Dengue fever, hand-foot-mouth cases on the rise

A doctor at the Hospital for Tropical Diseases in HCM City treats an HFMD patient. — – VnExpress News Photo Thu Hằng

HCM CITY — Paediatrics hospitals in HCM City have reported a spike in hand, foot and mouth disease cases in recent days.

Dr Nguyễn Minh Tiến, deputy director of the HCM City Paediatrics Hospital, said 50-70 patients come to his hospital every day with the infection, and 10 per are admitted for treatment.

Most have mild symptoms and are treated at home, he said.

Dr Dư Tuấn Quy, head of the Paediatrics Hospital No. 1’s infectious and nervous diseases department, said more than 30 children come for treatment every day.

Nearly 30 of them are currently being treated, including one severe case, he said.

The number of cases has been on the rise since the beginning of this month, he said.

HFMD symptoms are similar to that of dengue and COVID-19 for the first three days, and the disease is often mistaken for dengue, Tiến said.

Many children also contract two of the three diseases at the same time, he said.

Hospitals have also recorded a surge in dengue cases, and four deaths have been linked to the disease, according to HCM City Centre for Disease Control and Prevention.

As of the end of April a total of 5,247 dengue cases have been recorded in the city, including 126 severe cases and four deaths.

The HCM City Children’s Hospital gets 100-150 dengue patients every day, and admits 10 per cent of them every day.

The Hospital for Tropical Diseases said 80-100 patients have been coming every day since March, and 15 per cent are admitted.

Assoc Prof Nguyễn Vũ Trung, head of the Pasteur Institute in HCM City, said an upsurge in dengue occurs every year in July-January.

With the increasing number of dengue cases in the past few weeks, health experts warn of outbreaks this year.

Trung urged the healthcare sector to take drastic measures to reduce the risk of dengue outbreaks and the number of severe cases and deaths. — – VnExpress News