View Full Version : Medical:Rabbit Flu death
Bangkok,
What is the latest news about bird flu in Thailand ? Everyday, Singapore TV media news reports on the increasing number of provinces hit by bird flu in Thailand without mention of any decrease. Yesterday, there was mention in one Chinese newspaper that 300 poultry have been culled in Bangkok. How serious is the bird flu in Bangkok ? Is Bangkok facing a biiger threat of the H5N1 virus now ? What precautions are Thais and tourists there taking up ?
Ganyc
Hi, Bangkok,
How bad is bird flu in Bangkok now ? I still hear no news of condition improvement. Fears of bird-to-human infection and human-to-human infection recur on Internet.
Is it safe to visit Bangkok from now till September ?
Is it safe to eat chicken in the guesthouses of Bangkok ?
When will bird flu in Bangkok stop ?
Ganyc
jpatokal
30-07-04, 12:34 PM
Under no circumstances visit Bangkok now! The second the airplane door opens in Don Muang, you will be attacked by ravenous hordes of insane chickens, gluck-gluck-glucking as they peck your eyes out and feast on your blood. Then, claws glistening with fresh Singaporean blood, they will commander the B777 Jubilee and head for Changi to continue the ferocious assault.
:rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes:
What is wrong with you people? Why are you so scared of chicken flu, which hasn't infected anybody except chicken farmers who wrestle with the creatures daily?
skyblue
22-09-05, 06:07 AM
My father is suffering from viral infection .He has too much problem like fever, headache, extreme tiredness, dry cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose .he is in trouble this time .please suggest me about drugs for infection.
I think these are the sign of flu .you have care yourself very much and for feeling better use Tamiflu dosage (http://www.drugdelivery.ca/s3353-s-TAMIFLU.aspx).
good luck…..
There was a thread hanging around in this forum for years asking if there had been any further developments in the V-1 Immunitor saga. I swear I saw it recently, but searches and archive visits have turned up nothing. However, www.2bangkok.com still has a whole page of articles on the subject: -
http://www.2bangkok.com/v-1.shtml
The whole issue has resurfaced. In inimitable local style, the reason the subject has resurfaced has precious little to do with helping those in trouble, and everything to do with the fragile and tempestuous egos of the nation's 'already-far-too-well-offs'.
http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2006/07/22/national/national_30009306.php
Surapong: I didn't break my promise
Government Spokesman Surapong Suebwonglee yesterday denied claims that he broke a promise to pay Bt1 million to an advocate of V1-Immunitor in exchange for a lawsuit to be withdrawn.
Dr Oraphan Methadilokkul, a proponent of the controversial V1-Immunitor pills, which are registered as a food supplement and promoted as a treatment for HIV-Aids, yesterday went to Surapong's house and requested the Bt1 million.
Oraphan said Surapong promised to pay her to withdraw the suit she filed against him four years ago when he was deputy minister of public health.
It was during this time that several newspapers published articles in which Surapong said V1-Immunitor was unable to cure HIV-Aids patients as claimed by the supplement's maker.
Surapong said he and Oraphan, who were classmates in high school, had previously met
and tried to seek a compromise in the case at the Miracle Grand Hotel.
Surapong said Oraphan told him on that day that she had financial problems while he insisted he would do everything to protect people as V1-Immunitor couldn't really relieve HIV-Aids.
"On that day, Oraphan was willing to withdraw the lawsuit unconditionally, even without the Bt1 million," he said, adding that he had filed a complaint at Pathum Thani's Khu Khot Police Station accusing her of creating trouble and annoyance.
However, Oraphan yesterday insisted that she and Surapong had made an agreement about the money but she did not have evidence of this because she trusted Surapong as an old friend.
"I gave him my bank account number a year ago because he promised to transfer the money to me. But he has not done so, and always avoids me when I ask about it," she said.
Oraphan said she would not ask for the money again and would instead take the issue to court.
Subtitled 'The liver of the dog that bit you!'
This strikes me as both informative and entertaining: -
Doctor debunks rabies myths
Rabies has claimed 21 lives in 15 provinces this winter, Public Health permanent secretary Dr Prat Boonyawongvirot said yesterday.
Deaths this year have exceeded the 20 for all of 2005.
Puppies younger than three months old bit most of those who died.
