Warning: July - peak of encephalitis outbreak

June and July are the peak of the encephalitis epidemic. The disease has a high mortality rate and leaves extremely severe sequelae, but many early signs are easily overlooked.

In the first 5 months of the year, the country had nearly 160 cases of viral encephalitis. There are more than 10 types of viral encephalitis, but the most common is Japanese encephalitis (accounting for about 15-20%).

Recently, the Pediatrics Department of Bach Mai Hospital, Hanoi, admitted a 15-year-old boy from Ha Tinh province who was unconscious due to Japanese encephalitis with symptoms of headache, vomiting, fever, and paralysis of his right arm.

Previously, the patient was taken to Duc Tho District General Hospital by his family for emergency treatment, then transferred to Nghe An Friendship Hospital. When arriving at Bach Mai, his condition was very serious, lethargic, stopped breathing, abnormal heart rate and blood pressure, and unresponsive to calls.

After 2 days of intensive treatment, the patient was later saved, but suffered from severe neurological sequelae and paralysis.

With Japanese viral encephalitis, all ages can get it if they are not immune, mainly in children under 15 years old and most common in children 1-5 years old.

According to Dr. Truong Dinh Bac, Deputy Director of the Department of Preventive Medicine, the virus can penetrate and attack the brain through the bloodstream through mosquito bites. The disease often occurs suddenly, with healthy children suddenly having high fevers, convulsions, leading to lethargy and coma for 1-3 days. The disease progresses very quickly.

It is estimated that about 30% of Japanese encephalitis patients die and about 50% of patients have neurological and mental sequelae. Deaths are highest in the first 7 days when deep coma, convulsions and brain stem damage cause severe respiratory and cardiovascular disorders. Deaths in the later stages are mainly due to complications of pneumonia and exhaustion...

Doctors recommend that as soon as children show signs of unusually sleeping a lot or being lazy, parents need to pay attention and must take their children to the hospital if they have high fever, vomiting, rapid pulse, headache, especially convulsions and coma.

According to Vietnamnet