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Zika Virus In Thailand: Cases, Affected Areas, Risk Factor & Symptoms

Last summer, the rise of the Zika virus in South America made residents and tourists alike uneasy.

Concern spiked when cases of Zika started to appear in the southern regions of the United States, but since then, the virus has gone global, spreading through Central and South America to Central Africa to West and Southeast Asia.

Though the likelihood of contracting the Zika virus in Thailand is rare, in September, two babies born with the microcephaly birth defect had been identified in the fall of last year.

While those traveling to Thailand are likely to be unaffected by the risk, pregnant women, or those women planning to get pregnant, should certainly consider the information below before boarding a Thailand bound plane.

* Recent confirmed cases are listed under the ‘confirmed cases' section.

zika virus thailand

What is Zika Virus?

Also referred to ZIKV, the Zika virus can be classified in the Flaviviridae family of viruses. Zika is spread through mosquitos, specifically Aedes mosquitos like A. aegypti and A. albopictus.

It can also be spread sexually, from partner to partner, if adequate protection is not used. It originated in Uganda- Zika Forest- explaining its name. Zika is also closely related to other tropical fever diseases, namely dengue, Japanese encephalitis, West Nile and yellow fever.

What Are the Symptoms of Zika Virus?

While the majority of those who are infected with Zika do not have any symptoms (asymptomatic), some may experience side effects which will manifest between 3 and 12 days after an initial infection.

These symptoms will probably include pinkeye, vomiting, headache, mild fever, muscle and joint pain, malaise, sensitivity to light, skin rash (red blotches on neck, arms, chest, face) and abdominal pain, constipation and dizziness. The illness and symptoms generally clear up in a week.

For pregnant woman, Zika infections can lead to microcephaly, a birth defect that results in brain abnormalities. While not completely confirmed, scientists’ findings suggest that the Zika virus attacks crucial stem cells while the fetus’s brain is still developing.

How Big is the Risk in Thailand?

Though the risk of contracting Zika is somewhat moderate in Thailand, the United States’ CDC recommends that “women who are pregnant [should] not travel to Thailand.”

The CDC also states that “all travelers should strictly follow steps to prevent mosquito bites and sexual exposure to Zika virus during and after the trip,” but places less restriction on travel for them as Zika rarely has serious symptoms for those who are not pregnant.

How Many Cases Have Been Confirmed?

As of November, Thailand’s health ministry had found 33 new cases of Zika.

Thailand was also the first country in Southeast Asia that had a confirmed case of microcephaly (September 2016) and the Kingdom currently leads the Southeast Asia region with the most cases of Zika. In 2016 alone, the Thai ministry of health reported about 700 cases of the virus.

Noting that the cases of microcephaly did not occur in Bangkok, the Department of Disease Control confirmed two cases of babies born with deformed brains in September of 2016. At the same time, the WHO urged Southeast Asian countries to more effectively ‘prevent, detect and respond to Zika virus transmission.’

Again, the total number of cases of Zika in Thailand is an unconfirmed total, but numbers for 2016 suggest that it may have surpassed 700. Thailand is the leading location in Southeast Asia for the Zika virus, so it’s possible that 2017 will yield greater numbers of infected tourists and Thai residents.

Update: In July 2017, the Department of Disease Control confirmed 11 new cases in Pichit, a northern province approximately 330 kilometres from Bangkok. This takes the total to 81 confirmed cases since the start of the year.

What Areas Are Most Affected?

According to research published in the American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene in late 2015, the threat of contracting Zika in Thailand is not relegated to a specific area. Instead, it has “a widespread distribution,” making most- if not all- areas in Thailand risky for pregnant women.

Thailand’s large cities, like Bangkok, have also been affected. Recent reports have shown that around 30 cases of Zika virus have occurred in the sprawling city of Bangkok. Considering the metropolitan area has a population of 5.7m, this still represents a small risk.

Who is at Most Risk?

