Illustrative image (Source: VNA) HCM City (VNA) - Hospitals inthe southern region have admitted many patients diagnosed with hand-foot-mouthdisease, measles or upper respiratory infections as the peak season forcontagious diseases has arrived.
The number of children with hand-foot-mouth(HFM) disease at Ho Chi Minh City Paediatrics Hospital 1 rose by five timescompared to last month, according to Truong Huu Khanh, head of the hospital’sinfectious and nervous diseases department.
In the last several days, the departmentadmitted more children with the disease, and on September 24 only, as many as222 children with HFM infections were admitted. One patient died from HFMdisease, which has no protective vaccine, Khanh said.
Compared to the last five years, the hospitalhas seen more HFM cases this year, including kids who attend nurseries andkindergartens, as well as those who stay at home, Khanh said.
Nearly 670 out of 7,000 patients have beendiagnosed with HFM at the hospital since the beginning of this month.
Khanh said that more than 50 percent ofhospitalised patients had contracted the HFM EV71 infection, which causes ahigh risk of severe complications such as pneumonia and respiratory failure,and even death.
Parents should take preventive measures as thepeak season might extend into November and December, he said.
If children have a fever for two days andexperience vomiting, they should be taken to the nearest health facilities forexamination and treatment.
The city’s Department of Health has instructedhealth officials to inform the public about preventive measures, and inspecthygiene at nurseries and kindergartens.
The Preventive Health Centre said that nearly3,200 children have had HFM in HCM City since the beginning of the year. Lastweek, the number of cases increased by 45 percent compared to previous weeks.
One patient in neighbouring Dong Nai provincedied due to the disease, according to the province’s Department of Health. Asof September 20, the province had 6,100 patients infected with HFM.
The Dong Nai Paediatrics Hospital each dayadmits 90 cases, an increase of three times compared to last month. Manypatients are using ventilators.
During an online meeting on September 26 betweenHCM City Pasteur Institute, which is in charge of surveillance of diseases inthe southern region, and health officials of 20 southern provinces, Dr Phan TrongLan, head of the institute, instructed the officials to take preventivemeasures to avoid an outbreak of infectious diseases.
More than 30,000 children with HFM have beenreported nationwide since late August, according to the Ministry of Health. Allprovinces and cities have reported patients with the disease.
In the country’s northern region, the peakseason for measles is in May and June, while the southern region has seen anincrease in cases since mid-August.
Dong Nai province has had 136 cases, the largestnumber of patients with measles in the southern region, which is followed byBinh Duong and Ba Ria-Vung Tau provinces, and HCM City.
Immunisation coverage in Dong Nai is low so therisk of spreading the disease is very high, according to the province’sPreventive Health Centre.
The province has a large number of migrantworkers who do not get their children vaccinated or take preventive measures.
Dr Le Hong Nga of the HCM City Preventive HealthCentre said the city has had 96 cases since the beginning of the year.
The city carried out a vaccination campaign forchildren born in 2016 and 2017, and is considering a vaccine for children agedthree to five, according to Nga.
The centre has instructed its health officialsin districts to take measures to prevent the spread of measles at hospitals.
Dr Luong Chan Quang of the Pasteur Institute inHCM City warned that Ba Ria-Vung Tau should vaccinate children aged one tofive, since it has the third highest number of measles cases in thesoutheastern region.
Lan said that hospital staff should also getvaccinated because the risk of transmission from patients is high.
In addition to HFM and measles, the number ofchildren with upper respiratory infections has increased at hospitals in Hanoiand HCM City.
Infected children have symptoms such as cough,difficulties in breathing, runny nose, sneezing and fever.
The infection can worsen the condition ofpremature babies and those with heart disease or weak immune systems.
Since there is no vaccine against the respiratoryvirus, people are advised to wash their hands regularly and avoid contact withinfected people.-VNA
The number of children with hand-foot-mouth(HFM) disease at Ho Chi Minh City Paediatrics Hospital 1 rose by five timescompared to last month, according to Truong Huu Khanh, head of the hospital’sinfectious and nervous diseases department.
In the last several days, the departmentadmitted more children with the disease, and on September 24 only, as many as222 children with HFM infections were admitted. One patient died from HFMdisease, which has no protective vaccine, Khanh said.
Compared to the last five years, the hospitalhas seen more HFM cases this year, including kids who attend nurseries andkindergartens, as well as those who stay at home, Khanh said.
Nearly 670 out of 7,000 patients have beendiagnosed with HFM at the hospital since the beginning of this month.
Khanh said that more than 50 percent ofhospitalised patients had contracted the HFM EV71 infection, which causes ahigh risk of severe complications such as pneumonia and respiratory failure,and even death.
Parents should take preventive measures as thepeak season might extend into November and December, he said.
If children have a fever for two days andexperience vomiting, they should be taken to the nearest health facilities forexamination and treatment.
The city’s Department of Health has instructedhealth officials to inform the public about preventive measures, and inspecthygiene at nurseries and kindergartens.
The Preventive Health Centre said that nearly3,200 children have had HFM in HCM City since the beginning of the year. Lastweek, the number of cases increased by 45 percent compared to previous weeks.
One patient in neighbouring Dong Nai provincedied due to the disease, according to the province’s Department of Health. Asof September 20, the province had 6,100 patients infected with HFM.
The Dong Nai Paediatrics Hospital each dayadmits 90 cases, an increase of three times compared to last month. Manypatients are using ventilators.
During an online meeting on September 26 betweenHCM City Pasteur Institute, which is in charge of surveillance of diseases inthe southern region, and health officials of 20 southern provinces, Dr Phan TrongLan, head of the institute, instructed the officials to take preventivemeasures to avoid an outbreak of infectious diseases.
More than 30,000 children with HFM have beenreported nationwide since late August, according to the Ministry of Health. Allprovinces and cities have reported patients with the disease.
In the country’s northern region, the peakseason for measles is in May and June, while the southern region has seen anincrease in cases since mid-August.
Dong Nai province has had 136 cases, the largestnumber of patients with measles in the southern region, which is followed byBinh Duong and Ba Ria-Vung Tau provinces, and HCM City.
Immunisation coverage in Dong Nai is low so therisk of spreading the disease is very high, according to the province’sPreventive Health Centre.
The province has a large number of migrantworkers who do not get their children vaccinated or take preventive measures.
Dr Le Hong Nga of the HCM City Preventive HealthCentre said the city has had 96 cases since the beginning of the year.
The city carried out a vaccination campaign forchildren born in 2016 and 2017, and is considering a vaccine for children agedthree to five, according to Nga.
The centre has instructed its health officialsin districts to take measures to prevent the spread of measles at hospitals.
Dr Luong Chan Quang of the Pasteur Institute inHCM City warned that Ba Ria-Vung Tau should vaccinate children aged one tofive, since it has the third highest number of measles cases in thesoutheastern region.
Lan said that hospital staff should also getvaccinated because the risk of transmission from patients is high.
In addition to HFM and measles, the number ofchildren with upper respiratory infections has increased at hospitals in Hanoiand HCM City.
Infected children have symptoms such as cough,difficulties in breathing, runny nose, sneezing and fever.
The infection can worsen the condition ofpremature babies and those with heart disease or weak immune systems.
Since there is no vaccine against the respiratoryvirus, people are advised to wash their hands regularly and avoid contact withinfected people.-VNA
VNA
