No outbreak of meningococcal disease in Thailand

BANGKOK, March 8 (TNA) – The Thai Public Health Ministry has confirmed that there is no meningococcal disease outbreak in Thailand, after a Cambodian woman has recently died from the disease in a central province. Permanent Secretary for Public Health Dr. Narong Sahametapat told journalists on Sunday that the disease is also controllable and people suffering from it are very few. He said the disease is not new and is found all over the world. In the past five years, less than 20 people in Thailand were diagnosed with the disease annually, while only two patients died. Dr. Narong’s remarks were made after a Cambodian woman died of the disease on Wednesday in Chachoengsao province. Dr. Narong said he has ordered the ministry officials to closely monitor those who had stayed close to the dead woman for at least 10 days to ensure that the disease would not spread in the country. Meanwhile, Dr. Sopon Mekthon, director-general of the ministry’s Disease Control Department, said the number of people suffered from the disease has declined steadily in the country. Only two patients were found in Thailand between January 1 - February 12. No casualties were reported, said Dr. Sopon. The most common symptoms are a stiff neck, high fever, sensitivity to light, confusion, headaches and vomiting. The neisseria meningitides bacteria are transmitted from person-to-person through droplets of respiratory or throat secretions from carriers. (TNA)