Anyone who visits Southeast Asia and Thailand is at risk for contracting the Zika Virus through mosquito bites and potentially through sexual contact. However, the only true ‘at-risk’ population is that of pregnant women.

Pregnant women should avoid countries where the threat of Zika is known because of the risk of microcephaly. Non-pregnant women who have visited Zika prone areas should wait at least 8 weeks before attempting to conceive.

What Does the World Health Organization (WHO) Say?

While many health agencies point to the danger of contracting the Zika Virus in Thailand, the public health ministry has downplayed these fears. Though the WHO declared the spread of the virus an ‘international emergency,’ Thailand’s reaction to this scary statement was a calmer approach that suggests WHO is somewhat scaring people.

The Ministry of Public Health reportedly responded that; “Thais should not worry. Thailand has no outbreak of this disease,” a statement that is in marked contrast to the nearly 700 cases of Zika that were identified in 2016.

Somewhat alarming is the fact that Thailand had not- as of September 2016- updated a Zika prevention and control plan.

Further evidence of the ministry of health’s dismissiveness is shown by the unwillingness to identify the provinces where most Zika cases had been reported, a move to preserve the tourism economy of individual provinces and to stave off fear that may slow or even halt the influx of tourists to the country.

The Thai government is trying to mitigate risk in heavily populated areas by increasing insecticide spraying around areas that may attract mosquitos.

As for the WHO (World Health Organization), little definitive information is listed, although the website does state that there have been no mosquito-borne Zika virus infections in the past week in Thailand and that an initiative to monitor the prevalence of microcephaly was put in place in February of 2016.

Overall, the WHO notes that the global risk assessment has not changed, but did try to imply that more pressure needed to be placed on Southeast Asian countries, who the WHO does not believe is doing sufficient work to curtail the problem.

WHO did, however, laud Thailand’s spraying efforts, noting that the Kingdom’s “diligence underscores the commitment of health authorities to the health and wellbeing of the Thai public.”

Is There a Vaccine or Cure?

There is no treatment or medication for the Zika Virus, as the symptoms are generally non life threatening and can be alleviated by rest and supplementary medicine for aches, pains or fever.

A vaccine for Zika does not exist, though doctors and scientists hope that the efforts to formulate one are forthcoming. Realistically, is not expected that a vaccination will be ready for market in the foreseeable future.

In terms of preventing Zika, doctors suggest pregnant women remove themselves from Zika prone areas and take precautions that include using mosquito netting, using air-conditioning, wearing insect repellent and covering the body in long pants, long sleeved shirts and hats.

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      • James E says

        This info was updated last week: https://www.iamat.org/country/thailand/risk/zika-virus One of the interesting things from an epidemiological view is that the drop in new cases is due to "herd immunity" having developed because everybody's been exposed. But, really, is this a risk you want to take? You and your wife might want to talk to a doctor and see if there could be complications from the mosquito prevention chemicals. DEET, permethrin, etc. might entail their own risks.
        Reply

  5. Pass says

    Hello. Are there any updates on how zika in Thailand is doing in the later half of 2018? So hard to dine info online. We have booked to go to Phuket in may 2019 and not too sure if w eahpukd camcel I will be 5 months pregnant? Is it still as bad? Thank you
    Reply

  7. chonie says

    I went to Thailand for one month and come back on 15th july 2018, I’m stayed at khonkaen provinc all time, Do u know how much chance i can get Zika virus ? because i have bitten and I am preparing to IVF ,when can inget test about Zika virus, or can i get test now or need to wait and how long? and where can i find the update information about Zika viruses in Thailand .Thank you
    Reply

  9. Nat says

    Does anyone know why southern China doesn't have a Zika warning? I'm concerned because I'm here now and looked at CDC advisory and China and Taiwan don't have a Zika warning. Seems odd since Southern China is so close to Vietnam.
    Reply

  10. Arnar says

    We ended up cancelling because we were so hung up on the fact that "if" something happens that we thought we would not enjoy the trip, got a refund from the travel insurance by reference from a doctor regarding the zika risk.
    Reply

