M/27;13th H1N1 fatality, respiratory cases in children rising

[Ronan Kelly]

Thursday ,May 19,2011, Posted at: 16:27(GMT+7)

One H1N1 death in Dak Lak province
The Ministry of Health has reported the death of a 27-year-old man from the highland province of Dak Lak, while undergoing treatment for the last two days for H1N1 virus at the local hospital.

The nationwide toll of H1N1 cases has now risen to 13 since the beginning of the year.

The victim from Krong Bong district complained of fever, cough and spit mucus with blood on April 27. He went to a private medical clinic for treatment but his condition did not improve for several days. He moved to the general hospital on May 4 where tests confirmed he had H1N1 virus.

The hospital injected him with the anti-viral drug Tamiflu but his condition did not improve and he died on May 6.

Since the beginning of the year, the country has recorded over 470 swine flu cases including 13 fatal cases in ten provinces and cities. Most of the dead people also suffered from other chronic diseases.

In related health news, the country has seen an increase of respiratory cases in children due to bad weather. The National Children Hospital in Hanoi receives more than 1,500 kids a day, half of them with respiratory diseases.

The Center of Preventive Health in Ca Mau Province in the southern tip of Vietnam said more than 200 hand-foot-mouth child cases were hospitalized in the province, a threefold increase compared to the same period last year. District Dam Doi, Thoi Binh, Tran Van Thoi and Ca Mau City have the most recorded cases.

By staff writers - Translated by Uyen Phuong

 

[tetano]

Re: M/27;13th H1N1 fatality, respiratory cases in children rising

Epidemics continue to threaten provinces


HCM CITY? Swine flu, hand-foot-mouth disease, and respiratory diseases have been either spreading to or worsening in many provinces, health officials warned.

The Ministry of Health said on Wednesday that one more person has died of swine flu, increasing the number of fatalities this year to 13.

The patient, a 27-year-old man in Central Highland Dak Lak Province's Krong Bong District, fell ill on April 27 with symptoms like coughing, high fever, and blood in the mucus.

He received treatment at a private health clinic for many days before his family took him to the provincial general hospital where he tested positive for A/H1N1. Despite being given Tamiflu, he failed to recover and died on May 6.

There have been more than 470 cases of swine flu in the country this year.

Respiratory disease

Doctors warn that the risk of children getting respiratory diseases is high because of the change in weather as the rainy season sets in.

Dr Le Thanh Hai, deputy head of the Ha Noi-based National Hospital for Paediatrics, said the number of children being brought in has increased to 1,500 a day since last week.

Half of them had respiratory diseases, which, if not treated in time, could lead to acute pneumonia and respiratory failure, he warned.

Hand-foot-mouth disease

Preventive medicine centres report that hand-foot-mouth disease continues to spread rapidly.

The Ca Mau Province centre said the number of children contracting the disease so far has crossed 200, three times the number in the same period last year.

The districts of Dam Doi, Thoi Binh, Tran Van Thoi, and Ca Mau city are the worst affected.

Nine children died after contracting hand, foot and mouthdisease, according to the HCM City Preventive Medicine Centre. This was an increase of eight deaths compared to the same period last year.

In HCM City, on Wednesday alone the Paediatric Hospital No.2 treated 150 children with the disease, with seven put on life support.

The hospital admitted 134 kids in March and the number increased to 316 in April and 285 in the first half of May.

Dr Vu Quang Minh, deputy head of the hospital's general administrative office, said the disease was becoming more virulent, with patients developing complications and even dying in just two or three days compared to five days earlier.

The hospital's doctors said if children have certain symptoms like constant crying, high fever, and convulsions, parents should immediately take them to hospital. ? VNS

http://vietnamnews.vnagency.com.vn/...Epidemics-continue-to-threaten-provinces.html