Vietnam's prime minister raises alert over cholera, acute diarrhea outbreak

[Shiloh]

Source: http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/...a-Outbreak.php

Vietnam's prime minister raises alert over cholera, acute diarrhea outbreak
The Associated Press
Published: April 4, 2008

HANOI, Vietnam: Vietnam's prime minister has raised a nationwide alert calling for more vigilance to contain a widespread acute diarrhea and cholera outbreak.

Hundreds of people have been hospitalized with severe diarrhea over the past few weeks, according to a statement posted Thursday night on the government's Web site. Of those, at least 85 have tested positive for cholera, which spreads easily through water in countries with poor sanitation.

Since the first cases were reported in early March, acute diarrhea has been detected in 10 provinces, including the capital city of Hanoi. No deaths have been reported. Health officials are attributing some cases to undercooked foods and unhygienic street food.

Cholera can cause dehydration and kidney failure, and is known to spread quickly. About 75 percent of those infected never develop symptoms, but can shed pathogens through their waste for seven to 14 days that can sicken others.

[Treyfish]

Re: Vietnam's prime minister raises alert over cholera, acute diarrhea outbreak

<TABLE cellSpacing=3 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=thanh vAlign=top align=left>Medical Leaders Call for Urgent Cholera Vaccination</TD></TR><TR><TD class=tintop_text vAlign=top align=left>There have been about 200 cases of acute diarrhea in eight districts and wards of Ha Noi last month, Mr. Do Le Huan, the director of the city's Department of Preventative Health, told participants at a meeting yesterday.

<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=3 width=1 align=right border=0><TBODY><TR><TD> </TD></TR><TR><TD class=Image>Number of patients has increaed critically from the end of March. </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

The director and his staff have taken samples of dog meat, shrimp paste, vegetables and water to test for the virulent Vibrio cholera virus.
The virus has been found in river and lake water. Medical leaders expect the Ministry of Health to pay for and organize urgently a second round of cholera vaccines for Ha Noi residents.

In order to deal with an outkreak of acute diarrhea and the alarm of increasing number of patients form the end of March, the Ha Tay province People?s Committee convened a forum to discuss measures to fight the disease.
The outkreak of acute diarrhea occured in Ha Dong city of Ha Tay from the beginning of March. It later spread to Thuong Tin and Thanh Oai districts. Ha Tay has 85 acute diarrhea victims, 29 of whom have tested positive for the virulent Vibrio cholera virus.
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http://www.saigon-gpdaily.com.vn/National/2008/4/62426/

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Re: Vietnam's prime minister raises alert over cholera, acute diarrhea outbreak

<TABLE cellSpacing=3 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=thanh vAlign=top align=left>Cholera Vaccine Not for General Public, Ministry Says</TD></TR><TR><TD class=tintop_text vAlign=top align=left>Those who do not live in affected areas are not permitted to take cholera vaccine, the Ministry of Health has reminded medical clinics nationwide. The vaccine has a low efficacy and its protection lasts for only a short time. So it cannot prevent the spread of the virus and its use may result in complacent behavior. Only those with a doctors? prescription may take the vaccine.

<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=3 width=1 align=right border=0><TBODY><TR><TD> </TD></TR><TR><TD class=Image>Those who do not live in affected areas are not permitted to take cholera vaccine, Vietnamese Ministry of Health says</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

Cholera is spread primarily through contaminated water and poor sanitation, said Dr. Nguyen Tran Hien, head of the Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology in Ha Noi.
The use of oral cholera vaccine is not recommended once an outbreak has started. Instead, communities should be reminded of basic hygiene.
The vaccine is recommended only for residents in hurricane-hit areas or for those who only source of water is contaminated, according to the World Health Organization.
The alarming outbreak of cholera and acute diarrhea in the north may spread to the central and southern regions, said Deputy Minister of Ministry of Health- Trinh Quan Huan.
Night-soil from train passengers may also spread infection in the warm weather if these wastes have the cholera bacterium, said Mr. Huan
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http://www.saigon-gpdaily.com.vn/Health/2008/4/62522/

[Shiloh]

Re: Vietnam's prime minister raises alert over cholera, acute diarrhea outbreak

Source: http://www.mister-info.com/?cmd=disp...66&format=html


Monday, 14 April 2008

Over 130 infected in a Cholera outbreak in Vietnam

Cholera continues to spread in Vietnam, where, according to the Vietnamese authorities Monday, more than 130 people were infected in the north, and also in the economic capital Ho Chi Minh City, the former Saigon in the south.

