An emergency operations centre (EOC) has been established by the Public Health Ministry in response to over 100 people falling ill from an unidentified pathogen across three districts in Phuket. The pathogen has caused severe diarrhoea among those affected.
Public Health Permanent Secretary, Dr Opas Karnkawinpong, stated that health authorities are investigating the cause of the outbreak, which was initially thought to be a virus. The EOC has been set up to manage the situation, working closely with provincial authorities throughout the investigation.
Dr Opas emphasised that despite diarrhoea having a low death rate, it is crucial to enforce sanitation regulations to prevent it from becoming a public health concern. This comes after a surge of patients presenting with symptoms on Thursday night.
