Thailand to close border with Myanmar for a month to contain cholera

Thailand’s border with Myanmar in Tak province will be temporarily closed for a month to prevent the spread of cholera, which is currently spreading in the adjacent city of Shwe Kokko in Myanmar, Thai Defence Minister Phumtham Wechayachai said today.


“To contain the cholera outbreak from Myanmar, it is necessary to strengthen border controls. Specifically, the border will be closed for one month to prevent the disease from spreading further,” he said.


A joint center comprising the ministries of defence and public health, along with the army, has been established to monitor the cholera situation.
The centre has been working together to publicise the dangers of cholera and to educate people about the need for cleanliness. Rubber gloves and face masks are being distributed.


Meanwhile, Dr Opart Karnkawinpong, permanent secretary for public health, said that additional health officials are in Mae Sot to help local officials control the spread of the disease, with the setting up of an emergency centre to screen all patients from Myanmar.


He said that officials have been instructed to clean fresh markets and public toilets and to make sure that drinking water and ice are clean, while claiming that the situation is under control.


A cholera outbreak has been reported in Shwe Kokko township in Kayin state in Myanmar, where about 300 people are reported to have fallen sick. Two have died.


Three Myanmar nationals working in Tak’s Mae Sot district were infected with cholera and treated at a Mae Sot hospital. One remains hospitalized, while the other two have been discharged.


Medical supplies have been sent into Myanmar by the Thai government.


Thai troops and local health officials from Mae Sot district have been visiting people living close to the border, opposite Myawaddy township in Karen state, to educate them about protecting themselves against cholera.


Displaced persons from Myanmar, who have been living in shelters on the Thai side of the porous border, were also being asked to keep watch for new arrivals who may be infected.

Thailand to close border with Myanmar for a month to contain

Thailand sends medical supplies into Myanmar to treat cholera patients
Thailand has sent 24,000 doses of anti-cholera medication to Myanmar, which should be enough for 2,400 patients, and will send about 4,000 doses of anti-cholera vaccine next week, to cope with the current cholera outbreak in Myanmar border towns, Public Health Minister Somsak Thepsuthin said today.


He disclosed that, according to unofficial reports, about 7,000 people in Myanmar are infected with cholera, most of them in Yangon, Mandalay and in Mon state. In Shwe Kokko township of Kayin state, about 300 are infected. Four cases have also been reported in Mae Sot district of Thailand’s Tak province, including two Burmese and two Thais, he added.


Regarding the vaccine, he said that each person must receive two doses within seven days for it to be effective against the disease for six months.


To protect oneself from infection, Somsak emphasised the importance of cleanliness, as he suggested that people consume well-cooked food and clean or boiled water.

Thailand sends medical supplies into Myanmar to treat choler