Zika circumstances surge by virtually 300pc in Thailand | EUROtoday

“For pregnant women, preventive measures against insect-transmitted diseases have been recommended, such as avoiding mosquito-prone areas, wearing long-sleeved clothing, using insect repellents following global health organisation guidelines,” mentioned Prof Yong Poovorawan, head of the Center of Excellence in Clinical Virology at Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok.

He added that there’s a threat to vacationers; a 33 12 months outdated lady examined optimistic within the Netherlands after a visit to Thailand in December, whereas two sufferers have been hospitalised with acute infections in Germany after a three-week vacation in November.

“However, in comparison to the total number of tourists visiting Thailand … it’s not surprising to have had cases of tourists contracting diseases like Zika. This pattern aligns with the situation among the Thai population,” Prof Poovorawan mentioned.

The bounce in Zika comes as dengue – which can be unfold by the Aedes aegypti mosquito – erupted throughout the globe, with main outbreaks in nations as numerous as Peru, Burkina Faso, Bangladesh and Thailand.

“Diseases transmitted by insects … tend to have cycles of outbreaks where there might be a surge in cases followed by periods of relative calm, lasting anywhere from one to three years,” Prof Poovorawan informed the Telegraph.

“Similar to this pattern, Zika virus cases have increased this year, paralleling the rise in dengue fever cases,” he mentioned, including that it’s the highest Zika rely in Thailand since 2016.

“It’s challenging to predict whether [2024] will experience a severe outbreak or not.”