The final months of the year and seasonal transitions can increase the risk of infectious disease outbreaks as travel, trade and large gatherings become more frequent.
Diseases that tend to increase during this period include seasonal influenza, dengue fever, hand, foot and mouth disease, measles, chickenpox, acute diarrhoeal diseases and other respiratory infections.
According to Vietnam's Ministry of Health, the country has recorded more than 94,000 dengue cases since the start of the year, including 14 deaths. It has also recorded 74,000 cases of hand, foot and mouth disease, 11 deaths from the disease, nearly 5,200 cases of rash with fever suspected to be measles, 242 cases of viral encephalitis including one death, 34 cases of meningococcal meningitis including five deaths, and 54 deaths from rabies.
Dengue cases continue to rise in many localities. The rainy season creates favourable conditions for disease-carrying mosquitoes to breed.
Ho Chi Minh City recorded more than 1,400 dengue cases and 1,500 cases of hand, foot and mouth disease from September 21 to 27.
The Ho Chi Minh City Tropical Disease Hospital has treated young patients with severe dengue. Two patients, aged 16 and 21, required intensive care. One spent more than a month on extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, while the other underwent continuous renal replacement therapy for 45 days. The hospital recorded the death of a 20-year-old dengue patient in September alone.
Doctors at the National Hospital for Tropical Diseases have recently seen a steady stream of dengue patients with different clinical presentations. Some became ill after returning from areas where cases had been reported, while others contracted the disease in their local communities.
Dr Nguyen Thanh Binh, deputy head of the hospital's Department of Viruses and Parasites, said dengue can be mistaken for common viral infections because the symptoms can be similar, including fever, headache, body aches and fatigue.
Some patients may also develop a cough or sore throat. Without proper detection and monitoring, the disease can progress to a critical stage involving low platelet levels, increased vascular permeability, haemoconcentration and a risk of bleeding and shock.
Travelling to, living in or caring for patients in areas with many dengue cases without protection from mosquito bites can also increase the risk of infection.
The Health Ministry recommends preventing mosquito bites and removing mosquito breeding sites. People should regularly clean their surroundings, clear overgrown vegetation and remove items that can collect stagnant water. Water containers should be turned upside down or kept tightly covered when not in use.
Doctors say hand, foot and mouth disease can progress quickly. Parents should take children to hospital immediately, including at night, if they have a high fever that is difficult to reduce, frequent vomiting, lethargy or trembling of the hands and feet.
Children with the disease should stay home and avoid contact with other children. They should not be taken to playgrounds or crowded places to prevent the infection from spreading.
Sources: Viet Nam News