According to the Ministry of Health, 1,335 people have been hospitalized for diarrhea, 136 were tested positive for cholera, since the beginning of March.

The Vietnamese authorities didn't report any death of the bacterium in the 18 major cities and provinces affected, but the Prime Minister stressed that the spread of cholera will affect not only residents but also socio-economic development, as well as foreign investment.

Cholera is an acute intestinal infection transmitted through water or food contaminated with the bacteria vibrio cholerae.

Copyright Mister-Info.com

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Re: Vietnam's prime minister raises alert over cholera, acute diarrhea outbreak

<TABLE cellSpacing=3 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=thanh vAlign=top align=left>Warning Signs to Be Planted at Infected Sites</TD></TR><TR><TD class=tintop_text vAlign=top align=left>

<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=3 width=1 align=right border=0><TBODY><TR><TD> </TD></TR><TR><TD class=Image>Eating fresh vegetables is dangerous for health while acute diarrhea has been spreading.</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

Following the development and spread of acute diarrhea in the country, the Ministry of Health announced drastic measures to stamp out the disease.
Those in charge of controlling the disease will plant warning sign at rivers, lakes and channels where the virulent Vibrio cholera virus is detected, and even at the residence of cholera victims.
The owners of boarding-houses and rented houses will be ordered to build toilets. Otherwise they are not allowed to do business, according to a regulation issued by the ministry
Ha Noi Peoples? Committee was asked to keep close eye to prevent people from defecating into rivers, lakes or in other places that contaminate the environment.
Hai Phong is grappling with an outbreak of acute diarrhea and has warned residents of eating fresh vegetables and other highly risky foods at eateries.
Yesterday, Ha Noi's Department of Health asked food shops violating regulations on food hygiene and safety to close. Ha Noi inspectors went around restaurants and roadside stalls in Hoan Kiem District and found that scores of food shops violated the regulations. Foods were not covered, and flies and bluebottles settled on the dishes. Furthermore, the owners of the shops did not have certificates of food sanitation.
More worrying, fermented pork rolls and vegetables are displayed at a famous shop called Ba Hong at 35 Hang Thung Street. A store on 20 Hai Ba Trung Street sells raw duck blood pudding. The inspection team asked the city to shut the shop and impose severe penalties on the two food stores.
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http://www.saigon-gpdaily.com.vn/Health/2008/4/62640/

[Shiloh]

Re: Vietnam's prime minister raises alert over cholera, acute diarrhea outbreak

Source: http://www.news-medical.net/?id=37631

Severe acute watery diarrhoea with Vibrio cholerae positive cases in Vietnam

Published: Tuesday, 22-Apr-2008

Between 5 March and 22 April the Ministry of Health of Vietnam reported 2,490 cases of severe acute watery diarrhoea including 377 that were positive for Vibrio cholerae, the bacterium causing cholera.

The serotype has been identified as 01 Ogawa. No deaths have been reported, a fact that indicates that good case management is in place.

Until now, 20 provinces and municipalities of Vietnam have been affected. The majority of people infected by the disease are Hanoi residents. The predominant route of infection appears to be consumption of contaminated food. Cholera bacteria have not been detected in drinking water in Hanoi or in other affected areas but have been found in some surface waters. Additional epidemiological, environmental and food trace-back investigations are under way.

The Ministry of Health has been increasing health education and launched a mass media campaign aimed at strengthening food safety and personal hygiene knowledge and practices. Environmental disinfection is conducted in the homes of cholera patients and a program of intensified hygiene inspection of commercial food vendors is being carried out.

WHO is supporting the Ministry of Health by providing technical advice on aspects of the epidemiological and laboratory investigations of the outbreak. In addition, WHO and other UN agencies are exploring other possibilities of assistance.

In controlling the spread of cholera WHO does not recommend any special restrictions to travel or trade to or from affected areas. Visitors coming to Vietnam are encouraged to respect basic precautions when consuming water and food.

