Ministry of Health informs about the "hot" seasonal flu epidemic

According to statistics from the Ministry of Health , in 2024, Vietnam recorded 289,876 cases of seasonal flu, an increase of 17.9% compared to 2023 (353,108 cases).

Medical news on February 6: Ministry of Health informs about the "hot" seasonal flu epidemic

According to statistics from the Ministry of Health, in 2024, Vietnam recorded 289,876 cases of seasonal flu, an increase of 17.9% compared to 2023 (353,108 cases).

However, the number of deaths fell to eight, up five from last year. Experts warn that people with underlying medical conditions, the elderly and those with weakened immune systems should be especially careful when infected with the flu.

Ministry of Health informs about the "hot" seasonal flu epidemic

The Ministry of Health also said that in 2024, there were 4 deaths due to influenza A(H1N1) in Binh Dinh. These patients all had serious underlying chronic diseases, and no dangerous variants of the virus were recorded.

Flu patients are being treated at medical facilities.

Provinces and cities with high numbers of cases include: Thanh Hoa (46,600 cases), Thai Binh (26,345), Nghe An (17,949), Ha Tinh (14,073), Son La (10,162).

At the Central Hospital for Tropical Diseases, 8 patients with influenza are currently being treated, including some cases of influenza A, and some patients require ECMO intervention.

MSc. Pham Van Phuc, Deputy Director of the Intensive Care Center, Central Hospital for Tropical Diseases, recommends that people with underlying diseases, the elderly, and people with weakened immune systems need to be especially careful when getting the flu.

Influenza can cause dangerous complications such as lung damage, bacterial superinfection, myocarditis, multiple organ failure, and even death. Many people are subjective when they have the flu, thinking it is just a mild illness and do not go to the doctor early.

ThS. Phuc emphasized that for people with weakened immune systems, influenza can cause serious complications, causing severe damage to the body. When the disease progresses severely, patients may be in a state of multiple organ failure when they are first admitted to the hospital, making treatment difficult. Therefore, early detection and treatment of influenza is extremely important.

To strengthen the prevention of infectious diseases in Vietnam, the Ministry of Health has sent a document requesting units under the Ministry and the Departments of Health of provinces and cities to implement the Plan for prevention and control of infectious diseases in 2025.

The Department of Preventive Medicine also noted that winter-spring weather conditions, with a monsoon climate, dry and humid, create favorable conditions for pathogens to spread. Common infectious diseases such as dengue fever, hand, foot and mouth disease and infectious diseases transmitted from animals to humans may increase.

The Ministry of Health requires localities to closely monitor the situation of infectious diseases, especially respiratory diseases, severe viral pneumonia, and respiratory diseases such as measles, dengue fever, hand, foot and mouth disease, rabies, avian influenza, etc.

In addition, border health quarantine work also needs to be strengthened to detect cases of the disease early, limit the spread and minimize serious illness and death.

Seasonal flu on the rise globally

According to information from the Ministry of Health, on February 5, the surveillance system recorded an outbreak of seasonal flu in Japan, with about 9.5 million flu cases from September 2, 2024 to January 26, 2025.

The most affected areas are densely populated and tourist-rich areas such as Tokyo, Hokkaido, Osaka and Fukuoka. The outbreak is mainly caused by influenza A, but there is still a risk of influenza B outbreaks.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the incidence of influenza and acute respiratory infections (ARIs) increased in many countries in the Northern Hemisphere in the last weeks of 2024, exceeding the normal baseline. This situation was prevalent in countries in Europe, North America, Central America, West Africa, North Africa, East Africa and many countries in Asia.

The Ministry of Health has provided information regarding the seasonal flu outbreak in Japan as well as the epidemic situation in some areas around the world.

According to data released by the National Institute of Infectious Diseases on January 31, 2025, Japan recorded approximately 9.5 million cases of seasonal influenza from September 2, 2024 to January 26, 2025, with more than 317,000 cases recorded in the last week of 2024. The current outbreak of seasonal influenza in Japan is mainly caused by influenza A, but there is still a risk of an influenza B outbreak.

Previously, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced that in many countries in the Northern Hemisphere, acute respiratory infections tend to increase at the end of the year due to agents such as seasonal influenza virus, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), and other common viruses such as hMPV and mycoplasma pneumoniae.

The incidence of influenza-like illness (ILI) or acute respiratory infections (ARI) in several Northern Hemisphere countries increased in the last weeks of 2024, exceeding the usual baseline, WHO said.

