In a conversation with Tuổi Trẻ on the morning of May 7, Deputy Director of the Department of Preventive Medicine (Ministry of Health) Nguyen Van Binh reported that there have been no cases of Japanese Encephalitis B reported since the beginning of 2006. However, May marks the beginning of the season for this disease every year.
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(Photo: hammadi) |
According to Mr. Nguyen Van Loc, Deputy Director of the Central Children’s Hospital, on average, in May and June each year, the hospital receives 500-600 children hospitalized with encephalitis, most of whom are infected with the Japanese Encephalitis B virus. Mr. Loc emphasized that during the 2005 epidemic season, many children contracted Japanese Encephalitis B due to not being vaccinated.
* On the afternoon of May 7, Dr. Le Hoang Son, Director of the Children’s Hospital in Can Tho City, noted that the recent hot weather and irregular rain have led to an increase in the number of children seeking treatment, rising from 500 to over 600. Most of the children are suffering from viral infections, flu viruses, rashes, or some viruses causing mumps, which are common and on the rise.
Gastrointestinal and respiratory diseases causing fever, cough, and runny nose due to the weather have also increased. Meanwhile, the number of children suffering from digestive disorders due to frequent snacking or parents indulging them with carbonated drinks, which can lead to diarrhea and dehydration, has also risen.
According to Dr. Son, the past week has seen widespread rain, resulting in 5-10 children being hospitalized daily for dengue fever (an increase of 5-15% compared to the previous month). The early onset of the rainy season indicates that dengue fever cases will continue to rise, but not beyond the cycle of previous years’ outbreaks.
* The prolonged heat wave over the past few days in Da Nang has overwhelmed many pediatric departments in hospitals and district health centers. At the pediatric department of Da Nang Hospital, on May 6 alone, nearly 20 out of 30 children brought in by their parents required hospitalization with symptoms such as diarrhea and viral fever.
According to Dr. Nguyen Van Tri (Hải Châu District Health Center), many children fell ill during the recent hot days due to excessive use of fans or prolonged exposure to water during bathing, which affected their respiratory systems.
LAN ANH – TRẦN ĐỨC – Đ.NAM
