Proactively prevent dengue fever

(Baonghean) - According to statistics from the Ministry of Health, dengue fever is currently occurring in 50 provinces and cities across the country with more than 29,000 cases and 18 deaths. In Nghe An, since the end of August, two small outbreaks have occurred in Quynh Luu and Hung Nguyen. Faced with increasingly complicated developments of dengue fever, disease prevention work in the province has been and is being vigorously implemented.

On the morning of September 17, we were present at Hung Linh commune, Hung Nguyen, where a dengue fever epidemic is occurring. Currently, the commune health station staff are actively monitoring and treating 3 patients with dengue fever, and advising people on how to prevent and control the spread of the disease. Two weeks ago, a dengue fever epidemic occurred in this locality with 10 cases. Currently, 7 cases have recovered, the remaining 3 patients are still being monitored, treated and are recovering well. It is known that as soon as the epidemic broke out, the district health center sent staff directly to the epidemic area and neighboring hamlets to monitor and investigate the outbreak; launched environmental sanitation; at the same time, propagated and educated people on disease prevention and control, closely monitored patients and mosquitoes that transmit dengue fever; issued official dispatches requesting health stations of 23 communes and towns to step up epidemic prevention measures.

Health workers of Hung Linh commune (Hung Nguyen) instruct people on how to kill mosquito larvae to prevent dengue fever.

Previously, at the end of August 2015, in Quynh Ngoc commune, Quynh Luu, a small outbreak was recorded. By September 10, there were 14 cases of dengue fever patients in 5 hamlets, concentrated in hamlet 11 with 10 sick people. After the outbreak, Quynh Luu district promptly implemented measures to control and suppress the epidemic: admitting, monitoring, and treating patients at the commune health station, mobilizing people to do general environmental sanitation, spraying chemicals to kill mosquitoes in 6 hamlets with dengue fever patients, and disseminating disease prevention measures to people... Currently, 14 dengue fever patients have recovered, and no new cases have been detected in the past 7 days. After isolating and suppressing the epidemic, Quynh Luu district continues to implement measures to limit the spread and prevent the epidemic in the community. Mr. Le Van Thao, Director of Quynh Luu District Medical Center, said that the local health sector is continuing to communicate, inspect, monitor, and guide people on how to prevent the disease. The district's dengue fever prevention steering committee has issued an official dispatch directing communes across the district to strengthen disease prevention propaganda and periodically organize environmental sanitation campaigns (for key communes with frequent outbreaks, this is done 1-2 times/week, and for other communes, it is done once/week).

Staff of Hung Linh Commune Health Station (Hung Nguyen) examine and advise patients on health care.

This is the outbreak season of dengue fever. In particular, according to the 5-year and 10-year cycles, dengue fever can increase at the end of each cycle and in Nghe An, 2015 is the last year of the epidemic cycle, so the risk of an outbreak is very high. In this situation, on September 14, the Provincial People's Committee issued Official Dispatch No. 6470/UBND-VX "On the implementation of the Prime Minister's urgent dispatch on strengthening dengue fever prevention". Currently, the Department of Health is coordinating with the Hospital of Clinical Medicine and Tropical Diseases to organize training courses for doctors and nurses of hospitals in key districts where dengue fever often occurs; localities in the province are stepping up epidemic prevention activities.

Mr. Chu Trong Trang, Deputy Director of the Provincial Center for Preventive Medicine, said that during the epidemic, the Department of Health coordinated with the center to establish an inspection and supervision team, and coordinated with the locality to implement measures to isolate and suppress the epidemic in the two communes of Hung Linh and Quynh Ngoc. In addition, the sector continued to maintain inspection and supervision activities in key districts: Dien Chau, Quynh Luu, Nghi Loc, Hoang Mai Town, etc. Directing district-level medical centers to step up dengue fever prevention; with the goal of monitoring and early detection of cases, timely control of the epidemic, and resolutely preventing major epidemics from occurring.

Article and photos:Dinh Nguyet