Thursday, August 16, 2001, updated at 14:58(GMT+8)
China
People Alerted to Dengue Fever in China
Dengue fever has been reported as a serious disease breaking out in Thailand and some SE Asian countries and regions since May. To prevent the disease to spread to China and safeguard people's health, the State General Administration of the People's Republic of China for Quality Supervision and Inspection and Quarantine, the Ministry of Health and National Tourism Administration jointly issued an urgent circular.
The circular says that if tourists from Dengue fever plagued areas get fever, headache, rash, muscle pain and other symptoms, they should state their cases to relevant institutions and related quarantine departments should take measures to control the spread of the disease. Tourists who have got the aforesaid symptoms back home should go to see doctors in order to get a timely diagnosis and treatment.
The circular also demands that all transportation vehicles and containers to China from those disease areas go through necessary checkups and related quarantine departments carry out strict inspection and kill mosquitoes. Tourists who are ready to go to the disease areas must be told related information about Dengue fever and consulted for prevention methods.
Tourists Assured Safe over Thai Trips
Chinese tourists travelling overseas will continue to enjoy their visit in Thailand in safety despite reports of an outbreak of dengue fever, the Thai Government declared in Beijing Monday.
The disease which originates in tropical and subtropical areas has been of concern to Chinese tourists, quarantine, tourism and health departments since July.
Mosquitoes and Dengue
Dengue fever is a serious disease of Asia and Africa. Classic dengue, known for its low mortality but very uncomfortable symptoms, has become more serious, both in frequency and mortality, in recent years. Dengue is caused by an RNA flavivirus exhibiting many serotypes. Symptoms vary according to the serotype. The main vector of dengue, Aedes aegypti, flourishing in mankind's urban to suburban environments, has spread the disease to many parts of the world. Another mosquito, Aedes albopictus, a less important urban vector, has helped maintain the prevalence of dengue in Asian regions.
Dengue fever has been reported as a serious disease breaking out in Thailand and some SE Asian countries and regions since May. To prevent the disease to spread to China and safeguard people's health, the State General Administration of the People's Republic of China for Quality Supervision and Inspection and Quarantine, the Ministry of Health and National Tourism Administration jointly issued an urgent circular.