[Sally Furniss]

Re: Vietnam's prime minister raises alert over cholera, acute diarrhea outbreak

Dog Meat May Be Spreading Vietnam's Cholera Outbreak (Update1)

By Simeon Bennett and Van Nguyen


<!-- WARNING: #foreach: $wnstory.ATTS: null at /bb/data/web/templates/webmacro_en/washingtonstory.wm:266.2 --> <!-- WARNING: #foreach: $wnstory.ATTS: null at /bb/data/web/templates/webmacro_en/washingtonstory.wm:280.19 --> April 23 (Bloomberg) -- Contaminated dog meat, lax food hygiene practices and the use of human feces as fertilizer may be spreading Vietnam's worst cholera outbreak in at least a decade, health officials said.
Eating dog meat or other food from outlets that serve it is linked to a 20-fold increase in the risk of developing the severe acute watery diarrhea commonly caused by the cholera bacterium, said Jean-Marc Olive, the World Health Organization's representative in Vietnam. Authorities have yet to determine the cause of the outbreak, he said.
``Cholera may become endemic if this continues,'' Olive said by telephone from Hanoi today. Wetter and warmer weather expected in northern Vietnam from August to November may exacerbate the problem, he said.
The disease highlights problems with basic sanitation in Vietnam, where economic growth in excess of 8 percent last year drew people from provinces to the cities. Cholera, rarely seen in industrialized countries for a century, ``remains a global threat to public health,'' the WHO said in an August report.
Cholera, which is treated with fluid and salt replacements and antibiotics, often causes mild or no symptoms. About 20 percent of patients develop profuse watery diarrhea, vomiting and leg cramps. Rapid loss of body fluids can lead to dehydration and shock.
The most recent spate of cases is a fresh wave of an outbreak that started in October, Olive said. Contaminated shrimp sauce caused at least 157 cholera cases in November and December, Vietnam's health ministry said last year.
Human Excrement
Unhygienic practices, including the use of unwashed vegetables from fields fertilized with human excrement, may also be fueling the spread, Olive said. Vietnam's government banned human feces as fertilizer in 1994, a government spokesman said.
Since March 5, 2,490 cases of severe acute watery diarrhea have been reported, mostly in the capital, Hanoi, the WHO said in an April 22 statement on its Web site. Of those, 377 patients tested positive for cholera. None one of the cases was fatal.
In Hanoi, more than 1,000 cases of acute diarrhea have been recorded, the most in half a century, said Nguyen Huy Nga, director of the health ministry's Preventive Medicine Department.
``The cause of the acute diarrhea is a mystery,'' Nga said in a telephone interview today. Uncooked vegetables, dog meat and shrimp sauce were the most likely causes, he said.
Health ministry inspectors shut 63 out of 100 shops selling dog meat in Hanoi and neighboring Ha Dong city last week, Vietnam News reported today, without saying where it got the information.
Shrimp Sauce
Four of five restaurants serving dog meat on Hanoi's Nhat Tan Street, the city's so-called ``dog-meat street,'' were closed after inspectors found dirty chopping boards, unwashed vegetables and shrimp sauce in dirty containers, the report said. In Ha Dong city, 23 dog butchers whose clients are mainly in Hanoi were shut down.
More closures are expected, today's Vietnam News report quoted Tran Dang, director of the food hygiene and safety department, as saying.
To curb the spread, the ministry is stressing better food hygiene and sanitation, water sterilization and isolating patients, Nga said.
Some Vietnamese believe that consuming dog and duck meat in the second half of the lunar month will ward off bad luck. Today is the 18th day of the third lunar month.
To contact the reporters on this story: Simeon Bennett in Singapore at sbennett9@bloomberg.net

[Shiloh]

Re: Vietnam's prime minister raises alert over cholera, acute diarrhea outbreak

Source: http://www.irinnews.org/Report.aspx?ReportId=77970

Tuesday 29 April 2008
VIETNAM: Grappling with renewed cholera outbreak

HANOI, 29 April 2008 (IRIN) - In the face of yet another outbreak of cholera, Vietnam's capital city is closing down dog meat restaurants and unhygienic street food stalls, but not enough is being done to address Hanoi's decrepit sanitation system, a major source of the illness, according to health officials.

"The sewage from septic tanks flows into the lakes," Nguyen Huy Nga, director of the Ministry of Health's Preventive Medicine Department, told IRIN. "When people use the lake water for different purposes, such as washing food, they are helping to spread the disease."

Hanoi's sewers date back to French colonial times when the city was relatively small. Today, it teems with more than three million people yet the sanitation infrastructure is largely unchanged from the late 1800s.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 2,490 cases of acute diarrhoea were reported in Vietnam between 5 March and 22 April. A total of 377 people tested positive for vibrio cholerae, mostly in Hanoi.

Cholera is an infection of the intestinal tract, which is contracted through contaminated food or water. It can result in dehydration and kidney failure, which if untreated can result in death. So far no fatalities have been reported.

