Reporting at the meeting, Associate Professor, Dr. Tang Chi Thuong, Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Health, said that since the beginning of 2023, the Southern region has had more than 11,000 cases of hand, foot and mouth disease, with 7 deaths (5 deaths confirmed to be caused by the Enterovirus 71 (EV71) strain). Current statistics are based on the number of severe cases hospitalized, while the number of mild cases that have not been counted may be higher, in which the number of hand, foot and mouth disease cases with the EV71 strain is dominant. In particular, the number of hand, foot and mouth disease cases has not been clearly reported, 81% of cases in Ho Chi Minh City have not been clinically classified, affecting clinical assessment and determining disease trends. Associate Professor, Dr. Tang Chi Thuong also said that 50% of adults have the disease but have no symptoms, so the risk of transmission is very high.

Along with hand, foot and mouth disease, dengue fever is also entering its season. The southern region has recorded about 25,000 cases of dengue fever, with the number of cases and deaths decreasing compared to the same period last year. However, Associate Professor, Dr. Tang Chi Thuong said that the proportion of severe cases in the total number of cases is still very high, and if not prevented and controlled carefully, it can easily lead to the possibility of an outbreak, overloading medical facilities. "We have entered the rainy season, so we must fight the epidemic right now to reduce the rate of dengue fever virus circulation, reduce cases and severe cases," emphasized Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Health Tang Chi Thuong.

Doctors at the National Children's Hospital examine a child with hand, foot and mouth disease. Photo: TRUONG GIANG

In Dong Thap province, according to the provincial Center for Disease Control, dengue fever and hand, foot and mouth disease are also developing complicatedly. Dong Thap has recorded 1,447 cases of dengue fever since the beginning of the year, including 82 severe cases and 1 death. As for hand, foot and mouth disease, as of week 24, Dong Thap had 902 cases (1 death), the number of cases under 3 years old accounted for 68%. Dong Nai province also recorded 1,694 cases of hand, foot and mouth disease, down 56.37% compared to the same period in 2022 (3,883 cases), with no deaths recorded. However, the number of cases has tended to increase since the beginning of March, especially since May, with 200-300 hospitalizations per week.

Emphasizing at the meeting, Professor, Dr. Phan Trong Lan, Director of the Department of Preventive Medicine (Ministry of Health) said that most of the infected and severe cases are children, but adults are also an important source of infection, many people have no symptoms so it is difficult to control. Therefore, if not strictly controlled, the number of severe cases will increase because hand, foot and mouth disease and dengue fever are currently complicated. Therefore, Professor, Dr. Phan Trong Lan requested that leaders of health departments and quarantine centers must have measures to monitor and evaluate outbreaks to control and prevent the disease from spreading.

At the meeting, Deputy Minister of Health Nguyen Thi Lien Huong said that in recent times, the Ministry of Health and departments, agencies and localities have actively implemented many epidemic prevention and control measures. However, in order to respond promptly and prevent diseases, localities must urgently issue plans for infectious disease prevention and control in 2023, ensuring "4 on-site". Localities that have plans, if they have not yet or are submitting them for approval, are requested to urgently approve funding for the People's Committees of provinces and cities to proactively implement activities to prevent and control hand, foot and mouth disease and dengue fever; strengthen monitoring and supervision of the situation, early detection and timely handling of outbreaks. Deputy Minister of Health Nguyen Thi Lien Huong also requested medical facilities to organize treatment routes, medical examination and treatment routes; upper-level facilities must strengthen training, closely monitor, and implement cross-infection prevention in medical facilities; early detection of epidemics, and communication in the community and at schools to prevent epidemics.

MINH HA