19 June 2013 (03:40 UTC-07 Tango)/10 Sha’ban 1434/29 Khordad 1391/12 Wu-Wu (5th month) 4711
Researchers in India are reporting that the Dengue virus is evolving. They have identified at least four serotypes of the virus in the Indian state of Kerala, and have observed mutations since 2008. They have also identified new strains of Dengue that have come in from outside Kerala.
Another problem is that it seems if you survive an initial infection, you will get sicker if you’re infected a second or third time (which is almost guaranteed in mosquito swamped areas). They say this is why outbreaks of Dengue Fever are getting worse: “People who are infected a second time with a different type of the dengue virus may have a different immune response wherein the clinical symptoms of dengue might worsen and the person will have severe disease. This is called antibody-dependent enhancement.”-E. Sreekumar, Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology
In the South East Asian country of Laos, 7920 people have been infected with Dengue Fever so far this year. 13 have died.
The UN World Health Organization gave Laos this dire warning: “If there are no effective actions undertaken, there will be serious economic and social consequences for Lao PDR including deaths, overloaded central, provincial and district health care facilities, and debilitated workers due to illness.”
The UNWHO says the number of mosquito spread Dengue Fever cases has exceeded 2010 numbers for the same time period, in Asia.
Singapore is reporting more than 10000 cases. For the same time last year they had 4632 cases. Citizens in that country are outraged because it was revealed that one infected person died in a hospital, because the patient was ignored by medical staff for at least five hours.
Thailand’s Ministry of Public Health confirmed 43609 cases, with 50 deaths. That’s three times higher than last year during the same time period.
The Philippines’ Department of Health reports 42207 cases.
Malaysia reports more than 10000 cases.
Sri Lanka has ordered it Ministry of Defence and Ministry of Health to conduct a dengue eradication operation.