Latest information on diphtheria epidemic in Nghe An
Up to this point, the diphtheria outbreak in Pha Khao village, Pha Danh commune, Ky Son district has gone through 10 days and no new cases have been reported.
Throat swabs and blood samples all tested negative. 119 people who had contact with the female patient who died of diphtheria were quarantined, given prophylactic antibiotics, and were in stable health with no signs of abnormalities.
Regarding the case from this outbreak, in Bac Giang province, in addition to the first diphtheria case discovered, MTB (residing in Pha Khao village, Pha Danh commune, who moved from Ky Son district to temporarily reside in Bac Giang province) - a person in close contact with patient PTC (residing in Pha Khao village, Pha Danh commune, Ky Son district, who died on July 4), another diphtheria patient has been identified through testing. The patient is named BHG (born in 1995); is F1 of MTB..
Currently, after more than 3 days of active treatment with antibiotics at the Central Hospital for Tropical Diseases, the MTB patient has made good progress and is in stable condition, so he has been transferred to Nghe An General Hospital for continued treatment.
To prevent and control diphtheria, at this time, the Nghe An Health Department and related localities have been and are continuing to quarantine, monitor health daily and give preventive medicine to all contact cases; monitor the outbreak within 14 days as prescribed.
Doctor Sam Van Hai - Director of Ky Son District Medical Center said: Ky Son is a district where diphtheria has been circulating for many years. To continue to prevent and control the disease, the district has been strengthening communication activities on disease prevention and control in the commune in Vietnamese and local languages (Khơ Mú) for the people; advising people not to panic and to proactively follow the recommendations of the health sector, and to proactively take their children of the right age to get vaccinated against the disease.
Doctor Vi Van Chien - Director of Tuong Duong District Medical Center said: Through investigation and monitoring, the Medical Center has determined that there is 1 case in Mai Son commune who had contact with the deceased patient in Ky Son. The case in Luong Minh commune had no contact because he had been absent from school and at home for the past 6 months.
As an area adjacent to the disease-endemic area, Tuong Duong District Medical Center has advised the District People's Committee to issue a plan to prevent and control diphtheria; strengthen communication work; promote screening activities and improve vaccination rates and quality.
Information from Nghe An General Hospital: The health of MTB patient is stable. Treatment is progressing well. Currently, the hospital has established a rapid response team; organized well the admission, emergency, and treatment of cases of diphtheria, suspected of diphtheria, avoiding cross-infection in medical facilities, minimizing possible deaths.
Diphtheria is a dangerous disease but we can prevent it by the following measures:
- Take your child to get vaccinated against diphtheria according to the full vaccination schedule and on schedule.
- Wash your hands regularly with soap; cover your mouth when coughing or sneezing; keep your body, nose, and throat clean every day; limit contact with people who are sick or suspected of being sick.
- Ensure housing, kindergartens, and classrooms are airy, clean, and have enough light.
- When showing signs of illness or suspected diphtheria, you must be isolated and taken to a medical facility for timely examination and treatment.
- People in the epidemic area need to strictly comply with taking preventive medicine and getting vaccinated as prescribed and required by health authorities.
