Meningitis caused by meningococcus: Appears throughout the three regions

Not only in Kien Giang, Ho Chi Minh City, but in the past three months, the northern provinces have recorded hundreds of people with meningococcal meningitis. The number of people suffering from this disease has increased continuously in the last three years.

* North in the disease season

The doctors and physicians in the pediatric department of the Kien Giang General Hospital are taking care of the sick children, 6 years old - one of the three critical cases (Photo: TTO) According to the Deputy Director of the Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology Pham Ngoc Attached, each week the Children's Hospital and the Institute of Clinical Medicine of Tropical Diseases have had 5-7 cases of meningococcal meningitis, hospitalized for treatment, especially the number of people infected these two hospitals are up to 10-15 cases.

In local hospitals, in January alone, 30 cases were recorded. In two days 15 and 16-3, Nghe An Children's Hospital received two young children born in 2003: Lot Thi Nga, residing in Nghia Hung commune, Nghia Dan district and Ngo Duc Bao, residing in Xuan Lam commune, Nam Dan district .

Both grandchildren entered the hospital in a very high fever state, purple rashes throughout the body. According to Dr. Duong Cong Hoat, director of the Children's Hospital, these are the first two cases of meningococcal encephalitis in Nghe An. Currently, the nephew of Russia has reduced fever is continuing to be treated at the hospital. Grandson Bao was seriously lethargic, had been sent home by his family.

In the first three months of the year, the number of people infected has increased slightly compared to the same period in 2005. Mr. Dinh evaluated the current time (January-April) as the season of meningococcal meningitis in the North.

In the south, the disease appears later (around July 8 every year) but this year in March there were also people who died and died of this disease.

Danger of meningococcal disease (the later stage of meningococcal meningitis), according to Mr. Dinh, is a manifestation of illness (fever, sore throat, loss of appetite, breast-feeding .) similar to the schedule Current manifestations of common respiratory inflammation should be difficult to diagnose.

Vaccination for meningococcal disease for brain tissue for children at Binh Chieu Ward Medical Center, Thu Duc District, Ho Chi Minh City (photo taken on March 12, 2006) (Photo: TTO) Therefore, if not properly detected and treated, the mortality rate can be up to 10%. According to statistics of the Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology TU, the incidence of purulent meningitis / 100,000 people has increased continuously in the last three years (in 2003 it was 0.73, in 2004 it was 1.45 and last year was 1, 72).

* Kien Giang: 3 more critical cases

Dr. Pham Van Dem, director of Kien Giang General Hospital, said that on March 19, although there were no more cases of hospitalization, the development of encephalitis in this province is very complicated, the disease has come out. Currently in 13/14 districts, towns and cities of the province.

At the hospital's pediatrics department, five cases have been rescued, including three cases (one from Hon Dat district, one in An Bien district and one in Tan Hiep) with very serious health (having to breathe mechanical), hard to get through. Although it is Sunday, the hospital has strengthened medical doctors and ventilators focused on emergency treatment of patients.

Meanwhile in Hon Dat district town - where the number of children with high encephalitis is high, the situation is quite stressful, many families have planned to let children miss school because of fear of infection.

On March 19, the district health center was ordered to be ready for medical staff and ventilators to be available 24 hours a day to receive patients. Many parents in Rach Gia City also expressed concern for their children when this place also appeared children with encephalitis.

Doctor Bui Van Chuyen - director of Kien Giang Department of Health - said the leader of the Pasteur Institute in Ho Chi Minh City. HCM has agreed to support Chloramine B chemicals for Kien Giang. Department of Health recommends that people need calm to handle.

Particularly in Hon Dat, right on March 20 will organize disinfection and disinfection of water sources. "Currently it is not to the point that kindergarten students leave school because we can still monitor and quell translation" - Mr. Truyen said.

LANH - V.TOO - T.DŨNG

Maybe due to environmental changes

On the morning of March 19, Deputy Minister of Health Trinh Quan Huan said in recent years, scattered in some localities with patients with meningococcal meningitis.However, in the past, only the North had many infected people, now both the South and the Central.

* What is the cause of this situation, sir?

- Normally, meningococcal bacteria may exist in the nasopharynx but there is no pathological understanding.When germs spread to children and people with weak conditions, the likelihood of becoming ill is higher.

Meningococcal meningitis spreads through the respiratory tract, the cause is mainly due to unsanitary conditions, so when the first cases of illness occur and the epidemic is fully translated, people implement hygiene measures such as Nasal, throat antiseptic with antiseptic solution, environmental hygiene around the shelter and eating and drinking, it is certain that sporadic cases will not break into a big epidemic.

* Recently, Ho Chi Minh City residents have rushed to get vaccinated against the disease. How effective is the vaccination and can vaccination lead to a lack of vaccine?

- Currently in Vietnam, there is a vaccine for meningitis caused by type A meningococcus, while the type of meningitis caused by meningococcus is often found in type B. I know the world has the type B vaccine. But this vaccine is few people buy, the shelf life is short so the import-export companies are not interested in doing business.

However, I affirm that the Ministry of Health is willing to create conditions for this vaccine to be imported into Vietnam for people to be vaccinated.

* In the first three months of this year, all kinds of epidemics occurred in many places: Southern hemorrhagic fever increased sharply, then meningococcal meningitis ., the North end of fever virus, mumps, chickenpox, measles . Why is that, sir?

- Explain how this is difficult, because the whole world, not only Vietnam, the epidemic situation is complicated.The cause, according to me, may be due to weather changes, changes in ecological and environmental conditions .

In some southern provinces such as Ho Chi Minh City and Mekong Delta, in the first three months of the year, the number of people with dengue fever has increased over the same period in 2005, the North has appeared viral fever, meningococcal meningitis but outbreaks I am definitely not able to become a great epidemic.

LAN ANH