A mosquito eradication campaign has been launched by the Public Health Ministry as the number of people infected with dengue fever nationwide is rising by about 5,000 per week, Disease Control Department director-general Thares Krassanairavirong said on Monday.
The outbreak is mainly in 30 districts of 18 provinces - Mae Hong Son, Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Nan, Phayao, Tak, Phetchaburi, Chon Buri, Rayong, Chanthaburi, Trat, Ubon Ratchathani, Krabi, Phuket, Songkhla, Satun, Narathiwat and Bangkok.
Since early this year nearly 40,000 cases of dengue fever have been reported, with about 40 deaths. The number is rising by about 5,000 per week, Dr Thares said. This is appoaching the level in 2019, when about 70,000 people caught the disease and 70 died over the 12 months.
On average the number of infections during the past four weeks was higher than the average over the same period for the past five years, Dr Thares said.
At a meeting on July 31 of health officials and representatives of the Provincial Administration Department, officials were assigned to launch a drive to stop the spread of dengue over the four weeks from July 21-Aug 18.
Teams from the Bureau of Epidemiology and the 38 centres for the control of insect-borne diseases have been deployed to areas hit by dengue fever, with an aim to reduce the nuber of cases to below the average of the the past five years, he said.
They are empowered to enter domestic property, temples, schools, hotels and other places to spray substances to kill mosquitoes and their larvae. They also advise residents on preventive measures.