Pandemic H5N1 has returned

After nearly 2 years, Vietnam has so far recorded only 2 cases of H5N1 and 100% mortality. Therefore, at the meeting of the Steering Committee for Disease Prevention and Control in the afternoon of February 7, Deputy Minister of Health Nguyen Thanh Long recognized that the H5N1 influenza epidemic was re-exported.

At this meeting, all experts said that after a long time without recording any cases of flu, it seems that both people and health workers are subjective.

For example, in the case of an 18-year-old man in Kien Giang, on January 10, the patient showed a headache, fatigue but bought medicine for himself. By 4 days later, this young man was hospitalized when his condition was very severe and 2 days later he died.

In contrast, the second death case in Soc Trang, this 26-year-old pregnant woman saw fever, so she went to the district hospital. However, here the patient is only diagnosed with fever, sore throat and is sent home to follow up. Two days later, the patient continued to go to the hospital, but it was not until two days later that she was assigned to add Tamiflu, a specific drug for the treatment of H5N1 flu.

Eating the soup, slaughtering poultry died or the disease increased
risk of H5N1 outbreaks on humans. (Photo: NP)

Dr. Nguyen Van Kinh, Director of the Central Hospital for Tropical Diseases (Hanoi) said that from the onset of illness to hospital, the patient was not treated immediately with Tamiflu but only when he was seriously ill. new medicine, so it's late. Meanwhile, in the first 3 days of early detection of disease, if doubling the dose, the risk of death is much reduced.

Therefore, he warned: 'If you suspect flu, you should use Tamiflu right away. We do not lack available drugs and drugs, the problem is early detection, avoiding the risk of death. '

According to him, training should be re-organized to remind health workers about early diagnosis and treatment of H5N1 influenza because almost 2 years after almost everyone has been caught off guard.

Agreeing with this view, Mr. Nguyen Trong Khoa, Deputy Director of the Medical Management Administration said, in the above 2 deaths, from the onset of illness to the treatment of H5N1 influenza regimen takes up to 4 days. After 5-6 days, the victim died. Not to mention the disease is quite fast, some people are pregnant.

'There are no long-term cases in the long term, so health officials may not immediately think of H5N1 flu when there are cases. People should be aware that when there are signs of flu coming into contact with poultry, they should go to the hospital immediately , 'Mr. Khoa emphasized.

Besides, Dr. Nguyen Tran Hien, Director of the National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology also said that the epidemic is normal, according to the general progress of the disease. The origin of human disease is caused by disease in poultry. In fact, bird flu still occurs scattered in 2010 and 2011.

'The source of disease still exists around us. It is noteworthy that due to long-term outbreak of avian influenza in people, people thought that the disease was not available, so they still ate duck's blood, traded, slaughtered poultry . Many people considered not to be at risk ' Dr. Hien said.

Deputy Minister of Health Nguyen Thanh Long stressed that people should not eat more soup, uncooked poultry meat, not slaughtering sick or dead poultry. In addition, there has been a phenomenon of influenza virus in modified poultry, resistant to vaccines, so there is a risk of outbreaks in poultry. Not to mention, this virus also exists on the flock of water birds but does not show disease. This makes it difficult to control the disease.

At the same time, the Deputy Minister also asked the treatment committee to quickly organize training sessions, guide new advances in the treatment of diseases. At the same time reminding health officials to always be alert, in case of flu manifestations, it is necessary to think of H5N1 flu.