Recently, many patients with fascioliasis in the Central and Central Highlands provinces have not received treatment due to the lack of medicine. Never had drugs again? Dr. Dang Thi Cam Thach (photo) - Head of the parasitic department of the Institute of Malaria - Parasitology and Insect - said:
- On October 26, the Ministry of Health will meet with the Central Institute of Malaria - Parasitology and Insect to solve this problem. There have been two proposals proposed to the Ministry of Health: suggest the World Health Organization (WHO) to increase the amount of Triclabendazone to support Vietnam; The second option is to import this drug like other drugs on the market. Until now, Triclabendazone was completely donated by WHO. The reason for the lack of medicine in the past is because the old phase is about to end but the new wave has not returned.
* What is the situation of fasciolosis? There have been disease reports in 45 provinces and cities?
- We have just experimented in five central provinces, coming to four northern provinces soon. In addition to the old patients (more than 2,000 patients in 45 provinces), we estimate that each commune has 1-5 new patients. Since 1997 we have had information on 500 cases of fascioliasis in many localities.
The cause of infection is the ingestion of aquatic vegetables such as vegetables and greens . infected with tapeworm larvae. The number of people identified as infected increased rapidly from 2003 up to now and due to the drug treatment, the number of patients seeking treatment is much higher. Even at this institute, the number of patients in the first nine months of this year has also increased four times compared to the same period in 2005. However, I confirm this is not a parasitic epidemic.
* Quang Ngai General Hospital and a number of other hospitals in Central Vietnam have announced that there is only treatment available until the end of October. If WHO has not increased the amount of support drugs, has Vietnam had an import source?
- Currently Triclabendazone is not available on the market, but it is estimated that each member costs about 30,000 VND, each patient needs to take two tablets to ' erase ' the flukes. Regarding import plans besides WHO support, we know there is a place ready to sell drugs to Vietnam.
The problem of how much to enter, how to enter . is still calculating the proposal. We also intend to propose import for several years, the number of up to several tens of thousands of members. At our institute we have enough medicine to treat until the end of December 2006.
* How dangerous is the liver fluke?
- After infection with fascioliasis, patients will have reactions such as fever, pain in the right lower quadrant or epigastric, the parasite larvae also migrate to the parasites in the knee, stomach, lungs, under the liver .
At this time, symptoms appeared wildly, tests for feces with eggs, and eosinophils increased. Ultrasound will see liver damage. Some people have liver lesions that are as big as oranges, and recently someone has a burst of abscess in the liver caused by liver fluke infection.
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