2023-06-23 11:54:10
One of the causes of the rapid increase in foot-and-mouth disease is the fast-transmitting and highly toxic Enterovirus 71 (EV71) virus.
On June 23, at an online meeting of the Ministry of Health on Prevention of Dengue Fever and Hand Foot and Mouth Disease with 20 Southern Provinces, Dr. Nguyen Vu Tuong (Sub-Institute Pasteur Ho Chi Minh City) said that there were seven cases of dengue fever in the province. Children died, five of which were caused by the EV71 strain, and the rest had no test results. In the same period last year, the South recorded two deaths from the disease.
Previously, the Pasteur Institute in Ho Chi Minh City rediscovered EV71 in April following nearly two years of being undetected. EV71 infection rates are increasingly prevalent in samples of severe cases. This strain of the virus makes infected people seriously ill, with a higher risk of death than from other causes.
“It is predicted that EV71 will probably dominate sooner or later,” Dr Thuong said, adding that this strain was also responsible for large-scale outbreaks periodically every few years in 2011 and 2018.
With the re-emergence of dangerous strains of the virus, the epidemic is growing fast and might be complicated, as hand-foot-and-mouth disease often occurs in preschool children under the age of 5 while they are still in summer school, he said. The disease is often transmitted through the digestive tract of children who live in the same household and in the same daycare center. If the number of outbreaks increases according to the Infectious Diseases Act, severely ill patients will follow.
In addition, another reason for the increase in severity and mortality is that the disease is not clearly classified in some regions, which affects timely treatment evaluation. This limits the risk of serious transfer and also negatively impacts timely introduction. In particular, in the case of EV71 children, the rate of neurological symptoms such as encephalitis is constant, making it difficult to treat.
Finally, according to Dr. Thuong, regarding 80% of adults with hand, foot and mouth disease show no symptoms, which is a major source of infection in children that is difficult to prevent. While the population density is high, life is cramped, interaction is frequent, sanitation is poor, and clean water is scarce for daily activities, the hot and humid climate in the south also creates favorable conditions for the spread of disease.
So far, the South has recorded more than 9,000 cases of hand, foot and mouth disease, lower than the same period last year, but the number of cases has increased since the end of April. As in Can Tho, the Children’s Hospital (which receives pediatric patients from the Mekong Delta) treated nearly 400 cases of hand, foot and mouth disease in the first two weeks of June. In May, there were 490 cases, an increase of 140.% compared to April. A similar situation occurred in Ca Mau, An Giang and Kien Giang.
In the context of the complicated development of the epidemic, Phan Trong Lan, director of preventive medicine, asked the province to strengthen training, improve disease prevention and treatment capacity, and monitor and analyze the epidemic situation.
“Some facilities need to pay special attention to early detection and treatment of cases,” Lan said.
In addition to ensuring equipment and supplies for chemicals and drugs, it is necessary to communicate early signs of disease in the community as well as in schools. Institut Pasteur in Ho Chi Minh City and the Southern Health Sector are continuously monitoring the laboratory to implement timely and effective preventive measures.
Since there is no vaccine once morest hand, foot and mouth disease, an effective and simple prevention method is to keep everything clean. Hands should be washed frequently with soap and running water several times a day, especially children. When eating, keep everything clean.
If a child shows symptoms of a sore throat, erythema, blisters on the palms, feet, hips, knees, etc., immediately move to a medical facility for timely examination and treatment. Sick children must be absent from school for at least 10 days following onset.
Hand, foot and mouth disease on the rise in Ho Chi Minh City, parents with children urge caution
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