Thailand’s Department of Disease Control (DDC) has tightened screening for travellers arriving from 13 South American countries as part of Hantavirus surveillance, although no cases have been found in Thailand.
Today, May 12, DDC director-general Montien Khanasawat inspected the international disease control checkpoint at Suvarnabhumi Airport. The visit followed screening measures introduced for travellers arriving from South America yesterday, May 11.
Montien said Thailand has not recorded any Hantavirus cases, but screening has been strengthened to build public confidence and support safe international travel.
Travellers arriving from 13 countries in South America under Hantavirus surveillance must report to disease control officers before immigration checks if they visited those countries within the previous six weeks. They must also complete a T.8 health declaration and answer questions about symptoms.
Anyone with a fever above 38 degrees Celsius and symptoms such as headache, muscle pain, fatigue, stomach pain, nausea, vomiting, or breathing difficulty, along with a risk history, will be sent to Bamrasnaradura Infectious Diseases Institute for diagnosis. Patients will then be isolated or quarantined according to disease control procedures.
DDC deputy director-general Direk Khampaen said officers at all international disease control checkpoints have been ordered to screen travellers strictly, especially those from affected areas.
He said the department has also emphasised patient referral systems, risk communication, and cooperation with related agencies to support disease surveillance, prevention, and control.
Thailand reportedly has 74 international disease control checkpoints under the DDC. These include 17 airport checkpoints, 18 seaport checkpoints, and 39 land border checkpoints.
Direk said the checkpoints continue to enforce environmental sanitation and vector control on international transport, including cruise ships.
Khaosod reported that since May 9, officers have screened 470 travellers from South America, averaging 157 people per day. According to DDC, no cases have been found.
The five airports with the highest numbers of arrivals from South America were Suvarnabhumi with 371 travellers, Chiang Mai with 28, Don Mueang with 27, Phuket with 20, and Krabi with two.
Direk urged people returning from overseas to seek medical care if they develop a high fever, body aches, or unusual breathing difficulty after contact with rodents or travel from a risk area.
He said travellers should inform doctors about their travel history and any contact with animals so they can receive prompt diagnosis and treatment. People with questions can contact the Department of Disease Control hotline at 1422.
In a separate development, enhanced disease control measures have been in place at Suvarnabhumi, Don Mueang, and Phuket airports, targeting travellers from West Bengal, India, following a confirmed outbreak of the potentially deadly Nipah virus.
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