According to the Vietnam National Children's Hospital, more than 2,770 children have tested positive for adenovirus since the beginning of the year, three times the number recorded during the same period in 2025. In July alone, about 500 children required hospitalization.
Doctors said that many patients arrived after the virus had spread beyond the upper respiratory tract into the bronchi and lungs, requiring respiratory support and intensive inpatient care.
Nguyen Thi Mai Hoan, Head of the General Outpatient Department at the National Children's Hospital, said that common symptoms include high fever, cough, sore throat, conjunctivitis (pink eye) and digestive disorders. Children may experience persistent high fever that is difficult to control.
She noted that some parents delay seeking medical care because they self-medicate their children without proper medical advice, increasing the risk of severe illness.
Nguyen Phu Tung, Executive Director and Medical Director of Sai Gon Ngo Gia Tu Eye Hospital, said that adenovirus can infect people of all ages throughout the year and is a common cause of viral conjunctivitis.
Symptoms typically begin with redness in one eye before spreading to the other within one or two days, accompanied by excessive tearing, irritation, burning sensations, eye discharge, sore throat, cold-like symptoms, mild fever and swollen lymph nodes behind the ears.
He advised patients to rest, avoid rubbing their eyes and refrain from using unproven home remedies. He also warned against self-medicating with corticosteroid eye drops, which may prolong viral infection and increase the risk of complications.
The Ministry of Health's Department of Disease Prevention said surveillance data show adenovirus infections are increasing, particularly among children. However, authorities have not detected any unusual changes in the virus, outbreak scale or disease severity in the community and are continuing to monitor the situation closely.
Health experts said adenovirus spreads through respiratory secretions, tears, direct contact with infected individuals, and contaminated objects or surfaces. The virus can spread rapidly in crowded settings such as households, schools, childcare centers, playgrounds and public swimming pools.
They warned that the summer holiday season, when children travel and gather more frequently, creates favorable conditions for transmission.
