No cases of Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever (CCHF) infection have been detected in Thailand, according to the Department of Disease Control (DDC).
The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared CCHF, a viral haemorrhagic fever, as a dangerous communicable disease. It is spreading in eastern Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and parts of Asia with a fatality rate of 30 to 40%, DDC director-general Dr Thares Krasanairawiwong said on Friday.
"No case has been reported in Thailand so far," he said.
CCHF, caused by the tick-borne Nairovirus, is transmitted by ticks found in animals such as cattle, goats and sheep and passed on during contact of any kind, according to the DDC chief.
Symptoms include fever, muscle aches, dizziness, headache, vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhoea, sore eyes and red spots on the body caused by minor bleeding under the skin. Patients may also suffer from bleeding gums and nosebleeds.
Dr Thares said people who returned from overseas and suspect they might have contracted CCHF should seek medical care and provide details about their trips and risk factors to doctors.
Meanwhile, local dengue fever infections continue unabated.
According to DDC deputy director-general Dr Sophon Iamsirithaworn, the number of mosquito-borne dengue fever cases in Thailand from Jan 1 to July 19 reached 41,527 with 41 deaths.
The number of patients is 2.8 times more than that recorded during the same period last year, and a total of 5,057 cases of dengue fever were confirmed in the past week alone.
Dr Sophon warned patients who have symptoms related to dengue fever against using nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen, diclofenac and aspirin as they can cause bleeding and increase the risk of complications.
Previously, the DDC had sounded the alarm about a severe outbreak of dengue fever, warning the country could face up to 150,000 dengue fever infections by the end of the year if preventive measures failed.