(HNMO) - According to the Ministry of Health, in the first 5 months of 2023, the country recorded 8,995 cases of hand, foot and mouth disease in 63 provinces and cities, including 3 deaths. In addition, surveillance results detected the presence of the Enterovirus 71 (EV71) virus, which can cause severe illness in some cases of hand, foot and mouth disease.
According to the report of the infectious disease surveillance system, in the first 5 months of 2023, the whole country recorded 8,995 cases of hand, foot and mouth disease in 63 provinces and cities, including 3 deaths in Dak Lak, Kien Giang and Long An. Compared to the same period in 2022, the number of hand, foot and mouth disease cases decreased by 28%, the number of deaths increased by 2 cases; of which the highest number of cases was recorded in the South with 6,204 cases; followed by the North with 2,007 cases, the Central region with 656 cases and the Central Highlands with 130 cases.
If in January 2023, 1,070 cases of hand, foot and mouth disease were recorded, by May 2023, it had increased to 3,101 cases. Notably, the number of hand, foot and mouth disease cases in recent weeks has tended to increase rapidly and there were 3 deaths in May 2023. These are also the first 3 deaths due to hand, foot and mouth disease this year.
Hand, foot and mouth disease is mainly found in boys (60%), girls account for 40% of the total number of cases. Hand, foot and mouth disease is mainly found in children under 10 years old (98.5%), in which it is common in the 1-5 year old group, children going to nursery and kindergarten (84%) and under 1 year old (18%).
The results of microbiological surveillance of the pathogens causing hand, foot and mouth disease in 2023 recorded an increase in the proportion of positive cases of Enterovirus 71 (EV71) in the total number of tested samples, from 5.9% in week 14 of 2023 to 19.2% in week 20 of 2023. The emergence of Enterovirus 71 (EV71) has the potential to cause severe illness in some cases.
Therefore, the Ministry of Health requires localities to continue to strengthen monitoring, early detection, localization, and thorough handling of hand, foot, and mouth disease outbreaks. At the same time, increase sampling of hand, foot, and mouth disease cases, especially severe cases with complications, thereby determining the circulation of the virus type causing the disease and monitoring the virus's changes.
Along with hand, foot and mouth disease, according to the report from the Ministry of Health's infectious disease surveillance system, from May 5 to May 30, in Tua Chua district, Dien Bien province, 3 outbreaks of cutaneous anthrax were recorded with 13 cases in Muong Bang commune (1 outbreak), Xa Nhe commune (2 outbreaks). All cases are currently being monitored and treated at medical facilities and there have been no deaths.
Through investigation and testing, anthrax bacteria were detected in meat samples of sick and dead buffalo and cows and soil samples collected from households that slaughtered sick buffalo and cows and households with people suspected of having anthrax in the outbreak area.
According to the epidemiological history, these anthrax cases were all recorded in communes in Tua Chua district. These are communes that have previously experienced anthrax outbreaks. These cases are all related to the slaughter and consumption of meat from sick buffaloes and cows that died of anthrax. Currently, 119 people related to the outbreak (including: People who participated in the slaughter and consumed meat from sick buffaloes and cows) have been listed, their health monitored and are currently in stable health.
In Vietnam, anthrax is common in the northern mountainous provinces, including Dien Bien, Son La, Lai Chau, Cao Bang, Thai Nguyen, and Ha Giang, where some cases of human anthrax have been recorded. On average, during the period 2016-2022, the country recorded 7 cases/year and no deaths.
According to the Ministry of Health, anthrax is related to food safety and hygiene in animal slaughtering. In Dien Bien, an anthrax outbreak occurred in buffaloes and cows, but people did not report it to local authorities but slaughtered the meat themselves and sold it to people in other villages to eat, leading to 3 anthrax outbreaks in humans.
“People’s awareness of disease prevention measures as well as food hygiene and safety habits are not high. At the same time, the habit of raising livestock also leads to the risk of spreading the disease to other areas,” the Ministry of Health said.
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