 |
Hand, foot and mouth disease is responsible for three deaths in Vietnam |
The Ministry of Health said that through the infectious disease surveillance system from the beginning of 2023 to the company, the country recorded about 9,000 cases of hand, foot and mouth disease; worse, three of them in Dak Lak, Kien Giang and Long An provinces died of the fatal disease.
Compared to the same period in 2022, the number of cases decreased by 28 percent but the number of deaths increased by 2 cases. In particular, the southern region had the highest number of cases and deaths due to hand, foot and mouth disease with 204 cases and 2 deaths. Cases are mainly in children under 10 years old accounting for 98.5 percent. 84 percent of cases are children from 1 to 5 years old.
Based on the latest laboratory results, a significant proportion of the samples tested positive for Enterovirus 71 (EV-71), which causes hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD). The EV-71 has been known to generally cause severe complications and deaths among some patients.
The Ministry of Health also pointed out that symptoms of hand, foot, and mouth disease usually include fever, mouth sores, and skin rash. The rash is commonly found on the hands and feet, mainly in the form of blisters, commonly found on the palms, soles, knees, and buttocks.
Most of the cases are mild, but some cases can be severe, causing dangerous complications such as encephalitis - meningoencephalitis, myocarditis, and acute pulmonary edema leading to death.
