Doctors examine patients with symptoms of acute diarrhea in the northern province of Bac Ninh.

The Ministry of Health Wednesday set up five inspection teams to take preventive measures and fight against the cholera outbreak in northern and north-central provinces that has spread to 16 cities and provinces.

He is reported to have eaten rice with fish and pickles before suffering acute diarrhea and being admitted to the district hospital.

Earlier Wednesday, Nguyen Huy Nga, head of the Bureau for Preventive Health, confirmed cholera cases in Ha Tinh and Yen Bai provinces. So far, 16 cities and provinces in northern and north-central regions have recorded patients with the disease.

Health officials also found cholera bacteria in a family well of a cholera patient in Hai Duong Province, he said.

He said the bacteria were the same strain that caused previous outbreaks but had higher toxicity.

Since the first case of cholera was found in mid-April in Hanoi, a total of 56 cases have been reported in the two regions, according to the National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology.

Hygiene problem

Deputy Minister of Health Trinh Quang Huan on Wednesday told Vietnam News Agency that cholera outbreaks were caused by low awareness of the disease among residents.

Hanoi and Hai Phong, which have faced cholera outbreaks recently, have seen a major migration of laborers from other provinces, a large number of whom live in unhygienic conditions.

This has caused outbreaks of acute diarrhea [including cholera cases], he said.

Huan noted that the National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology had warned about cholera bacteria in raw vegetables, open water bodies and in digestive systems of dogs. He blamed the unhygiene practice among many farmers who use human excrement as fertilizer for the outbreak.

Awareness of hygiene as well as preventive measures against acute diarrhea have been insufficient, he said, adding that the use of human excrement as fertilizer would easily facilitate the spread of cholera bacteria.

Acute diarrhea caused by cholera bacteria have developed in a complicated way and the World Health Organization (WHO) has warned of the disease in many African and Asian countries in recent years, he said.

Vietnam has strongly integrated with the world and the movement of people has also created conditions for the spread of infectious diseases, including cholera, he added.

Enforcing prevention

The Ministry of Health has instructed leaders of all cities and provinces to enforce preventive measures against cholera, which could easily spread in the summer time.

“It is the heavy responsibility of the healthcare system to tackle infectious diseases,” Huan said.

The government has instructed the entire healthcare system to enforce preventive measures against cholera as well as other diseases including influenza A (H1N1) and dengue fever.

Besides the five inspection teams, the Ministry of Health has also set up three others, comprising officials from health departments and other agencies to inspect localities highly prone to cholera outbreaks.

Steering committees to tackle the epidemic have also been formed at provincial, district and communal levels. They have been asked to increase cooking hygiene and safety inspections.

Huan also confirmed there has thus far been no case of cholera caused by contaminated water.

However, he said there may be more cholera patients in other provinces and called for greater hygiene awareness and practice among residents.

Source: TN, VNA