In response to the recent outbreak, the third since October, Hanoi's health department has closed dozens of dog meat butchers and restaurants in the capital. Because the dogs are not reared for consumption, the meat is often contaminated. In addition, it has urged people to avoid street food stalls. A ban on using excrement to fertilise crops has been put in place as well. Health authorities have also repeatedly warned people not to wash fruit and vegetables in the highly polluted lakes and ponds.

But Hanoi's public health officials concede they can only do so much. "There are more than 260 inspection delegations at all levels throughout the city every day," said the frustrated director of the Hanoi Health Department, Le Anh Tuan. "We have shut down dog meat restaurants that failed to meet the food safety and hygiene requirements.

"We are trying to raise the awareness of all people, including restaurant owners and customers, so they understand about food safety hygiene. [But] we can't do anything if customers just ignore basic food safety."

Treating the lakes

Tuan said the 30 lakes in Hanoi that tested positive for the presence of cholera bacteria are now being cleaned. More than a tonne of chlorine was dumped into Linh Quang Lake after six people living nearby contracted the illness.

However, the real problem is a sewage system that dates back to the 19th century, says Ngo Trung Hai, vice-head of the Institute for Urban and Rural Planning at the Ministry of Construction. Rainwater run-off mixes with untreated sewage, exacerbating the problem.

"Hanoi has no water treatment plants," says Hai. "It's crazy. It all goes into the lakes without being treated. It's easy to understand why the lakes are infected with cholera because the sewage flows into them."

The good news is that a water treatment plant is under construction, says Hai. It will be able to process 200,000 to 300,000 cubic metres of sewage a day. But Hanoi's houses still need to be connected to an urban sewer system, a long-term project.

Meanwhile, WHO and local public health officials are stepping up their campaign to warn people of the dangers of eating uncooked vegetables, using unhygienic food outlets and drinking contaminated water. They also warn that warmer temperatures are likely to bring an increase in infections.

Vietnam's state-controlled media is also ratcheting up the rhetoric, using "cholera" instead of "acute diarrhoea", in a move that health officials hope will encourage the public to take the threat more seriously.

Some people are getting the message. Many say they are paying more attention to sanitation and are washing their hands before meals. But there is little evidence that people are actually changing the way they eat.

"Eating on the street and at pavement stalls is unclean and is destroying the city's image," said 21-year-old Pham Tien Quan. But at the same time she was buying sugar cane juice, a virtual cholera cocktail, from a local vendor in Hanoi.

mao/bj/mw
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[Shiloh]

Re: Vietnam's prime minister raises alert over cholera, acute diarrhea outbreak

Source: http://vietnamnews.vnagency.com.vn/s...um=01HEA020508

Acute diarrhoea under control in capital city

(02-05-2008)

HA NOI ?The acute diarrhoea infection in Ha Noi is now considered under control, with the number of hospitalised patients falling from about 100 cases per day early this month to only from 5-10 per day over the past week, said Director of Ha Noi Health Care Department Le Anh Tuan.

According to him, Ha Noi detected 1,123 patients of severe acute diarrhoea between March 6 and April 28, of whom 44 tested positive to cholera virus.

The city has taken strict measures to ensure food safety and hygiene to eliminate sources of infection of the disease. The Health Ministry and local authorities in Ha Noi sent 260 teams to inspect food premises around the city.

Tuan said that all samples of water taken from 55 lakes and ponds in Ha Noi by the Ha Noi Preventive Medicine Centre tested negative to cholera virus.

Keeping things clean

Slaughter houses in the capital?s Thanh Xuan District were unhygienic and should be moved away from residential areas, said chairman of the city?s People?s Committee Nguyen The Thao.

His comment came after 14 environmental hygiene and food safety inspections were recently carried out in the city, prompted by the acute diarrhoea epidemic.

Thao said the Khuong Dinh abattoir on Bui Xuong Trach Street, which slaughters 500-600 pigs per day using antiquated methods, was badly polluting the surrounding area.

When inspectors visited the slaughter house, they said the floor was swimming with animals? blood and innards, and more seriously, manure and urine were being released into a nearby lake.

Although the slaughter house was planned for an upgrade nine years ago, no changes have been made, despite complaints from local people.

The chairman urged the Ha Noi Commerce Department, Agriculture and Rural Development Department and relevant offices to move all the unhygienic slaughter houses out of residential areas.

