Viral encephalitis affects 325 people, kills 5 in Vietnam

Viral encephalitis affects 325 people, kills 5 in Vietnam

Viral encephalitis spread to 31 provinces and cities in Vietnam, affecting 325 people and killing five of them in the first six months of this year, health authorities said.

>> JE spreads in northern Vietnam; HFMD on rise in southern region

Of the five deaths, two were in the Central Highlands province of Gia Lai, and one each in Hanoi, northern Dien Bien Province, and southern Bac Lieu Province, according to the Ministry of Health’s Preventive Health Department.

Compared to the same period last year, the number of viral encephalitis cases and the death toll decreased by 14 percent and 54 percent.

Of the total number of patients, 65 percent were in the northern region, while 12, 17 and 4.4 percent were in the central, Central Highlands and southern regions, respectively.

Ho Chi Minh City topped the list of the patient count, followed by Hanoi, Quang Ngai Province, and Thai Binh Province.

From the beginning of the year until June 30, the Central Pediatrics Hospital in the Vietnamese capital treated 129 viral encephalitis cases, or 40 percent of the country’s total, and one patient died of the disease.

Patients at 15 years old accounted for as much as 84 percent of these cases, and of these children, infants under 12 months old made up 15 percent.

No vaccine

Viral encephalitis is inflammation of the brain caused by a virus and the major risk from viral meningitis is permanent brain damage, according to the Better Health Channel, a health website funded by the State Government of Victoria (Australia).

There is no specific vaccine against viral encephalitis, except Japanese Encephalitis.

Children aged one year or less and adults aged 55 years and over are more vulnerable to life threatening complications.

Viruses that can cause encephalitis include enteroviruses such as poliovirus and echovirus, herpes simplex virus, varicella-zoster virus, Epstein-Barr virus, cytomegalovirus, adenovirus, rubella, measles, Murray Valley encephalitis (MVE) virus, Kunjin virus and Japanese encephalitis (JE) virus.

The modes of viral transmission include coughs or sneezes from an infected person that release airborne viruses, which are then inhaled by others; infected insects (such as mosquitoes or ticks) and animals, which can transfer some viruses directly into the bloodstream via their bite; and eating contaminated food or drink.

There is evidence to suggest that some cases of viral encephalitis are caused by a dormant herpes simplex virus infection becoming active again.

The symptoms of viral encephalitis include high fever, headache, sensitivity to light, general malaise, stiff neck, stiff back, vomiting, confusion, memory loss, seizures, paralysis and coma.

Precaution

The Preventive Health Department asked all local health authorities to take measures to early detect viral encephalitis, improve treatment efficiency to minimize mortality, and bar cross-infection at health facilities.

Patients should be treated and cared for in isolation to block the spread of the disease.

People should keep the environment, their houses and farms clean to prevent mosquitoes and should sleep in mosquito-nets, the department advised.

They should always keep good personal hygiene, often wash hands with soap, ensure food safety, and practice eating cooked food and drinking boiled water.

Viral encephalitis can appear all year round, but its peak times are in June, July and August, the department said.

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