Rabies spreads in both the hot season and winter, Prat warned, adding it was transmitted by dogs fighting over mates.
Prat advised anyone bitten to seek immediate treatment. Symptoms in humans could present themselves within seven days to two years after being bitten.
He advised people to ignore long-held myths about rabies. Its spread was common in hot weather and cold and bites cannot be treated with balm or tobacco.
Slapping wounds with sandals is not a cure, he added, and neither is holy water.
It is not true killing and eating the liver of the dog that bites you will stop you getting the virus, he said. Prat told people the cutting off of dogs' ears and tails will not stop them being infected.
Pregnant women can be treated for rabies, he said.
The final myth is that 14 or 21 doses of rabies vaccine need to be injected around the navels of those bitten by dogs.
The Nation
http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2006/12/11/national/national_30021251.php
The subject of this drama, Krisana Kraisintu, was interviewed on Khun Saryud's TV talk show this evening. It appears she now spends most of her time in African countries helping to set production lines for generic versions of the HIV drug AZT. Asked if she might be prepared to return to Thailand to work, she commented that she was happier working abroad - no longer having to fight her numerous 'enemies' here:
http://media.www.lsureveille.com/media/storage/paper868/news/2007/04/19/Entertainment/Swine.Palace.Hosts.cocktail-2852354.shtml
Swine Palace hosts "Cocktail"
Play to premiere at University
by Kelly Caulk
Issue date: 4/19/07
The show will run April 18-May 6 at the Swine Palace.
The inspirational life of pharmaceutical scientist Krisana Kraisintu will premiere onstage at Swine Palace in "Cocktail."
"She's a real-life hero," play co-writer and director Ping Chong said. "She saved a lot of lives, and she's still saving lives. It just shows that one person can make a difference."
Kraisintu made AIDS treatment affordable to thousands of patients by creating a generic version of the HIV drug AZT.
Co-writer and University biological
sciences professor Vince LiCata said he e-mailed Chong about the opportunity to write a science related play.
"We met [Kraisintu] about three or four months after that," LiCata said. "We knew she was going to talk to us, but we didn't know how long. She ended up spending 12 hours with us one day and then four hours the next day."
Kraisintu is scheduled to speak in Baton Rouge at the Chancellor's Distinguished Lectureship Series, as well as participate in a talk back session after the play.
"We're nervous about what she might think," LiCata said. "It will be good to get people to know who she is because she doesn't get a lot of press here in America."
Chong said social injustice is an issue the play addresses.
"It is a social justice issue that poor people can't afford medication," Chong said. "In Thailand the annual income is $25 per year, and in America the cost of AIDS medication is $55 per day."
Chong said the story of Kraisintu could inspire audiences.
"I want all people to understand that we can make a difference," he said.
The Swine Palace Production of "Cocktail" is a part of the University's Performing Art Series.
"Your student fees pay for it," said Vastine Stabler, director of Marketing and Public Relations for LSU Theatre. "We bring in the great artists in the world. This year they brought in Ping [Chong]."
Swine Palace and the LSU Performing Arts Series in association with Ping Chong and Company are bringing "Cocktail" to the stage. The play previews tonight in Swine Palace Theatre at 7:30 p.m. and premieres tomorrow at 7:30 p.m. The play will run through May 6.
While the play is premiering for the first time here at the University, LiCata said he does have plans to adapt the script into a screenplay, and to take the play to other universities.
"It's such a huge cast so it gets expensive," he said. "It's perfect for a university."
Chong said he does not know what audiences will take from "Cocktail."
"I don't know if they are going to be receptive," he said. "But let's hope."
This article popped up about the same time the interview ended. Made me wonder if someone over at The Nation was watching the interview and was spurred onto publish this online:
A moral issue if you need the drugs
Each baht cheaper simply means more minutes of life for people living with HIV
The news never interested Nid before last week but recently she has been glued to the television.
The 34-year-old widow from Sri Satchanalai district in Sukhothai is one of more than 120,000 people relying on expensive drugs to stay alive.
She is an HIV/Aids sufferer and uses a treatment called Kaletra, the drug at the centre of an international controversy.
The government angered Kaletra's maker, Abbott Laboratories of Chicago, when it invoked a special trade provision that allows it to ignore manufacturers' copyright patents.
