The health authority of Lao Cai Province in northern Vietnam said on Friday afternoon that it had detected and put under control an influenza A outbreak that has left more than 200 local children infected. A report of the Bao Yen District Medical Center showed that the first cases were reported on March 7 after five students developed such symptoms as cough, fever, fatigue and had to be off from school. The flu then spread to the community. On March 9, a healthcare station in Pho Rang Town, Bao Yen District reported 133 local students exhibiting the same symptoms to the Bao Yen District Medical Center. The number of flu-hit students in the area has neared 240 after one week. The Bao Yen District Medical Center made a swift response, including conducting contact tracing, screening, providing guidance on home-based quarantine and medical treatment, disinfecting schools linked to the influenza A cases, and raising public awareness about flu prevention and control. A Bao Yen … [Read more...] about Vietnam’s Lao Cai Province reports over 200 influenza A infections in children
Infection
H1N1 influenza A infections detected in HCM City school
Many students at a school in HCM City have been infected with the H1N1 influenza A according to the HCM City Centre for Disease Control (HCDC). Many students at Vo Truong Toan Primary School in District 10 are infected with the H1N1 influenza A A report from the centre said that some 20 students at Vo Truong Toan Primary School in District 10 showed flu symptoms such as high temperatures, coughing, sore throat, fatigue and vomiting on March 15 and 16. Some pupils even had a high temperature of more than 39 degrees Celsius. HCDC randomly took blood samples of six sick students and the test results all came back positive for H1N1 influenza A. The centre has co-operated with the city Children's Hospital to provide check-ups and treatment for the sick children. No more pupils have been infected with the H1N1 strain, the centre said. The centre warned Ho Chi Minh City is in the peak season of respiratory diseases, which easily spread in a … [Read more...] about H1N1 influenza A infections detected in HCM City school
Does consuming raw vegetables lead to parasite infection?
Answer: Most diseases caused by parasites, such as clonorchiasis, tapeworm infections, and roundworm infections in dogs and cats, are caused by flukes, worms, and worm eggs. Drinking vegetable juice prepared from raw veggies is beneficial. Fresh fruits and vegetables have a higher nutritional value than cooked ones. Some types of vegetables, including collard greens, water spinach, lettuce, and centella asiatica, are regularly eaten raw. Although these vegetables are quite tasty, it is very easy to contract parasites when eating them if they aren't properly washed. In fact, vegetables grown on normal soil are susceptible to bacteria and parasites, not to mention the potential harm when the irrigation system is polluted or when the plants are watered with fresh manure. A simple rule of thumb is to wash them properly before cooking. Parasites are not bacteria, but ones such as worms, flukes, or even worm eggs, fluke eggs, and we can wash the eggs away if we wash them … [Read more...] about Does consuming raw vegetables lead to parasite infection?
Int’l support enables Ho Chi Minh City to detect additional 4,000 TB patients annually
Health authorities in Ho Chi Minh City have reported an additional 12,000 tuberculosis (TB) patients over the past three years, on top of its annual number of 17,000-18,000 TB cases, given the support of international healthcare organizations, especially the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The figures were revealed by Nguyen Huu Hung, deputy director of the municipal Department of Health, at a free-of-charge TB health screening event held on Saturday in District 5. The event also gathered Rochelle Walensky, director of the CDC and administrator of the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, along with other health officials and employees at home and abroad. Walensky discussed with healthcare workers the procedures for taking chest X-rays and returning the results to local residents, while sharing with local people the benefits of TB screening. A local healthcare worker tells Nguyen Thi Lang, an 82-year-old resident in District 5, Ho … [Read more...] about Int’l support enables Ho Chi Minh City to detect additional 4,000 TB patients annually
Military Hospital 175 and Military Medicine University foster coordination
President of Military Medicine University Lieutenant General Nguyen Xuan Kien recalled that the coordination between the two units over the past time has contributed to raising the quality of healthcare for troops and people. Lieutenant General Nguyen Xuan Kien said that the outstanding efforts, rapid development in professionalism, and investment in modern facilities of Military Hospital 175 in recent years have laid a good foundation for the effective and in-depth cooperation between the two units. According to the agreement, Military Hospital 175 and Military Medicine University will focus on building a contingent of competent doctors, raising the quality of training and scientific research, and enhancing professionalism in medical examination and treatment. Particularly, the two units have cooperated to complete procedures to seek recognition of Military Medical Hospital 175 as a practice base of the Military Medical Academy to serve their training and technology transfer. … [Read more...] about Military Hospital 175 and Military Medicine University foster coordination
