Thailand on alert against E.coli, dengue fever

LAMPANG, THAILAND, March 21 (TNA) - Agencies concerned have remained on alert to prevent any outbreak of the Escherichia Coli (E.coli) bacteria in groundwater sources after Thailand's flooding crisis in late 2011. Adisai Jaruratana, a specialist in research and development of groundwater resources, opened a seminar in Lampang province in the Thai North on Thursday to publicize technical studies on the conservation and rehabilitation of groundwater sources contaminated with the E.coli bacteria in eight northern flood-affected Thai provinces, including Lampang, Lamphun, Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Phrae, Nan, Phayao and Mae Hong Son, as part of a close-watch against the deadly bacteria by the relevant agencies. Adisai told the over 400 participants of the seminar that the Lampang-based Bureau of Groundwater Resources 1 has fully restored 1,118 inundated groundwater wells in the Thai North, including 212 out of a total of 380 wells detected with the E.coli bacteria, while the rest should be completely restored soon. The specialist said he is more worried over self-made groundwater wells of local households, as they are mostly only some 10 metres deep which are easier for the contamination of the E.coli bacteria and he has, therefore, sent experts to survey and inspect the shallow groundwater wells to protect local people from E.coli bacteria-borne illnesses. Meanwhile, public health officials in Songkhla province in the Thai South, like other areas being at risk of mosquito-borne diseases, have, on the other hand, on alert against dengue fever, after there have been reports of 81 dengue fever cases in the Ko Hong Municipality alone over the past two months, one of them has died, compared with a total of 87 cases in the area throughout 2012. The public health officials and volunteers of the Hat Yai and Ko Hong Municipalities have now jointly launched a clean-up campaign to eradicate breeding grounds of the common house mosquitoes through all practical approaches and they have also recommended locals to closely watch out their children for suspicious symptoms of the mosquito-borne disease and, if any, to immediately take them for proper medical surveillance and care. (TNA)