July 21, 2020
Mystery illness outbreak strikes Poipet: 10 people hospitalised with similar symptoms

Ten people have fallen ill, with all of them exhibiting similar symptoms in a mysterious outbreak in Banteay Meanchey province’s Poipet city.

The symptoms experienced by the group include abnormal fever, sore throat, skin rashes, joint pains and, in some cases, convulsions.

Banteay Meanchey provincial health department director Oum Rath said the patients had been hospitalised at the provincial health centre and were being monitored by doctors to diagnose the disease.

“The condition of the patients has improved but the medical team is still trying to ascertain the cause of the illness,” he said, adding four of them were women and two were children.

Speaking with doctors at the provincial hospital, Rath said although the cause has not been determined yet, doctors suspect it is Chikungunya disease, which is transmitted through the Aedes mosquito.

“The 10 patients have shown symptoms typical of the Chikungunya disease, which include fever, skin rashes, headaches, muscle pain and joint swelling,” he added.
https://www.khmertimeskh.com/50746695/m ... -symptoms/

Illness strikes 92 in Poipet, leaves 10 hospitalised
Long Kimmarita | Publication date 21 July 2020 | 22:37 ICT
Ninety-two villagers have fallen ill in a mysterious outbreak in Poipet town, Banteay Meanchey provincial Department of Health director Le Chan Sangvat said on Tuesday. None of the cases are life-threatening, but 10 of the victims have been warded in hospital.

Chan Sangvat told The Post that all of them exhibited similar symptoms – fever, skin rashes, muscle aches and joint pains.

Emergency response and immunisation teams tended to the ill and continue to monitor their condition, he said.

Medical workers have drawn blood from all of them and are running tests for the mosquito-borne chikungunya virus, measles and rubella, he said.
Blood samples, he said, have been sent to Institut Pasteur du Cambodge, the National Institute of Public Health and the provincial health department.

Chan Sangvat said the public will be informed when the results of blood tests come back from the three institutions.

The medical personnel are also working to sanitise living environments in the vicinity of the outbreak and are taking additional measures to curb the Aedes aegypti mosquito population in target villages, he said.
https://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/ ... spitalised

July 24, 2020
Ministry identifies ‘mystery disease’ as chikungunya

The Health Ministry yesterday identified the “mystery disease” which afflicted more than 160 people in Banteay Meanchey province’s Poipet city since Sunday as an outbreak of chikungunya (CHIK) and warned residents to take precautions.

In a statement, the ministry said at least 168 people were examined at the Poipet Health Centre 1 and 32 have been hospitalised for suspected chikungunya.

Chikungunya is a viral illness transmitted by mosquitoes. Symptoms include abnormal fever, sore throat, skin rashes, severe joint pains and in some cases, convulsions.

Bun Heng also urged people to immediately seek treatment at a health centre or referral hospital nearest to them if they have any of these symptoms.
https://www.khmertimeskh.com/50748075/m ... ikungunya/

Doc67 wrote: ↑Fri Jul 24, 2020 10:08 am Jesus H Christ.... another pox I have never heard of that can make you as sick as a dog.

Self isolation could become a good lifestyle here.

Isolation won't help. It's another mosquito-borne disease. The symptoms sound a bit like dengue.

Message from the Ministry of Health
23, Jul 2020, 11:29 pm
Phnom Penh: Some people in 6 villages in Poipet commune, Banteay Meanchey province have contracted Chikunngunya disease (CHIK). The six villages affected by the disease are Poipet, Kbal Koh, Ochrov, Prey Kob, O'Vanang and Oreussey. This is according to the announcement of the Ministry of Health on July 23, 2020.

The Ministry of Health confirmed that the outbreak began on July 19, with 168 people (94 females) living in the six villages. The symptoms are fever with a temperature of 38 degrees or above, red rash on the skin, and joint pain. After the technical officials of the Ministry of Health collected the samples and analyzed them at the Pasteur Laboratory, preliminary results showed that they were cases of chikungunya.

The disease is transmitted from person to person through the bite of Aedes Aegypti and Aedes Albopictus mosquitoes during the day, which is similar to dengue carrier mosquitoes. According to the Ministry of Health, the symptoms of the disease are in addition to a fever, red rashes on the skin and feet, joint pains, headaches, nausea, and fatigue as well.

Normally, the disease is not fatal and patients usually recover within a week, but in some cases it may take weeks, and according to the Ministry of Health, in some cases patients can have joint pain for up to 5 years. It can also be fatal if the patient has a combination of diseases such as dengue fever, malaria and meningitis.

"Although the disease has a low risk of death, it has a detrimental effect on health," the ministry said. Especially for the elderly over the age of 50, who may then suffer from chronic arthritis.

To prevent this disease, the Ministry of Health has advised and called on all citizens to eliminate tiger mosquito shelters by cleaning the house. Prevent stagnant water around the house by eliminating pools, cans, tires, coconut shells, water containers, flower pots every week. At the same time, people must wear pants, long sleeves and socks to cover most of the body.

People should use spray or repellent to keep mosquitoes away, because this type of medicine can be used safely by pregnant women. At the same time, people have to sleep under mosquito nets and during the day, they have to open the windows and doors wide to let in sunlight and ventilation.

July 26, 2020
Banteay Meanchey authorities begin CHIK awareness campaign
Sen David

Banteay Meanchey provincial authorities announced on Saturday they have started a campaign to disseminate chikungunya (CHIK) disease information and prevention measures in the 13 communes which have suffered recent outbreaks of the illness.

Fears over the cause of the sickness were settled on July 23 after the Ministry of Health identified the outbreaks of illness as CHIK, a viral illness transmitted by mosquitoes, which afflicted more than 160 people in Banteay Meanchey province’s Poipet city.

Banteay Meanchey provincial deputy governor Ly Sary said authorities initiated the campaign to better inform villagers about the dangers of CHIK and how to prevent it in 13 communes in Mongkol Borey. The authorities also plan to continue the campaign into other areas of the province, he said.
https://www.khmertimeskh.com/50748792/b ... -campaign/

Take care. The chikungunya disease is spreading across Cambodia now at a fast pace.

August 1, 2020
Chikungunya on the rise as over 1,000 patients diagnosed

The Chikungunya disease has reportedly spread quickly to 12 provinces across the Kingdom, with over a thousand patients testing positive for the vector-borne disease, the Ministry of Health said today.

According to the announcement, as of July, 80 percent of the cases were found in the provinces of Siem Reap, Banteay Meanchey, Preah Vihear, and Kampong Cham while the rest were detected in Oddar Meanchey, Tboung Khmum, Takeo, Kampong Thom, Pursat, Stung Treng and Pailin.

Health Minister Mam Bun Heng said: “The measure to prevent the spread of Chikungunya is similar to dengue prevention. So, you have to avoid getting bitten by a female mosquito carrying the Chikungunya virus by removing all mosquito-breeding containers.”
https://www.khmertimeskh.com/50750820/c ... diagnosed/

According to an expat post on social media today, there are a number of chikungunya cases in Kep. The disease is propagated by mosquitoes and is probably now widespread across the country, so everyone is advised to take the same precautions as for dengue fever.