, issued Monday by the health department of the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA). (Photo by Wichan Charoenkiatpakul)
A woman reads a new pamphlet with information on the Zika virus and other mosquite-borne diseases, issued Monday by the health department of the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA). (Photo by Wichan Charoenkiatpakul)

Health authorities are awaiting the test results of 30 people in Bangkok suspected of having contracted the mosquito-borne Zika virus from 22 people recently confirmed to have been infected.

On Sept 1, a private hospital in Sathon district reported a new case of Zika infection, which led to health authorities scouring the area and finding 21 more people with the virus, said deputy permanent secretary for the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) Wantanee Watana.

The recently confirmed cases take the total number of infected people in Bangkok since the start of the year to 29, after seven people tested positive for Zika between January and August -- they have now been quarantined.

Dr Watana said the 30 people awaiting results are suspected of contracting the disease from the 22 confirmed patients.

Among the 22 infected people is a pregnant woman who is now in the care of obstetricians. The woman is said to be safe, but a check-up will be carried out to determine whether her baby has been affected by the infection, Dr Wantanee said.

Pregnant women who develop Zika have a chance of giving birth to babies with microcephaly and other brain defects.

Dr Wantanee said that three of the 22 people have gone to the provinces, where public health officials have been asked to locate and quarantine them.

Along with Sathon district, authorities will be deployed to Bangkok's other 49 districts to see whether there are more people who have contracted the Zika infection, Dr Wantanee said. But no new cases have been reported so far, she added.

"Patients who develop a fever are requested not to travel to other districts, to prevent the spread of disease," Dr Wantanee said.

She said the Zika virus has not caused any deaths during the initial infection stage, with the most common symptoms being fever, rash, joint pain, and red eyes.

Four risk groups that need to be under close observation are pregnant women, babies, patients suffering from polyneuritis, and those who have a fever, rash, joint pain and red eyes, Dr Wantanee said.

She urged the public not to panic, and said if there are no reports of any more infections in Bangkok within the next 30 days, it likely means the disease is under control.

Wongwat Liewlak, deputy director of the BMA's health department, said the 22 virus-infected patients found in Sathon have been put into quarantine to ensure they are not bitten by mosquitoes, so as to limit the spread of the disease.

Authorities also fumigated the breeding grounds of mosquito larvae within a 100-metre radius of the homes of the patients, Dr Wongwat said.

Anutarasak Ratchatatat, assistant director of the Vector-Borne Disease Bureau under the Disease Control Department, said that from Jan-Aug, 97 patients infected with the Zika virus had been found in 16 provinces nationwide.

The situation is now under control, he said.

Anuchar Sethasathien, secretary-general of the National Institute for Emergency Medicine, said the institute has been keeping a close watch on any potential outbreak in the country. Officials have been instructed to be on alert.

Anyone who develops symptoms associated with the virus such as a high fever or unconsciousness can contact the institute's hotline number on 1669 for help.

Dr Anuchar said there is no known vaccine to ward off the virus, but most patients recover within 7 days.

Do you like the content of this article?
COMMENT (2)