Vietnam - Hand-foot-mouth disease outbreaks in central Vietnam

VietNamNet Bridge – The disease has been spreading in Quang Ngai, Quang Nam and Da Nang in central Vietnam after several months of calm.


In Quang Ngai province, the number of children who contracted hand-foot-mouth disease has soared. Doctor Nguyen Tan Phu, head of the Quang Ngai Province Hospital’s Pediatrics Ward, said that in the past seven days, 63 children were hospitalized, raising the total number of child patients to 116 so far this year.

Previously, this disease used to outbreak from April to June; but this year, the disease has broken out since early February, doctor Phu said.

Since mid-2011, Quang Ngai has had more than 7,100 patients, five of them have died.

The epidemic is now a threat to kindergartens in Quang Ngai. Dang Thi Ngoc Ly. Headmaster of 2/9 Kindergarten said that one week ago, one kid in her kindergarten was hospitalized for hand-foot-mouth. Since then, a class with 20 kids has closed. The school has decontaminated the entire school.

In Quang Nam, the epidemic has been widespread to the mountain district of Dong Giang. The Lien Hop Kindergarten in Prao Town has closed since February 17 after one student was diagnosed to catch the disease on February 16.

Son Ca Kindergarten in Ba commune, Dong Giang district, also has reported one student with hand-foot-mouth disease. The local authorities are worried that the epidemic can spread quickly because of poorly hygienic condition.

In Da Nang city, the local Obstetrics and Pediatrics Center has had over 110 patients. Many patients have to use beds placed on corridors.

To prevent hand-foot-mouth epidemic, the Da Nang Preventive Medical Center has conducted decontamination at 71 sites.

Schools in the city have been informed of the threat.

PV


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