The nasty virus that is dengue fever is spread by the aedes mosquito and unfortunately Koh Phangan and the rest of Thailand falls into one of the areas where this mosquito is present.
You will of been warned of mosquitos before you come here and you don’t want to get sick whilst you’re enjoying our tropical piece of paradise so firstly the best thing to do, as with any problem is :
Prevention
Wear a mosquito repellent at all times. Our experience is that those pesky mozzies love the fresh white skin from the west and even innocent mozzie bites will be an annoyance let alone dengue ones.
Sleep in an airconditioned room or under a mosquito net and remove any still water sources from the area (jugs or containers with still water) as this is where those little biters lay their eggs.
Wear long sleeves or light trousers to prevent bites if you can.
Dengue is spread by a certain type of mosquito called ‘Aedes’ which are most active during the morning for a few hours after sunrise and also late afternoon so be extra careful around these times. It is spread by a mozzie biting a human with dengue, contracting it and then biting another human which it infects.
It is not spread from human to human.
Symptoms
Symptoms of dengue fever can range greatly from minor to severe. Most people experience a fever followed by headache, nausea and then vomiting, a rash and pain in the eyes and joints.
If you still have a fever after 24 hours and your symptoms get worse then this is when you need to seek help. Visit a clinic, hospital or doctor where they will evaluate your symptoms and test your blood for the virus.
We hear of people riding their symptoms out at home, but we wouldn’t recommend this. But if you do then make sure you have someone with you who can keep an eye out for any changes in your condition.
Keep hydrated! Dengue can cause vomiting and diarrhea which means dehydration so keep sipping on water constantly.
Many people herald papaya leaves and the leaf juice as an aid for getting rid of dengue, we will not stop you trying this but there is no scientific proof yet that it actually works.
One thing to note is that there is no cure as of yet for dengue fever so this is why it is so important to keep an eye on your symptoms or more importantly take steps to prevent catching the dengue virus.
Symptoms can take up to two weeks to show and can last from three to ten days and can get more severe, hopefully you will have seeked medical care by this time.
Maximum risk is on the third or seventh day of symptoms and dengue mosquitos are usually around from August to October and they cannot survive in lower temperatures.
The last thing we want is for any of you lovely lot to get ill, you’re here to have the time of your life so take some steps to prevent these mozzies biting you and look after each other!
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