Russians are at risk: Tropical fever threatens holidaymakers in Phuket

The downpours that hit the Thai island of Phuket over the weekend caused not only the flooding of buildings and streets, but also the aggravation of the already existing epidemic of tropical dengue fever – the country’s authorities separately notify Russian tourists about this. At the same time, mentioning “unexpected sources of infection for foreign guests of the island.” We found out why compatriots receive a separate warning and what exactly they should be afraid of.

On Saturday, the Thai meteorological department warned the islanders and their guests about the “threat of flooding,” according to Russians now in Phuket, but neither tourists nor locals were particularly tense, because burst showers at this time of the year are the norm for Thailand. But this time, the warning came true by 200%: the promised flood occurred in the most touristic places of the island – in the Patong area and in the capital of the island, Phuket Town. Some of the streets in these tourist-favorite locations have turned into rivers, and Bang Yai, the main drainage channel of the island, has ceased to cope with its function of diverting rainfall water into the sea. But the worst thing is that, against the backdrop of multiple floods, the dengue outbreak recognized as an epidemic back in March worsened, according to DDC (Thai Department of Disease Control). The first surge of this tropical fever, recorded in the early spring of this year, was called “shocking” by the Thai authorities themselves, although in principle this disease is familiar to the inhabitants of the tropics.

– Dangerous for tourists? – I am directly interested in the duty doctor of the Phuket “medical office for foreigners”, realizing that it is most likely not recommended to intimidate guests with “tourist” doctors.

The medical office is something like a “field hospital” for citizens who do not have Thai citizenship and, accordingly, Thai insurance policies. There, local doctors, for a moderate fee, can only provide first aid to guests, as well as conduct tests for them to be sent to a real hospital, where the treatment fee will be serious (in such cases, travel medical insurance is involved, if the guest of Phuket, of course, has it) .

“Unfortunately, until the end of the rainy season (and it is in Thailand from July to September – author), there is a threat for tourists as well,” says Dr. Meng Channarong. – Drainage systems turned out to be in an emergency condition, they can’t cope, the flooding of last Sunday has not yet been eliminated, and there is already a threat of new ones. And it will be until the end of September. And stagnant water and high humidity are the breeding ground for dengue mosquitoes.

The doctor explains that this tropical fever for Thais, especially for those who are engaged in growing rice on flooded “terraces”, is really a common thing. But this time, the annual outbreak was not accidentally officially recognized as an “epidemic”: as of March, the number of infected people was already three times higher than a year ago, and grew rapidly before the start of the rainy season. And burst showers, which provoked a real flood in the most touristic places of Phuket, aggravated the situation even more. To date, according to the Thai Public Health Authority, dengue fever in Thailand has already killed 33 citizens of the Kingdom, and cases of severe infection are already under 30,000.

– Why are the Russians warned separately? – I’m interested in Thai doctors.

– Among your citizens today, the largest number of long-stayers and relocators who stay in Thailand for more than 3 months, as well as come to us for visaran (a way to extend the period of legal stay in a certain jurisdiction, when a foreigner leaves for a neighboring state and enters back within a short period of time – ed.), – they answer in the medical office for foreigners. – And among the Russian relocators, the largest number of people is at the age called the main risk group.

Official Thai sources confirm that the main risk group for infection and transmission of dengue fever is people 25-35 years old, and more often male foreigners. Since the indigenous Phuket people already have a certain immunity to dengue, and foreign ladies are less likely to have long-term contact with stagnant water – for example, they fish or live in conditions of increased dampness. And in general, according to Thai statistics, more male Russians than females are now visiting Phuket.

– And what are the “unexpected sources of infection” mentioned by your Department of Disease Control?

– These are sources that many do not even think about, since most people understand only ponds or barrels of water for irrigation by a “reservoir with stagnant water”. And these are also mini-fountains near hotels, which many mistakenly consider drinking and drink from them. But in fact, the same water from the reservoir below circulates there. That is, it is a fountain in the most literal sense, only a small one, the maximum that is possible in it is to wash your hands. Also, mosquitoes-carriers can “sit” in stagnant swimming pools if they do not change the water for a long time.

A separate warning is for Russian visa holders arriving in Phuket from neighboring countries in Southeast Asia to extend their visas. The epicenter of dengue breeding was recorded just in the places of accumulation of long-steers who arrived on the “visaran” – along the Cambodian border. Over the past few days alone, 100 cases of infection have been recorded there, and in another province of Chaingmai, popular with tourists from the Russian Federation, two deaths have already occurred.

“Dengue is most severe in those who have been repeatedly infected with different types of dengue virus, and there are only 4 of them,” says Dr. Meng Channarong. – But the first one could pass without symptoms if a foreigner, for example, has been in Phuket for a long time and decided that he was simply blown out of the air conditioner. The first time always proceeds in the usual flu-like form. So it’s better to do PCR on dengue right away.

Also, Thai doctors remind guests of Phuket about the danger of living or walking at dawn and at sunset, especially near ponds or reservoirs with stagnant water and next to garbage that is not disposed of for a long time – these are the favorite places for dengue mosquitoes, and, accordingly, the main hotbed of a formidable disease.

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