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HFMD children are being treated in Children's Hospitals |
The child was transferred from the General Hospital in in Long An Province to the city Children’s Hospital in serious condition. Despite medical workers’ efforts to save her, she succumbed to the disease.
Through PCR testing in some severe cases in Ho Chi Minh City, experts found out the occurrence of Enterovirus 71 (EV71) virus, which causes severe and dangerous hand, foot and mouth disease in children.
According to the statistics of Children's Hospital 1, in the first five months of 2023, the hospital received 1,349 outpatients and 158 inpatients with HFMD. Currently, the number of severe patients has increased over the same period in 2022, with 5 severe cases including two cases in Ho Chi Minh City and three in other provinces and one death.
According to the statistics of the Department of Health of Ho Chi Minh City, HFMD is increasing with 157 cases in the week, up 47.1 percent compared to the average of 4 weeks ago with 107 cases. The cumulative number of cases since the beginning of the year is 1,670.
The Department of Health of Ho Chi Minh City yesterday said that from the beginning of 2023 to now, 1,670 children with hand, foot and mouth disease in the city got the disease but 270 with mild symptoms so they stayed at home. Worryingly, through PCR testing in some severe cases, experts determined the occurrence of Enterovirus 71 (EV71) virus that causes severe HFMD in children.
According to the Department of Health of Ho Chi Minh City, the city's pediatric hospitals are currently treating 33 children with HFMD, all of whom are under 5 years old. Worse, 9 of them are in severe condition while 4 are confirmed to have EV71. According to medical workers, when the EV71 occurs, it causes many severe cases and deaths; for instance, the fatal virus ravaged the country in 2011 mainly of type C4; by 2018, the number of severe cases has decreased and is mainly type B5.
All hospitals in the city can perform diagnostic tests for the causative agent of HFMD. However, according to the Ministry of Health’s guidelines for diagnosis and treatment of the disease, the diagnosis is based on clinical test for causative agents only for severe disease to differentiate from other diseases and for epidemiological studies. More importantly, doctors should early detect severe signs for timely hospitalization and treatment according to the treatment plan.
The Department of Health of Ho Chi Minh City informed that it has established an expert team to support consultations with severe disease cases and organize inspection teams in districts on the prevention and control of HFMD. The city's pediatric hospitals are ready with equipment to resuscitate severe cases to prepare for admission of serious cases and complicated development of the epidemic situation. The Department of Health of Ho Chi Minh City has sent a written report to the Ministry of Health and the Drug Administration of Vietnam asking for the supply of adequate treatment drugs especially two types of Phenobarbital intravenous infusion, intravenous Gamma Globulin.
In addition, the Department of Health of Ho Chi Minh City has directed the Ho Chi Minh City Center for Disease Control to set up quick response teams and all medical centers in districts and Thu Duc City to immediately start the fight against HFMD epidemics in the area, especially in households and schools.