    • Tom says

      Yeah ok cheers. We did a risk assessment with our doctor about where when and how long we are going for and she felt we would be ok to go. She had a list of areas within Thailand that are high or low risk and apparently Phuket is fairly low risk. Even after that we are not convinced we are going to go though. Its hard to ignore the risk even if its low. Good advice on the doctors letter.
      Reply

  11. Nikki says

    Hi I am travelling to Phuket and Bangkok at the end of jan 2018. I am not currently pregnant but trying to conceive is it still safe to go? If no bites can we continue conception as soon as we get back? Can we distinguish a mosquito bite from another insect? Or are there tests for zika if you contract it?
    Reply

    • TheThailandLife says

      NHS advice is to avoid conception while travelling and for up to 6 months on return. You won't necessarily be able to distinguish a bite. There is a test you can do but the NHS don't provide it unless you are pregnant, so get one privately when you get back home if you want to start trying to conceive again.
      Reply

      • Erik says

        I just spent two weeks in Southern Thailand returning on 1/23/18 (Phuket, Phi Phi, Surat Thani). Around day 6 I fell ill with a mild fever, sweats, lethargy, and no appetite. Sweated it out in bed for two days (symptoms weren't that severe). I felt better for 2-3 days, but then fell ill again, this time with symptoms more associated with common cold/mild influenza (i.e. congestion and stuff) which lasted 9-10 days. My guess is that perhaps I contracted Zika (symptoms seem too mild to be Dengue), recovered and then caught a common cold (just a guess). My girl also got sick (fever, lethargy, no appetite) and developed a rash on her face (typically associated with Zika/Dengue). If my wife were preggers, I wouldn't be taking her anywhere tropical just to be safe.
        Reply

      • Hazel says

        I went to Thailand for a week mid Nov last year. I was 10 weeks pregnant and unaware of the Zika going on at the time. Or else I wouldn’t have went. I stayed in Phuket and once I arrived back to the US I got tested for Zika. Test results came back negative. It’s up to you if you want to go. Just make sure your wife wears safe mosquito repellent.
        Reply

        • TheThailandLife says

          Zika is a risk in Vietnam and Cambodia too, but more so Vietnam:Vietnam in particular has faced a high number of outbreaks over the past month. The Southeast Asian nation's very first case was reported in April 2016 but late last year, more people began contracting the disease. The majority are within Ho Chi Minh, home to around 145 cases in total, with health officials warning on Dec. 21 that the city was averaging 10 cases per week, according to local media.https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/destinations/traveler/none/vietnam https://www.iamat.org/country/cambodia/risk/zika-virus
          Reply

        • Ulla says

          Hi, I went to Phuket in December, and got pregnant a few months later. I think if you stay in a nice ressort they won't have any water standing around from where aegis agypti can spread, but as soon as the sun went down, loads of mosquitos did come out (they could just be normal mosquitoes and not zika ones though)... As there is such a small number of ZIKA cases reported in THailand, I would not worry so much, but wear repellent or even stay inside at night. It really depends on whether you think you will enjoy your holidays, even if the risk is tiny.
          Reply

  12. Arnar says

    Hi, we are travelling to phuket in 11. january, my girlfriend is pregnant (8 weeks). I have a feeling that pregnant woman are not travelling and recent statistics off cases with pregnant woman is irrelvelant due to lack of pregnant woman travelling.This is quiet disturbing, our government has put low risk but still a risk.
    Reply

    • TheThailandLife says

      Apparently the risk is still there in the body for that period. I have friends who holidayed in Mexico and conceived there. She had to be tested for Zika when she arrived back and the baby monitored during the pregnancy. The baby was fine.
      Reply

    • TheThailandLife says

      I have updated the post with the most recent cases (see under confirmed cases). Is your wife pregnant? The virus only really poses a threat to pregnant women. Considering the population to infection ratio, there has been relatively few cases. But there is a risk. Please read the details of the post and make a decision based on the facts.
      Reply

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