Those in Thanh Xuan District will be the first to go. Although no cases of acute diarrhoea have been reported here, the potential risk of an outbreak is considered high because of pollution contaminating the area?s 13 ponds and lakes. ?VNS

[Shiloh]

Re: Vietnam's prime minister raises alert over cholera, acute diarrhea outbreak

Source: http://vietnamnews.vnagency.com.vn/s...um=01HEA260608
Cholera strikes three northern provinces

(26-06-2008)
BAC NINH ? Three northern provinces of Ninh Binh, Bac Ninh and Hai Phong have received many cases of acute diarrhoea this month, reported the Preventive Health Department on Tuesday.

Amongst them, several cases of the vibrio cholera bacteria were found, 30 of which were discovered in Bac Ninh Province.

According to Bac Ninh Province?s health department, 49 patients were admitted in hospitals suffering from acute diarrhoea including 27 cases inflicted with the bacteria. Most of the patients were residents of Chan Lac Village, whose lake tested positive for the bacteria by the centre of preventive health.

Fortunately the health staff found no bacteria in the water that is used for daily consumption by villagers.

The department disinfected the lake and has warned the locals not to use the water there.

Nguyen Van Luyen, director of infectious disease control and vaccine bio-products department from the department of health said they spent considerable efforts in educating people on the importance of maintaining safe and hygienic living standards to prevent diseases.

People had changed but not much, said Luyen.

Many of them ignored warnings and continued with unhygienic habits.

One example was that of the 79 people who attended a party in the village and became victims of food poisoning a few weeks ago.

Officials in the commune of Dung Liet, where the village was located, prescribed 2,800 doses of cholera vaccine.

After the ministry declared that the epidemic of acute diarrhoea was over at the end of last year, it re-appeared in January and then March, said Nguyen Huy Nga, director of the Department for Preventive Health and Environment.

While the number of patients has reduced, patients are still streaming into hospitals afflicted by the disease. Last month, the Ministry of Health recorded 1,400 case of acute diarrhoea including 170 cases positive with the bacteria. Since the beginning of this year, Viet Nam has recorded nearly 500 cholera cases.

Nguyen Van Binh deputy director of the Department for Preventive Health and Environment said that the Ministry of Health continuously issued health warnings on acute diarrhoea in some localities so people should be aware of it. He stressed on the importance of safe and hygienic habits as the most effective prevention to disease. ? VNS

[Treyfish]

Re: Vietnam's prime minister raises alert over cholera, acute diarrhea outbreak

<TABLE><TBODY><TR><TD class=tintop_title vAlign=top align=left>Acute diarrhoea breaks out in Hai Duong province</TD></TR><TR><TD class=news_date vAlign=top align=left height=20>10:27' 09/07/2008 (GMT+7) </TD></TR><TR><TD class=text vAlign=top align=left>

<TABLE class="image center" cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=3 width=200 align=right fck_template="imagecontener"><TBODY><TR><TD></TD></TR><TR><TD class=image_desc align=middle>

Cholera bacteria

</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>VietNamNet Bridge - Acute diarrhoea has broken out in Hai Duong province as the local Department of Public Health confirmed another man tested positive for cholera bacteria.
The man, named Trieu Quang Thanh, is from Phu Quan village, Cam Dinh commune, Cam Giang district. The other man is Binh Giang district. The two men ate unsafe food.
The provincial steering board on the prevention and control of acute diarrhoea asked authorities in districts and Hai Duong city to promote the education of local people of the danger of the disease and measures to prevent it.
At the same time, the examination of food production and consumption has been promoted in order to prevent the epidemic from spreading.
Hai Duong province now has 7,600 food production establishments and vendors, but only 8.46% of the figure meets the food hygiene and safety standard.
In 2007, 145 people in Hai Duong province suffered from food poisoning. http://english.vietnamnet.vn/social/2008/07/792729/

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[Commonground]

Re: Vietnam's prime minister raises alert over cholera, acute diarrhea outbreak

Still gloomy cholera aggress: Incremental choleraic patient.
(To Go up to Darn fourthly for 30, july 2008).
(Hanoi- VNN) According to note number Ministry of Health cuả has evening governmental bureau CSVN credit 28-7 plague inform of situations in July tells aggressive growing cholera in the past month.
According to Ministry of Health CSVN affirm, from now nationwide next the beginning of the year had 4.143 to sing to hitch " parlous level diarrhea ", among them 649 case to hitch choleraic. Privately from start next July now, acknowledgement is 441 case at 18 provinces, paries, among them had also positive 67 chant with cholera.