Called compulsory licensing, the provision means it can manufacture generic versions of Kaletra and other drugs to make sure sufferers in this country are guaranteed affordable treatment. Abbott is incensed.
"It is very difficult for me to understand the whole of this complicated issue. What I do know is that the government is right and is helping people like me," Nid said.
Nid lives with her daughter and mother in rural Sukhothai. She found out she had contracted HIV nine years ago when she tested positive after becoming pregnant.
She thinks her husband, who has since deserted her and his daughter, infected her.
Meanwhile in Chiang Mai city, Prasert Dechaboon is watching the same news at a small hotel where he is attending a workshop. Prasert has lived with HIV/Aids for 17 years.
"I understand drug companies need a return on their investment. They have spent huge sums to make each product. It is business. But why can't they make a little less profit from Aids drugs? It is a question of morality," Prasert said.
"Don't they know they are playing politics with people's lives? Each baht cheaper an Aids drug becomes means more minutes alive for us. It means fewer people die," he said.
Prasert, 40, a former company manager, has been a full-time Aids activist for 14 years. He has been taking Aids treatments for eight years.
Nid and Prasert admit they are among the lucky ones. But that does not mean they are not struggling, they said. They still have to search for the best blend of drugs. Aids drugs are easily resisted, they said.
They note Aids treatments are different than those for other diseases because each individual needs a different combination, a unique treatment, that works best for him or her.
In 2000 the best treatment around for Nid was a blend of didanosine and zidovudine, or AZT. Later on that became the worst treatment for Nid.
Like watching the same movie over and over the best drugs sometimes become the worst after severalyears.
Some combinations work for years while others work for a few months only. In seven years Nid has taken five different recipes. Today's cocktail is lamivudine, tenofovir and the controversial Kaletra.
"Even if I could find the best combination for my symptoms it is not easy to take Kaletra. It has to be kept refrigerated," she said.
Prasert faces a similar experience. In eight years he has tried five different drug concoctions - ranging from didanosine to his latest mixture of AZT, 3TC and efavirenz.
"Drug efficiency is dependent on the timing of taking them. We have to be very strict on ourselves otherwise it won't work. I have to take it twice a day, at 9am and 9pm," he said.
"Efavirenz is patented by Merck. It did not react as strongly [as Abbott] because it has just a few years left on its patent," Prasert said.
"People living with HIV/Aids know very well each formula will one day no longer work for us. But we also believe new, better drugs will be discovered soon. I deeply believe I will die from old age like people not living with HIV/Aids," he said.
Nid prays Kaletra will continue working for her until a better drug is discovered.
"If we had a complete drug we could live and work like normal people. Otherwise, society has to shoulder our burden," she said.
Network of People Living with HIV/Aids (Upper North Region) leader Anan Muangmoolchai said Nid and others requiring Kaletra might be helped if more countries backed Thailand and invoked compulsory licensing.
"The good news is a new lopinavir/ritonavir protease inhibitor called Aluvia is being made. It is easier to take and does not need refrigeration.
"The bad news is Abbott is not going to release the product here because of the government's policy," Anan explained.
"It is like taking people living with HIV/Aids as hostages. Can't they spell humanitarian, morals or ethics?" he said.
Aids activist Chalermchai Phuenbuaphan said compulsory licensing was not only necessary for those depending on Kaletra but for patients needing new drugs after they build up resistance to the ones they are taking now.
The number of people needing Kaletra is rising, he explained. Of the 600,000 people with HIV/Aids, 120,000 require regular drug therapy and around 12,000 people need Kaletra.
"Due to the nature of the current Aids drugs, more people will require Kaletra due to resistance to their current drug usage. The latest forecast for this group is around 20,000 people a year," he said.
Prasert and Nid will monitor the situation patiently but will not waste this time. Each said they would do something useful for society.
Prasert is forming a multi-faith network fighting for Aids patients. Right now it involves 15 Protestant and Islamic groups and 30 Buddhist organisations.
"The network will work closely with communities in combating Aids in every area," he said.
Nid will help her mother raise her daughter and her brother's child and hope her story makes the public more aware of the scourge of HIV/Aids.
"I am happy to allow my life to be a lesson for others. To those who live with HIV/Aids, they can share my experience with drug treatments. Those not living with HIV/Aids should not put themselves at risk," she warned.
