Thailand yesterday assures international communities that the contagious Zika virus did not spread in the country, but concentrated only in certain areas where the disease could be contained with its efficient implementation of intensive measures against the virus.

The assurance was given by the Foreign Ministry’s spokesman Sek Wanna-methee yesterday following recent disclosure by the website of the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) citing Thailand as a “red alert” country with increasing or widespread Zika virus transmission to the point of having the region’s highest number of patients within the last three months.

The spokesman said Thai public health officials have detected Zika virus cases just small in numbers.

These cases were concentrated only in some areas and did not spread extensively as feared.

Besides there was neither any patients died of the virus nor any newly-born infant having unusual small head size, he said.

He also said that Thailand could detect more cases of Zika virus because of improvement of the country’s laboratory test enabling it to detect the virus by itself in the country.

As a consequence, it could detect more virus cases or over 100 times higher than last year’s detection.

This was a reason of the rise in Zika virus cases this year, he said.

But with intensive measures implemented by the Ministry of Public Health with cooperation from all sectors to monitor and control the situation continuously, the virus could be contained and there was no spread of the disease, he said.

He said all Thai embassies, and consulates have now been instructed to clarify the true situation in the country to international communities.

Source: ThaiPBS