The Department of Disease Prevention under the Ministry of Health officially announced this morning two deaths at home involving students from Tra Don Primary Boarding School for Ethnic Minorities in Quang Nam Province’s Nam Tra My District. Both exhibited symptoms of high fever and rash.
Additionally, other cases with similar symptoms have been reported in the area.
From January 25 to March 10, health authorities in Nam Tra My District recorded 255 cases of children presenting with fever and rash symptoms. Currently, 104 children are receiving treatment including 59 at the Nam Tra My Medical Center, 35 at the Obstetrics and Pediatrics Hospital, and 10 at local medical stations.
The general condition of the children is improving, with reduced fever though persistent coughing, and they are able to eat and drink. In addition, 149 children have recovered from the illness, though tragically two deaths have also been reported.
Prior to the widespread outbreak, the Nam Tra My District Medical Center, in collaboration with other relevant healthcare facilities, submitted samples from suspected measles rash fever cases for laboratory analysis. The subsequent confirmation of 19 cases positive for the measles virus prompted immediate action from the Department of Disease Prevention. This agency directed the Department of Health to conduct urgent epidemiological investigations and verifications, while simultaneously instructing local medical establishments to prioritize the implementation of rigorous epidemic prevention and control measures.
At the same time, the Department of Disease Prevention noted that sporadic cases of fever and rash have been reported in several communes of Nam Tra My District of Quang Nam Province. These cases are highly likely linked to measles, as previous cases in the area tested positive for the disease. This assessment comes amid a rising trend of localized measles outbreaks nationwide in recent times.
Tragically, two deaths at home were recorded in the area. Through preliminary investigation, these cases have no epidemiological relationship with each other; this is a case of illness that the family was encouraged to take the child to a medical facility, but the families did not take the child for treatment due to their poverty condition.
With support from the Pasteur Institute of Nha Trang, the health sector of Quang Nam province has been implementing comprehensive and urgent measures to prevent and control the outbreak. However, new infections may continue to emerge in the coming period. Nam Tra My is a mountainous district with a predominantly ethnic minority population living in remote highland areas, where difficult travel conditions, traditional practices such as ritual worship during illness, and longstanding challenges in vaccination and medical care have complicated disease prevention efforts.
In addition, during the Covid-19 epidemic, many children were not fully vaccinated against measles. Worse, the lack of vaccines for many months in 2023 has affected the vaccination rate in children in the area, creating an immunity gap in the community. The new vaccination campaign was launched in March 2025, and Nam Tra My District has vaccinated nearly 50 percent.
To strengthen disease prevention and control, the Department of Disease Prevention is coordinating with the Department of Health in Quang Nam province and the Director of the Pasteur Institute in Nha Trang. They are directing local preventive medicine units to urgently investigate, verify, and collect samples from infected cases and close contacts. This will help determine the causative agent. Furthermore, they are strengthening surveillance and early detection of new cases in the community. Disease prevention and control measures are being implemented in accordance with professional instructions.
Concurrently, efforts are being made to ensure proper admission and active treatment of all infected cases, aiming to minimize fatalities while strictly enforcing infection prevention measures in healthcare facilities. Communication and awareness campaigns are being intensified to encourage people to seek medical attention immediately upon noticing symptoms, ensuring timely diagnosis, treatment, and adherence to disease prevention protocols.
The Nha Trang Pasteur Institute is supporting local authorities by conducting tests to quickly identify the causative agent, investigating and verifying cases, analyzing and assessing the situation, and implementing appropriate and timely disease prevention and control measures.
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