According to the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Health , the infectious disease surveillance system in Ho Chi Minh City in 2024 recorded the number of respiratory infections ranging from 16,000 to 18,000 cases per month in the first 8 months of the year and increasing in the last 3 months of the year. Respiratory diseases tend to increase when the weather turns cold, but currently there have been no unusual fluctuations in the number of cases or serious illness in hospitals.
Regarding pathogens, the results of the report from the community-acquired pneumonia pathogen research program in collaboration between the Oxford University Clinical Research Unit (OUCRU) with the Ho Chi Minh City Hospital for Tropical Diseases, Khanh Hoa Provincial General Hospital, Nha Trang Pasteur Institute and the National Center for Infectious Diseases of Singapore (under the PREPARE project) show that the pathogens are still common viruses and bacteria.
Specifically, the test results of 103 patients with community-acquired pneumonia (including 56 children and 47 adults) hospitalized from July to December 2024 at the City Hospital for Tropical Diseases showed that: HMPV accounted for a small proportion (12.5% in children) compared to other agents causing community-acquired pneumonia. The more common agents found in children were H. influenzae bacteria (71.4%), S. pneumoniae (42.9%), influenza A virus (25%), rhinovirus (44.6%), RSV (41.1%)...
Common pathogens in adults are H. influenzae (42.6%), S. pneumoniae (27.7%) and influenza A virus (48.9%). In addition, during the outbreak of respiratory infections in children in late 2023 in Ho Chi Minh City, surveillance results also recorded a variety of common viral pathogens, of which HMPV was also detected at a rate of 15%.
However, the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Health recommends not to be subjective about possible developments. The Ho Chi Minh City Department of Health has directed the City Center for Disease Control (HCDC) and medical units to continue to closely monitor the epidemic situation in the world, and be ready to deploy medical quarantine activities at airports and seaports under the direction of the Department of Preventive Medicine to detect early and prevent the risk of disease spread (if any).
In addition, functional units need to continue domestic epidemiological surveillance activities, including monitoring the number of respiratory infections, the number of hospitalized severe acute respiratory infections, monitoring respiratory pathogens, and monitoring events such as detecting clusters of cases in schools, factories, and communities to take timely measures.
Human metapneumovirus (HMPV) is a virus in the family Pneumoviridae, first discovered in 2001. HMPV is related to respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and is one of the agents causing upper and lower respiratory tract infections in young children, the elderly, and people with weakened immune systems.
The virus spreads from person to person through direct contact or indirectly through contaminated surfaces, with the risk increasing during winter and early spring. Common symptoms include cough, runny or stuffy nose, sore throat, fever and, in severe cases, can cause severe pneumonia.
Currently, there is no vaccine or specific treatment for HMPV. Therefore, it is important to implement disease prevention measures as recommended by the health sector.
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