Dengue fever patients soar in Lower Thai Northeast

BANGKOK, November 11 (TNA) - The Ministry of Public Health reports that the number of dengue fever patients in four provinces in the Lower Thai Northeast has soared by five times due to higher temperatures. Dr. Theerawat Walaisathian, Director of the ministry's Office of Disease Prevention and Control 5 in Nakhon Ratchasima Province, told journalists on Wednesday that the number of dengue fever patients in the four lower northeastern provinces, including Nakhon Ratchasima, Chaiyaphum, Buri Ram and Surin, stood at 12,113 during January 1-November 11, 2015, 15 of them have died. Dr. Theerawat said that the highest number of patients, 5,917, was recorded in Nakhon Ratchasima, where 10 patients died, followed by 2,442 slated in Chaiyaphum, where two of the patients died. Dr Theerawat pointed out that the number of dengue fever patients in the Lower Thai Northeast throughout last year stood only at 2,087, one of them died, attributing the increase to higher temperatures. Meanwhile, Dr. Veerasak Anutra-angkun, Director of Mahasarakham Hospital, told reporters that the weather during the present transition from the rainy season to winter has facilitated the spread of dengue fever. In Maha Sarakham alone, Dr. Veerasak stated, there have been 891 dengue fever patients, aged 0-14 years old, one of them has dided. (TNA)