Director Nguyen Thi Thu Huong of the Bac Giang Provincial Department of Health confirmed the information of the new diphtheria case. According to the provincial Center for Disease Control (CDC), they were notified by the Nghe An CDC of a patient who had died of diphtheria in Ky Son District of Nghe An Province.
Epidemiological investigations by Nghe An health officials determined that there were two close contacts of the dead patient in Ky Son District. These two individuals, Moong Thi B. and Moong Thi S. were both born in 2006 and residing in Pha Danh Commune in Ky Son District of Nghe An Province.
Upon receiving the information, the Bac Giang CDC immediately investigated the close contacts of the patient and collected samples for testing.
Initial investigations revealed that from June 25 to 28, B. and S. returned to their hometown in Ky Son District of Nghe An Province to take their high school graduation exams and stayed in the same room with the deceased patient in Ky Son District. On July 1, both took a bus from Ky Son District to Hiep Hoa District of Bac Giang Province to work at a karaoke bar in Trung Tam village, Hop Thinh Commune.
After learning that their roommate had died of diphtheria and they were experiencing sore throats, both B. and S. went to the nearby pharmacy to buy antibiotics. Health officials confirmed that B. had tested positive for diphtheria upon test results on the afternoon of July 7. S. and other close contacts of the patient are currently being isolated by health authorities.
Diphtheria is a acute infectious disease caused by a bacterium that affects the upper respiratory tract and less often the skin. It can spread from person to person when the infected cough or sneeze. It is a vaccine-preventable disease, but multiple doses and booster doses are needed to produce and sustain immunity.
Others will develop mild disease, although severe disease, complications and death can also occur. Death can occur within 6 to 10 days without proper treatment. It is classified as a dangerous infectious disease due to its high mortality rate.
