Snowy Owl
Retired in 2010, In Memoriam
Hand-foot-mouth causing encephalitis in HCMC: doctor
http://www.thanhniennews.com/healthy/?catid=8&newsid=21207
With a brain encephalitis epidemic raging in Ho Chi Minh City, a state-run children?s hospital said it traced about 30 percent of the outbreaks to hand-foot-mouth disease.
But encephalitis symptoms are easily mistaken with other common ailments like fever, headache, and poor appetite among others.
In the last three months, over 500 patients have been admitted to the hospital with encephalitis.
http://www.thanhniennews.com/healthy/?catid=8&newsid=21207
With a brain encephalitis epidemic raging in Ho Chi Minh City, a state-run children?s hospital said it traced about 30 percent of the outbreaks to hand-foot-mouth disease.
The city-based Paediatrics Hospital No 1 said Monday this had proved to be true of over 200 children it had received this month.
Of 40 encephalitis victims currently in the hospital, 14 had contracted hand-foot-mouth, a common illness featuring mouth sores, fever, and vesicles, and mostly affecting children under five.
Khanh said hand-foot-mouth patients normally recovered in a week but if the disease was caused by the enterovirus 71, serious brain inflammation resulted.
But encephalitis symptoms are easily mistaken with other common ailments like fever, headache, and poor appetite among others.
There was no vaccine against the enterovirus 71, Khanh said, explaining the best way to prevent it was to ensure hygienic conditions.
In the last three months, over 500 patients have been admitted to the hospital with encephalitis.
Source: Tuoi Tre ? Translated by Tuong Nhi