"I cannot join street protests because I am physically unable, but I send them my moral support and continue to organise the network of people living with HIV/Aids in Sukhothai," she said.
Kamol Sukin
The Nation
http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2007/05/13/headlines/headlines_30034084.php
BangkokPundit
13-05-07, 02:19 AM
"It is a social justice issue that poor people can't afford medication," Chong said. "In Thailand the annual income is $25 per year, and in America the cost of AIDS medication is $55 per day."
I think Chong's figure are a little off here by a massive scale. Less than 1000 baht a year?
Does a local plaster cast really cost 10,000 Baht? I guess that includes a hi-so hospital fee for setting the bone and cast in the right position. Interesting development though:
Thailand develops cardboard cast for broken bones
BANGKOK, June 28 (TNA) - Thai medical research has made a step forward with lightweight disposable cardboard casts, the latest innovation for broken bones.
Department of Medical Services head Dr. Chatri Bancheun has received 1,800 cardboard casts, a product of the research and development activities of the Emergency Medicine Department of Ratchavithee Hospital, Siam Cement Foundation and Siam Carton Packaging.
The cardboard casts can be adjusted to fit people of all sizes, take up less storage space and are liquid proof, contributing to their durability .
This latest innovation is also cost effective with a price of less than 10 baht apiece while other casts cost about 10,000 baht.
The cardboard casts will be distributed to patients nationwide during the trial period to perfect future models. (TNA)
http://etna.mcot.net/query.php?nid=30216
Hopefully they will be doing more than just distributing the new casts. Or perhaps that's what you get for your 30 Baht health scheme?
Medic1669
08-08-07, 12:34 AM
Today (8-07-07) at midnight, the well respected Narenthorn Emergency Medical Services Center (EMS) will be transfering its 1669 communication center function to "Erawan" communication center which belongs to BMA.
From now on, requesting an ambulance we will have to dial 1646 instead of former number "1669" of Narenthorn EMS. But bystanders or relative of the sick or injured can still call 1669 or 199 to request an ambulance, the call will be routed to 1646 center. (up-country the number is still the same "1669").
The former system of Narenthorn, it has only 1 command center to command and control all EMS ambulances in Thailand which has approximately 15 Advanced Life Support (ALS) ambulances which stationed in government and private hospitals plus 20-30 Basic Life Support (BLS) ambulances which stationed all round Bangkok (mostly they are trained rescuers (passed 110 hours training from MOPH) from Ruamkatanyu or Por Tek Tueng). But the system that will be run by BMA today will have 9 major hospitals to oversee their own geographical location (zones) which take care of all ALS and BLS ambulances in their zone.
As a result, command and control of EMS ambulances will be a little more complicated, some delays or communication failure may be occured (current performance of Narenthorn 1669 center in Bangkok run about 30 ALS calls + 40 BLS calls per day plus 8-12 minutes average response time).
One critical issue is that rescue volunteers are left behind by new BMA philosophy, it seems that BMA ignored them. So it maybe harder to cooporate with them, things such as ALS ambulance going to a call without finding a patient at scene will be increased. Narenthorn Center had been cooperated with rescue volunteers and police were somewhat successfully, evidences such as police and volunteers at scene request ALS ambulances were very common, some government hospitals also hire trained rescue volunteers to drive their ambulances, so i doubt the going-to-happen policy from BMA.
I hope there will be some news about this in the morning.
Thai pharmacist named Reader's Digest Asian of the Year for 2008
BANGKOK, Jan 26 (TNA) - Thai pharmacist Krisana Kraisintu has been named Reader's Digest "Asian of the Year" for 2008 for her tireless work on researching and manufacturing generic HIV-AIDS and malaria treatment drugs which have already saved millions of the poor people in African and Southeast Asian countries.
The 55-year-old pharmacist and former director of the Government Pharmaceutical Organization's Research and Development Institute was named Reader's Digest Asian of the Year for 2008, receiving the award and a financial honorarium of US$5,000 from editor-in-chief Jim Plouffe.
