Ministry orders watch for 15 diseases

The Public Health Ministry has ordered a close watch on the spread of 15 infectious diseases over the coming three months.

Among the diseases are pneumonia, dengue fever, diarrhoea and Japanese encephalitis, which have killed 13 people over the past month.

Public Health Minister Witthaya Kaewparadai said yesterday he had instructed all healthcare workers to keep an eye on the diseases over the rainy season.

They are bronchitis, pharyngitis, dengue fever, leptospirosis, seasonal flu, malaria, acute diarrhoea, dysentery, Japanese encephalitis, pink eye, pneumonia, bird flu, food poisoning, typhoid fever and hepatitis.

As rainy-season weather conditions will encourage the faster spread of infectious diseases, health care workers around the country should watch closely for patients who might be suffering from these afflictions, particularly the new influenza A (H1N1) and avian flu, he said.

He warned against patients with seasonal flu, dengue fever or leptospirosis taking aspirin to reduce their fever, as this could lead to their deaths.

Public Health Ministry permanent secretary Dr Prat Boonyawongvirot said the ministry's Disease Control Department had notified all provincial public health offices to instruct people in the prevention of infection.

Over the past month, eight people have died from pneumonia, three from diarrhoea and two from dengue fever and Japanese encephalitis, he said.

People should also be aware of two other health risks associated with the rainy season: athlete's foot and poison from venomous animals.

Disease Control Department director-general Dr Somchai Chakrabhand said that if sick people did not recover from fever after taking fever-reducing medicine, they should be taken to hospital instead of taking antibiotics.