The Chikungunya virus is spreading in 4 sub-districts with a total of over 120 victims of the virus and counting. The Ministry of Public Health is trying to solve the issue with the local district health authorities.
There are 3 villages that are heavily affected with the spreading of the virus in Srikonbhumi district, Surin province. At first, many villagers started to feel sick but couldn’t find the cause, almost all residences in the 3 villages are sick. The Ministry of Public Health in the district discovered that the cause was from the Chikungunya virus after checking the villager’s blood. There are over 120 victims and counting with most being children and the elderly.
The officials have revealed that the virus was carried to the villages by one child who came back home from Bangkok. The virus spread extremely fast, attacking the 3 villages and is spreading to other areas in the district. The virus is mainly carried by mosquitoes in the area, when the mosquito bites a human, the virus enters the bloodstream.
Officials have sprayed the affected areas with mosquito spray along with clearing the areas to get rid of any trapped water that acts as a breeding site for the mosquitos. Symptoms are similar to the Dengue Fever, beginning with fever symptoms followed with pain in the muscle and joints that can last up to months.
Mister Hong 74 years old reported that when he first had the symptoms the doctor told him it was just a normal fever. He stayed at the hospital for two nights, when he returned symptoms of nausea and joint pain followed, the symptoms then worsened into back pain and headaches.
Mister Bunsern 45 years old resides in the same village as Mister Hong reported that his youngest child studying in Kindergarten 3 went to the doctor that gave her the same answer to the symptoms as Mister Hong received, the daughter then came home as her symptoms were tolerable. Some patients can be more heavily affected by the virus with worse or different symptoms than others. 10 to 15% have a chance of not showing any symptoms at all.
