[health-vn] Acute diarrhoea breaks out in Hai Phong; 13 hospitalised

[Vern Weitzel]

http://vietnamnews.vnagency.com.vn/showarticle.php?num=03HEA120509

Acute diarrhoea breaks out in Hai Phong; 13 hospitalised

(12-05-2009)

HAI PHONG — Acute diarrhoea had broken out in Hai Phong, the city’s Health 
Department director, Nguyen Van Vi, said yesterday.

The outbreak follows incidents of acute diarrhoea in Ha Noi and Bac Ninh 
Province, about 30km north of the capital.

The director said 13 people from four of Hai Phong’s 15 districts, Ngo Quyen, 
Thuy Nguyen, Tien Lang and Vinh Bao, had been admitted to hospital with the disease.

All had eaten shrimp paste and raw vegetables and four had tested positive to 
vibrio cholera bacteria.

The others, who were suffering from diarrhoea and vomiting, were awaiting test 
results.

Preventive medicine

More than 1,500 people with acute diarrhoea patients had been provided 
preventive medicines and health department workers had checked water and food 
sources and sterilised suspect areas.

Talks about food safety and hygiene and how to prevent the disease had also been 
held.

Eight people were admitted to hospital in Ha Noi with acute diarrhoea on Friday 
and Saturday. All tested positive to vibrio cholera bacteria.

Hospital "E" has treated 15 patients so far this month and 90 per cent of them 
had eaten dog meat, shrimp paste and raw vegetables.

The first patient to suffer acute diarrhoea this year was discharged from 
hospital in Ha Noi last month. — VNS