[health-vn] Ministry calls for better hygiene as diarrhea spreads

[Vern Weitzel]

http://www.thanhniennews.com/healthy/?catid=8&newsid=48746

Last Updated: Wednesday, May 13, 2009 22:49:48 Vietnam (GMT+07)

Ministry calls for better hygiene as diarrhea spreads
	
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 food 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