Accordingly, temperature could be accompanied with increases in the population of the Aedes species and dengue fever infections.
Furthermore, mosquito population dynamics vary for different geographic regions where dengue is transmitted suggesting that the influence of climate on dengue may be site-specific (Scott 2003). An important observation related to dengue transmission in tropical areas like Philippines, and Thailand is an increase in dengue cases during the rainy season (i.e. July–November) (Forattini et al. 1993). In year 2015, there were 11,162 cases of Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever (DHF) in southern Thailand, with 12 deaths (Bureau of Epidemiology, Department of Disease Control, the Ministry of Health, Thailand 2016). In 2015, 2128 dengue cases were reported in Nakhon Si Thammarat with 455 and 318 dengue cases at Muang Nakhon Si Thammarat district in 2014 and 2015
(Figure 1) (Province Health Office 2016).
Figure 1. Dengue cases reported in Muang Nakhon Si Thammarat, Thailand during January 2011-January 2016
The objectives of this study are (1) to study climatic factors affecting dengue cases in Muang Nakhon Si Thammarat, Thailand and (2) to determine whether Muang Nakhon Si Thammarat is the dengue risk area based on the container index