Nghe An: Increased incidence of summer diseases.

Hundreds of children are hospitalized every day.

In early June, the Nghe An Obstetrics and Pediatrics Hospital saw a large influx of parents bringing their children for examinations and treatment. Although the hospital tried to create a cool and airy waiting area, the summer weather and the large number of people made the space hot and stuffy. Doctors, nurses, patients, and their families were all added to the strain and fatigue…

Many parents brought their children to the Nghe An Obstetrics and Pediatrics Hospital for examination and treatment on this hot summer day. Photo: Thanh Chung

Among the many people who came to the hospital for examination were Ms. Nguyen Thi M (32 years old, from Vinh City) and her son, Tran Van T (4 years old). After the examination, Ms. M said: “My son was normally at daycare. In the evening, he had a fever, then developed a rash, mouth ulcers, loss of appetite, and became fussy and crying. Then, blisters appeared on his palms and soles… I took him to the hospital, and the doctor said he had hand, foot, and mouth disease and needed to be hospitalized for treatment. It's highly likely he caught it at daycare.”

Information from the Outpatient Department of Nghe An Obstetrics and Pediatrics Hospital: Currently, the department receives 600-700 patients daily. The number of hospitalized patients accounts for one-quarter of the patients seen for examination. Many children arrive for examination in very serious condition… Dr. Vuong Thi Minh Nguyet, Deputy Head of the Outpatient Department, said: Common illnesses during this time include hand, foot and mouth disease, chickenpox, respiratory diseases, pneumonia, bronchitis, otitis media, skin diseases, and digestive diseases. The increase in patients is due to the weather conditions during this season creating favorable conditions for viruses and intermediate microorganisms to thrive. At this time, the risk of children contracting infectious diseases is very high.

Doctors from the Department of Tropical Diseases, Nghe An Obstetrics and Pediatrics Hospital, examine and treat children with chickenpox. Photo: Thanh Chung

At the Department of Tropical Diseases, Nghe An Obstetrics and Pediatrics Hospital, the number of patients usually fluctuates between 80 and 100 during the summer. Currently, the department is treating 80 patients. Among them are over 30 children with hand, foot, and mouth disease, as well as children with dengue fever, bacterial meningitis, Japanese encephalitis, whooping cough, chickenpox, and diarrhea caused by the Rotavirus.

Dr. Vo Manh Hung, Head of the Department of Tropical Diseases, advises: During the summer, families need to pay special attention to hygiene and disease prevention; ensure children are vaccinated. At home and at school, ensure a well-ventilated environment and regularly clean with chlorine-containing solutions and soap. Regarding food, children should eat cooked food and drink boiled water, and food should be prepared appropriately; provide them with plenty of water and fruit. To prevent viral diseases, parents should limit children's exposure to crowded places and have them wear masks when in crowded areas.

Parents should also dress their children in breathable, sweat-wicking clothing to prevent pneumonia. In addition, families need to know how to use air conditioners properly, avoiding setting them too cold, which can cause respiratory illnesses in children. After using the air conditioner, open the windows to allow air circulation and expel accumulated viruses and bacteria.

The risk from multiple types of diseases is significant.

Officials from the Nghe An Center for Disease Control conduct epidemiological surveillance in localities with previous dengue fever outbreaks. Photo: Thanh Chung

This summer, in addition to the ongoing spread of Covid-19, dangerous seasonal diseases have reappeared in Nghe An, including dengue fever, hand, foot and mouth disease, diphtheria, and Japanese encephalitis. These pose a threat to the health and lives of the people.

Information from the Nghe An Provincial Center for Disease Control: Dengue fever is an acute infectious disease that can cause epidemics, caused by the dengue virus. The disease is spread by Aedes mosquitoes biting infected individuals and then transmitting the disease to healthy people through their bites. The two types of Aedes mosquitoes that transmit the disease are scientifically known as Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus, with Aedes aegypti being the primary vector…

The disease occurs in all countries located in tropical climates. In Vietnam, it is very common, prevalent in all four regions: North, Central, South, and Central Highlands, both in urban and rural areas. The disease occurs year-round but often breaks out in large epidemics during the rainy season, especially in July, August, September, and October. In Nghe An province, hundreds of dengue fever cases are recorded annually. Previous outbreaks are often concentrated in localities such as Dien Chau, Nghi Loc, Quynh Luu, Hoang Mai town, Vinh city, and Hung Nguyen. In 2020, dengue fever first appeared in the mountainous district of Con Cuong.

Through monitoring, the Provincial Center for Disease Control discovered that many localities have a high number of Aedes mosquitoes – the vector index exceeds the epidemic warning threshold and there is a very high risk of a dengue fever outbreak. Photo: Thanh Chung

Entering this year's dengue fever season, Nghe An province has recorded 9 cases of dengue fever in 2 localities: Nghi Quang commune (Nghi Loc district) and Quynh Di ward (Hoang Mai town).

Accordingly, in Nghi Quang commune, the first case was detected on May 24, 2022, and to date, the entire commune has detected 7 cases. In Quynh Di ward, 1 case of dengue fever was detected on May 28, 2022.

Facing the risk of a dengue fever outbreak, the Nghe An Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention and local health centers have been strengthening early detection and surveillance efforts; promoting communication activities to encourage people to implement preventive measures such as overturning unused water containers, eliminating mosquito larvae, using mosquito nets, and spraying chemicals to treat the environment. Through field inspections, epidemiological investigations, and environmental monitoring in many localities, the Nghe An Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention has found that vector indices in many areas exceed the outbreak warning threshold, posing a very high risk of dengue fever outbreaks.

Residents of Quynh Di ward, Hoang Mai town, are cleaning up the environment after one case of dengue fever was reported in the area. Photo: Thanh Chung

Besides dengue fever, the province also detected one case of Japanese encephalitis in Thanh Tien commune, Thanh Chuong district on May 25, 2022. Prior to that, on May 1, 2022, two children were also diagnosed with diphtheria in Pha Danh commune, Ky Son district…

Dr. Chu Trong Trang, Deputy Director of the Nghe An Center for Disease Control, stated: These diseases, while not new, are very dangerous and are predicted to increase in the coming time. Disease prevention and control cannot be taken lightly; it requires the involvement of all localities and the people. Localities in the province need to strengthen guidance, mobilize departments, organizations, and socio-political groups to closely coordinate with the health sector to decisively and comprehensively implement effective prevention and control measures to prevent outbreaks and stop the spread of disease in the community. All citizens need to follow the recommendations for disease prevention and control to protect their own health and the health of the community.