Ho Chi Minh City recorded more than 1,700 cases of hand, foot and mouth disease in one week

Ho Chi Minh City Center for Disease Control reported that in week 41 (from October 9 to 15), the city recorded 465 cases of dengue fever, an increase of 11.2% compared to the average of the previous 4 weeks (418 cases). Districts with high number of cases per 100,000 people include: District 1, District 8 and Binh Thanh District.

According to the health sector, the number of dengue fever cases in Ho Chi Minh City has tended to increase slightly since week 24 until now, in the context of hot spells alternating with heavy rains, which are favorable conditions for the increase of mosquitoes transmitting dengue fever. The distribution of virus types is mostly D2.

Regarding hand, foot and mouth disease, the number of cases in Ho Chi Minh City also increased last week, with 1,715 cases recorded. Districts with high number of cases per 100,000 people include: Nha Be district, Binh Tan district, Binh Chanh district.

According to the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Health, after the number of cases peaked for the first time in the last weeks of July and early August, the epidemic situation gradually decreased and by early September, the number of cases began to increase again and has increased continuously until now.

Previously, at an online conference on the admission and treatment of infectious diseases to assess the situation of circulating epidemics and agree on solutions for coordination in the treatment and control of diseases in the Southern region, a representative of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Health said that 70% of the total number of hand, foot and mouth disease patients being treated at the 4 final hospitals in Ho Chi Minh City were transferred from other provinces. The mass transfer of patients to Ho Chi Minh City also caused local overload at the final hospitals in Ho Chi Minh City.

Accordingly, the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Health continues to direct Children's Hospital 1, Children's Hospital 2, City Children's Hospital and Tropical Diseases Hospital to strengthen their role in directing and providing professional support to medical examination and treatment facilities in the provinces, especially the provinces currently experiencing hand, foot and mouth disease with an increasing number of cases and severe cases.

The Tropical Diseases Hospital and the City Children's Hospital also urgently sent a team of experts to the obstetrics and pediatrics hospitals of An Giang and Kien Giang provinces to provide professional support in the treatment of hand, foot and mouth disease, and training in blood filtration, helping units consolidate and improve their capacity, meeting the treatment needs of local people.