An investigation of Coronavirus Disease 2019 outbreak from cockfighting stadium to housewarming party in Angthong province, Thailand 31 December 2020-26 January 2021

Abstract

The situation analysis team of the Office of Disease Prevention and Control, Region 4 Saraburi notified its operations team of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak and 5 high risk contacts in Angthong province. We cooperated with the investigation teams from Angthong Provincial Health Office to confirm the diagnosis and the outbreak, find the source of spreading and contacts of COVID-19, and
implement COVID-19 prevention and control measures from December 31, 2020 to January 26, 2021. Data were collected using the Coronavirus disease 2019 patient investigation questionnaire (Novel corona). The samples were obtained and tested for SARS-CoV-2 by real-time RT-PCR in the laboratory. Five
confirmed cases were detected. Before they got sick, they had lived in the nearby area at village numbers 3 and 4, Bangchak subdistrict, Wisetchaichan district that linked to the previous cockfighting stadium outbreak. A total of 116 confirmed cases were reported: 115 Thais and 1 Myanmar. Eighty-two cases were male (71.0%), 74 cases were in working age group (30-59 years old) (63.8%), 33 cases were hireling (28.5%), 13 cases were fighting cock farmers (11.2%). Most of them were asymptomatic (74.0%), and 30 cases were symptomatic (26.0%) with 14 cases reported having cough (46.7%). The epidemic pattern was mixed starts from the common source in cockfighting field and spread from the patients to close contacts or
household contacts. Regarding rapidly proactive detection and searching of patients covering entire villages, isolation and treatment of confirmed patient, high risk contacts quarantine, close all cockfighting areas,
chicken training grounds, cockfighting kiosks, as well as refrain from organizing all kinds of activities that include many people, the outbreak can be controlled within 1 month.