| September 2, 2014
The Public Health Ministry today reported the first suspected case of
the deadly Ebola virus in the country when the patient returned from
Ebola infected countries and has high body temperature.
But now the patient is under
quarantine, said Dr Narong Sahamethapat, permanent secretary of the
Public Health Ministry said today at a press conference.
The patient is a Guinean who arrived in Thailand on August 20 and consulted doctors after developing high body temperature.
Dr Narong said the first suspected case of Ebola was discovered yesterday.
The patient arrived from infected
country and had a high body temperature of 38.8 degree Celsius. The
patient had soaring throat and nasal mucus.
He said she is now under quarantine closely monitored under international standards by doctors.
Doctors have sent the patient’ s blood for laboratory test at the Department of Medical Science, and at Chulalongkarn Hospital.
The result of the blood test was expected to be known this afternoon, he said.
He said the second blood test would be conducted on Thursday for confirmation.
The ministry has despatched
surveillance rapid response ( SRRT) teams from the Communicable Disease
Control Department and provincial public health stations to locate
those who had associated closely with her and had found 16 persons.
They have no sign of fever but
they were all quarantined at hospital for a 21-day close monitoring
laid down as a normal standard to limit the areas of spread as much as
possible to ensure confidence for the communities.
They will be treated the same as cold and infectious patients under international standard.
Dr Narong said latest check of the
suspected case of Ebola showed the patient’ s condition has improved but
doctors continued to check the vital sign and body temperature every
four hours.
All doctors and nurses giving
treatment to the case were in protective clothing and all medical
equipment used were strictly pasteurised.
He sad if all laboratory tests of
the suspected case showed negative, they would be forwarded to a special
team to diagnose and discard from its monitoring system, and all
surveillance mission on contact people will be halted.
He asked the public not to be
alarmed as the Ministry has a strengthened network and system to watch
and keep the virus from spread.
He said the disease is not contacted easily.
It could be infected only through
direct contact with the patient’ s hands. The deadly virus is mainly in
the blood and body fluids.
He said living close to the house
or walking pass house of patients could not be infected unless direct
contact with the patient and his fluids or vomits.
Washing hands after going to toilets is strictly advised, he added. http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/first-suspected-case-ebola-thailand-reported/