Ho Chi Minh City recorded a case of group B meningococcal disease in a 12-year-old boy. He studies at Ngô Thời Nhiệm School in Bình Dương Ward and lives in Thường Tân Commune.
It is the fifth meningococcal disease case recorded in Ho Chi Minh City in the past week. All five cases were caused by group B meningococcus.
99 close contacts
According to the Ho Chi Minh City Center for Disease Control (HCDC), the child developed fever, a sore throat and a headache on October 13. He was admitted to Children’s Hospital 2 on October 15 and diagnosed with meningitis.
On October 20, after a cerebrospinal fluid PCR test detected Neisseria meningitidis, Children’s Hospital 2 immediately reported the case under infectious disease reporting rules. The hospital also sent samples to the Pasteur Institute in Ho Chi Minh City to determine the serogroup.
On October 21, the Pasteur Institute in Ho Chi Minh City confirmed that the child had group B meningococcal disease.
The child had previously received one dose of a vaccine against meningococcal groups A, C, Y and W, but had not received a group B vaccine. He no longer has a fever or vomiting, and his headache has eased. He is receiving treatment and care at Children’s Hospital 2.
On the day it received the information, HCDC worked with the medical stations in Thường Tân Commune and Bình Dương Ward to conduct an epidemiological investigation and list close contacts at home and at school.
HCDC said 99 close contacts had been listed and given preventive azithromycin.
Do not let your guard down
HCDC said that 5% to 25% of people in the community may carry meningococcal bacteria in their nose and throat without clinical symptoms.
Respiratory illnesses, including influenza, are also increasing at this time. This creates conditions for meningococcal bacteria to invade the body and cause meningitis or sepsis.
To prevent meningococcal disease and respiratory illnesses, health authorities advised parents and residents to take several measures.
They should wash their hands regularly with soap, cover their mouths when coughing or sneezing, rinse their mouths and throats with saline solution, avoid sharing cups, bottles and personal items, and keep homes and classrooms ventilated.
Health workers also advised people to receive meningococcal and influenza vaccines according to medical guidance.
Take a child to a medical facility immediately if a high fever is accompanied by a severe headache, vomiting, a stiff neck, a purpuric rash, lethargy or loss of consciousness.
Do not take antibiotics without a medical worker’s prescription.
Earlier, four students at Hai Bà Trưng Secondary School in Hiệp Phước Commune, Ho Chi Minh City, were diagnosed with group B meningococcal disease. One student died on October 14, while the other three are being treated at the Hospital for Tropical Diseases and are in stable condition. One of the three also had influenza B.
Health authorities conducted an epidemiological investigation, disinfected the school, provided preventive antibiotics and monitored close contacts. In total, 177 close contacts completed preventive antibiotic treatment, while 2,031 students, teachers and staff received preventive antibiotics.
Health authorities said the cluster was under good control and students continued attending school as usual. People who had close contact with patients should monitor their health and seek medical care immediately if suspected symptoms appear.
Sources: Thanh Niên
