The outbreak of dengue fever in Thailand this year has reached a critical point, surging at an alarming rate, due to increase in the number of disease-bearing mosquitoes.

According to the Ministry of Public Health, the number of patients infected between January and August this year has gone up by 83% year-on-year. 54,592 people have been treated for dengue fever, with 63 reported deaths. On an average 230 new cases are reported daily. In the first week of August alone, the number of the infected has increased from that of the previous weeks by 3,135. Of the number, seven of them are under a month old, and 409 are over 65 years old.

The southern part of Thailand is on top of the list in terms of the number of the infected, 13,000 altogether; followed by the central, northeastern and northern parts. The rate of infection in the South is 149 per 100,000 people. Meanwhile, the next top 10 provinces with the highest infection rates are Chanthaburi, Tak, Songkhla, Narathiwat, Satun, Pattani, Krabi, Trat, Phatthalung, and Rayong.

ReliefWeb