Sakai off limit to tourists now
Two members of Satun's Sakai ethnic minority have died of typhoid and three others have been in a worrying condition, according to the southern province's deputy governor Utarn Pichyaporn.
He said on Monday that some 50 other members of the minority group living in Satun’s Thung Wa district have been asked not to move to another place. This was aimed at preventing possible spread of the disease to other areas.
Sakai normally move from place to place, he said, adding that as the cause of the outbreak remained unknown, they were asked not to move elsewhere. “There is a need for confinement, with their consent. Officials need to do screening to determine the pathogen,” Utarn said, adding that the Sakai people have given shots to protect them against typhoid.
The deputy governor said local officials have been instructed to provide urgent assistance to the Sakai community following the deaths and illness caused by typhoid.
Typhoid is serious infection marked by intestinal inflammation and ulceration. It is caused by Salmonella typhosa ingested with food or water.
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