Dr. Krisana was recognised for her outstanding invention of zidovudine, a drug that reduces the chances of pregnant HIV-positive women passing the virus to their children, which is five times cheaper than generic products in terms of production costs. She has also helped African countries including Tanzania, Mali, Kenya and Burundi in producing a generic Anti Retro Viral (ARV) anti-AIDS medicine.
Thai Public Health Minister Mongkol Na Songkhla praised the magazine for its recognition of sparkling gems in Asia region and that he had closely followed the pharmacist's work since she worked at the ministry and admired her for intention to work for the poor in Africa.
Dr. Krisana said after receiving the award that it was an honour for her and her main objective in future was to produce inexpensive, high quality anti-AIDS medicines so that the wider public could have access to affordable medications.
She reported that some 785 million people in Africa experienced tuberculosis and malaria after becoming HIV-positive and acquiring AIDS, affecting the development of countries in the region. She said she planned to bring four medical doctors with disabiliities to train to make artificial limbs in Thailand in May so that they could transfer technology after returning to their home countries. (TNA)-E111
General News : Last Update : 12:21:09 26 January 2551 (GMT+7:00)
Archives
http://enews.mcot.net/view.php?id=2493
Singapore reports 11 chikungunya cases
SINGAPORE, Jan. 27 (Xinhua) -- One more Singaporean has been hit by the mosquito-borne, dengue-like chikungunya fever here, bringing the total number of cases to 11 so far, local media reported Saturday.
Channel News Asia quoted the Health Ministry as saying that the latest case detected on Friday is a Singaporean with no recent travel history and who spent some time daily in the Little India area.
The first 10 cases of the tropical disease, which are all linked to the Clive Street area in Little India, are detected as locally transmitted.
Nine of the 11 cases were admitted at the Communicable Disease Center for isolation and management, said the report.
Persons infected with chikungunya fever should stay indoors to prevent from being bitten again by mosquitoes, which may spread the infection further.
Channel News Asia said that all have been discharged, except for two who are still under observation, including the latest case.
Since the first case was detected on Jan. 14, the authorities have screened 1,795 people within a 150-meter radius of the affected section.
Checks were later expanded to cover a larger area and the latest case had spent time within the extended screening area.
Like the dengue virus, the chikungunya virus is spread by the Aedes mosquito. The symptoms include fever, joint pains, chills and nausea.
Since there is currently no vaccine for the chikungunya fever, destroying mosquito breeding sites is an efficient way to prevent transmission. (Xinhua)
Today In Asia : Last Update : 09:12:00 27 January 2551 (GMT+7:00)
http://enews.mcot.net/view.php?id=2505
This was also reported on Thai Language TV (TBPS if I remember rightly) news last night:
Warning of a new air-borne infection following first death
BANGKOK, March 17 (TNA) – A 37-year-old woman from Southern Thailand has been confirmed dead due to a virulent new infectious disease caused and carried by rodents, prompting the Disease Control Department to issue a warning on Monday.
Thailand's Disease Control Department director-general Dr. Thawat Suntrajarn issued the warning of a new communicable disease called 'Tularemia', after the middle-aged woman from the southern province of Prachuap Kiri Khan province died of the disease.
The victim reportedly caught the air-borne disease from her rabbits. She was reportedly undergoing chemotherapy to treat a cancer. As a result, she had a low level of immunity and was highly vulnerable to infection, according to Dr. Thawat.
Dr. Thawat added that Tularemia, otherwise known as 'rabbit fever', is one of 33 new diseases in Thailand and is a serious infectious disease caused by the bacterium 'Fracisella tularensis'. Moreover, it is a germ also used to produce biological weapons.
The disease's primary carriers, or vectors, are flies and pests such as fleas. Air-borne as it is, Tularemia can also be passed on to human by respiration, direct contact with rodent secretions, and consuming infected rodent meat.
Symptoms of infection include high fever, chill, head- and stomachache, vomiting, urinating difficulty, chest pain, shock and eventually death. However, if diagnosed early, the infection can be completely cured.
Dr. Thawat revealed that the primary symptoms of this new infectious disease are similar to those found in tuberculosis (TB) and general influenzas. He, therefore, advised if fever persists for more than one or two days despite taking paracetamol, the patient should receive medical advice from physicians. (TNA)-E007
General News : Last Update : 19:18:28 17 March 2008 (GMT+7:00)
http://enews.mcot.net/view.php?id=3320
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