Ministry calls for better hygiene as diarrhea spreads

Published: 12/05/2009 05:00

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Citing dangerous health risks and people’s apathy, the Health Ministry Tuesday urged people change their eating habits and practice better hygiene in light of acute diarrhea spreading through northern Vietnam.

Humidity, rains and flooding, plus travel between localities will cause the disease to strengthen and spread to more cities and provinces, said Deputy Minister Trinh Quan Huan.

So far, the diarrhea has spread only to seven cities and provinces in the north, he said.

Hai Duong Province Health Department Tuesday reported two adults, Tran Thi Ngoan and Nguyen Thi Duong, tested positive for the vibrio bacterium that causes cholera while Quang Ninh Province reported adult Truong Thi Hinh as testing positive for the virus and Thanh Hoa Province announced four new cases testing positive for vibrio.

That raised the total number of cases testing positive for the bacterium to 32 nationwide this year and put Thanh Hoa Province on top of the list with 11 cases.

Bac Ninh Province reported nine cases and Hai Phong City followed with five, according to the National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology.

Nam Dinh Province reported one case, this year while Hanoi reported three cases, including the first one nationwide last month. The 51-year-old local of Tu Liem District has recovered and been discharged from the hospital.

Ngoan and Duong of Hai Duong Province reportedly suffered stomachaches and frequent diarrhea last week and were rushed to the commune medical center before being admitted to the provincial general hospital.

Huan said people are not taking the disease seriously and are still eating unhygienic cooking such as dog meat, raw vegetables, uncooked fermented seafood and street food.

To contain diarrhea outbreaks and quarantine the infected areas, the ministry has instructed people to avoid suspect food, boil water before drinking it and stay away from crowded meals like those traditionally held at funerals or death anniversaries.

Patients’ diarrhea waste must be sterilized with lime powder or chloramine B, while the water used to wash the patients’ clothes and possessions must not be poured into the common rivers or ponds, the ministry ordered.

To prevent a widespread outbreak of the disease, the ministry also asked city and provincial administrations and health authorities nationwide to take action and cooperate with the Preventive Health Department of the ministry to investigate the food or other possible causes that led to each case so far.

It also reported the situation to the Prime Minister Tuesday.

Source: TN, VNA

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