Related to cholera, evening 28-7, physician that transmitting success Nguyễn- confirmation marine province health department director, cholera flared at Vietnamese New commune, the Cirriped Rod rural district, is marine, with 3 patients have Positive assaying with left bacteria.
In addition, also in acknowledgement July had 26 harvest that food poisoning happen at 18 provinces, borough makes 2.248 hospitalization, among them people has four killing cases.
About dandy fever, even date, CSVN Ministry of Health also send out digit, come to 7 epidemic hemorrhagic fever hitch sum total end of the month on nationwide About 20.000 chant is morbid that, among them, chiefly disease still determinered to In southern province with number of peoples hitch over 16.000 case, 20 sings killing also happen In this sectioning. Plague are having tenor very sophisticated turn, risk flares transmitting become pandemic. Hyperboreans is not translating's center but from the beginning of the year up to now acknowledge 200 sang #Es disease, chiefly at Hanoi

http://www.vnn-news.com/spip.php?breve11954

[Commonground]

Re: Vietnam's prime minister raises alert over cholera, acute diarrhea outbreak

Cholera still run wild silent : patient cholera increase
( up web fourth 30 , July 2008 )

( Hanoi - VNN ) according to official dispatch cuả Health Ministry has send office government CSVN day 28-7 announcement epidemic disease situation in month 7 say cholera increasing run wild in last month

According to Health Ministry CSVN confirmation , from beginning of year until now the whole country already has 4.143 song mắc " expenditure flow level dangerous " , in that 649 circumstances mắc cholera . special from head month 7 until now , record 441 circumstances in 18 province , city , including add 67 male song with left .

TS Nguyen brightness Russia - director medicine bureau prevention and environment ( Health Ministry ) said , in month 7 number of people get sick cholera increased . main cause is because of food infected , mầm disease from disease incident old pale distribute , and no eliminate beginning a new disease stage . number of people mắc expenditure flow level dangerous and left main increase sharply occur in incidents collective poisoning in Henan , Nam Dinh , prosperous Y?n

Relation to cholera , day 28-7 , doctor Nguyen successful - manager medicine office ocean province confirmation , cholera has outbreaked in new village Vietnam , pitch district ha , ocean , with 3 patient has male test with khuẩn left .

Besides , also in month 7 record has 26 poisoning incident really colour occur in 18 province , city do 2.248 people admit to hospital , including four death case

http://www.vnn-news.com/spip.php?breve11954

[Commonground]

Re: Vietnam's prime minister raises alert over cholera, acute diarrhea outbreak

Post #13:

According to Health Ministry CSVN confirmation , from beginning of year until now the whole country already has 4.143 song mắc " expenditure flow level dangerous " , in that 649 circumstances mắc cholera . special from head month 7 until now , record 441 circumstances in 18 province , city , including add 67 male song with left .

A major cholera outbreak was reported in March 2008, chiefly affecting Hanoi. As of April 22, 2008, a total of 2490 cases of severe diarrhea had been reported, of which 377 were confirmed as cholera (see the World Health Organization).

http://www.mdtravelhealth.com/destinations/asia/viet_nam.php

[Shiloh]

Re: Vietnam's prime minister raises alert over cholera, acute diarrhea outbreak

Source: http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/20...nt_9706152.htm

Vietnam reports 722 cholera patients
www.chinaview.cn 2008-08-25 12:21:21

HANOI, Aug. 25 (Xinhua) -- Vietnam has so far this year detected 4,533 cases of acute diarrhea infections, of whom 722 have been tested positive to cholera virus, local newspaper Youth on Monday quoted statistics from the country's Health Ministry as reporting.

Since the beginning of this month, up to 390 people, mainly in northern provinces, have suffered from acute diarrhea infections. Most of them used unhygienic foodstuffs and used substandard toilets.

The ministry said it is difficult to completely contain cholera because cholera virus strain, which has stricken Vietnam since late last year, has mutated so that it can live longer in environment.

According to Vietnam's National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology, the existing strain, currently hitting such Asian countries as Vietnam, India, Thailand, Laos and Bangladesh, is the combination of the "classical" cholera strain and the El Tor strain.

Local residents are advised to keep clean, particularly by hand washing with soap before handling food and after going to the toilet; separate raw and cooked food; especially high-risk food like raw meat, poultry and seafood; cook food thoroughly; keep food at safe temperatures; and use chlorinated or boiled water for consumption and for cleaning of raw food.

Editor: An