In addition, according to global influenza surveillance, seasonal influenza is also increasing in many European countries (with all subtypes of influenza viruses), North America (mainly influenza A), Central America and the Caribbean (mainly influenza A/H3N2), West Africa (mainly influenza B), North Africa (mainly influenza A/H3N2), East Africa (mainly influenza B), and many countries in Asia (mainly influenza A(H1N1)pdm09). This is consistent with the typical trend of influenza at the end of the year.

With the current weather conditions favorable for the spread of respiratory pathogens, the Ministry of Health will continue to closely monitor the domestic and international epidemic situation to direct localities and units to deploy appropriate and timely prevention measures. The Ministry of Health also affirmed that it will provide complete and accurate information so that people do not panic or worry but still not be subjective or negligent in the face of epidemic developments.

To effectively prevent seasonal flu, the Ministry of Health recommends that people take the following measures: Cover your mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing, preferably with a cloth, handkerchief, disposable tissue, or sleeve to reduce the spread of respiratory secretions.

Wear a mask in crowded places and on public transport. Wash your hands frequently with soap and water or hand sanitizer, especially after coughing or sneezing.

Do not spit in public places and limit unnecessary contact with people who have the flu or are suspected of having the disease. Get a seasonal flu vaccine to prevent the disease. Practice a healthy lifestyle, eat a nutritious diet to increase resistance, prevent influenza virus infection, and maintain physical exercise habits.

When experiencing symptoms of cough, fever, runny nose, headache, fatigue, people should not self-test or buy medicine to treat at home but should contact a medical facility for timely advice and treatment.

Having persistent influenza A for 3 weeks without recovery, the man's lungs turned white on both sides, had to be put on ECMO immediately

On February 5, the Central Hospital for Tropical Diseases announced that it was treating eight patients with the flu, including one case that required ECMO (extracorporeal membrane oxygenation).

Patient LVT (58 years old, in Son Duong, Tuyen Quang) had a history of mild hypertension but did not maintain regular medication treatment. He used to smoke cigarettes and tobacco for 30 years, but quit smoking 10 years ago.

About three weeks before admission, the patient began to experience symptoms of cough, fever, and difficulty breathing. He self-treated at home for a week but his condition did not improve. When he arrived at the hospital, a test confirmed that he had influenza A with a positive result.

Despite intensive treatment, the patient's difficulty breathing became increasingly severe, leading to severe respiratory failure and requiring intubation. After 4 days of treatment, the patient's fever subsided, but in the last 3 days, the high fever recurred, reaching 39 degrees Celsius. Bronchial fluid testing detected bacteria, causing the disease to progress rapidly and lead to septic shock.

The patient was transferred to the Intensive Care Center, Central Hospital for Tropical Diseases in a state of septic shock and required a ventilator.

Chest X-ray showed extensive damage of about 80-90%, almost complete loss of ventilation function, and very high CO2 levels in the blood. Respiratory failure did not improve, so the doctor decided to place ECMO. After the procedure, the patient's vital signs were temporarily stable, but shock and severe infection still needed close monitoring.

Patient T. also had a history of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Because the influenza virus directly affects the lungs, patients with pre-existing lung damage are more likely to develop severe symptoms than healthy people. The patient's respiratory failure progressed rapidly in just 2-3 days, requiring intubation for a short period of time.

Doctor Vo Duc Linh - Intensive Care Center emphasized that for people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, it is necessary to have regular check-ups at specialized facilities to adjust appropriate medication.

In addition, people with underlying medical conditions should get an annual flu vaccine and follow personal protective measures, especially for those at high risk.

Dr. Pham Van Phuc, Deputy Director of the Intensive Care Center, Central Hospital for Tropical Diseases, said that people with underlying diseases, the elderly, and people with weakened immune systems need to be especially careful when infected with the flu. The flu can become dangerous, leading to widespread lung damage, bacterial superinfection, myocarditis, multiple organ failure, and even death.

"In addition, many people are subjective when they get the flu, thinking it is just a mild illness and do not go to the doctor early. However, for people with weakened immune systems, the flu can cause dangerous complications, causing serious damage to the body. When the disease progresses, the patient is already in a state of multiple organ failure when he or she is admitted to the hospital, and the prognosis for treatment will be very difficult. Therefore, early detection and treatment of the flu is extremely important," added Dr. Phuc.

Source: https://baodautu.vn/tin-moi-y-te-ngay-62-bo-y-te-thong-tin-ve-dich-cum-mua-dang-nong-d244531.html