US CDC committed to partnership with Vietnam: director
During her four-day visit to Vietnam, starting on March 15, to mark 25 years since the CDC Vietnam country office opened, Dr. Rochelle P. Walensky, director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) praised the partnership with Vietnam and expressed her desire to strengthen the collaboration in public health the two countries have established. Walensky said that on the first day of her visit, she signed a letter of intent with the Vietnamese Ministry of Health in which the CDC is committed to the development of a Vietnam National CDC. The coming Vietnam National CDC will enable Vietnam to coordinate its response in health emergencies with a trained workforce, a data and disease surveillance system, and a laboratory system so that it can detect a public health threat when it happens. Vietnam is linked to global health security, according to Walensky. “So much of the work that we do together is in global health security. We recognize and want to do the … [Read more...] about US CDC committed to partnership with Vietnam: director
UBS salvages most value from Credit Suisse wreck
NEW YORK -- UBS Chair Colm Kelleher is buying Credit Suisse because he has to, not because he wants to. The 3 billion Swiss franc ($3.2 billion) rescue deal, brokered by Swiss authorities and announced late on Sunday, is designed to shore up confidence in the country’s financial industry rather than benefit the buyer. Even so, UBS is salvaging the most value from the wreckage. The Swiss government, central bank and regulator FINMA concluded that a UBS takeover was better than letting Credit Suisse fail, which could have sparked a wider banking-sector panic. The job for Kelleher was how to avoid infecting UBS with its arch-rival’s problems. He’s secured some handy protections. The all-share offer values Credit Suisse at 60% less than its closing share price on Friday, and at a fraction of its 45 billion Swiss franc book value at the end of last year. FINMA will also let UBS write off its target’s debt instruments, known as Additional Tier 1 (AT1) securities, boosting the combined … [Read more...] about UBS salvages most value from Credit Suisse wreck
Vaccine makers prep bird flu shot for humans ‘just in case’; rich nations lock in supplies
Some of the world's leading makers of flu vaccines say they could make hundreds of millions of bird flu shots for humans within months if a new strain of avian influenza ever jumps across the species divide. One current outbreak of avian flu known as H5N1 clade 2.3.4.4b has killed record numbers of birds and infected mammals. Human cases, however, remain very rare, and global health officials have said the risk of transmission between humans is still low. Executives at three vaccine manufacturers – GSK Plc, Moderna Inc, and CSL Seqirus, owned by CSL Ltd - told Reuters they are already developing or about to test sample human vaccines that better match the circulating subtype, as a precautionary measure against a future pandemic. Others, like Sanofi, said they "stand ready" to begin production if needed, with existing H5N1 vaccine strains in stock. There has also been a push among companies to develop a bird flu vaccine for poultry, a market potentially far larger than that for … [Read more...] about Vaccine makers prep bird flu shot for humans ‘just in case’; rich nations lock in supplies
Ministry urges prevention of Marburg virus from entering Vietnam
Illustrative image (Photo: Internet) Hanoi (VNA) – The Ministry of Health has asked the People's Committees of cities and provinces nationwide, the Pasteur Institute s and hygiene and epidemiology institutes to strengthen prevention and control of the Marburg virus disease . The Marburg virus causes an acute infectious disease, which naturally resides in fruit-eating bats (Rousettus aegyptiacus). The disease is transmitted from animals (bats, primates) to humans, or from person to person through direct contact with bodily fluids, or with environments/objects contaminated by the bodily fluids of a person infected or deceased from the Marburg virus. The incubation period of the disease ranges from 2 to 21 days. Patients initially show signs of high fever, headache, discomfort, followed by diarrhea, abdominal pain, muscle aches, nausea, vomiting, and bleeding. Currently, there is no specific vaccine or treatment for the disease. The ministry stressed that this is a … [Read more...] about Ministry urges prevention of Marburg virus from entering Vietnam
Pharmaceutical companies urged to invest in R&D, improve competitiveness
According to experts, this will help them expand their shares in the domestic market which remains being dominated by imported drugs and extend their international reach. Vietnam’s pharmaceutical market has significant potential. The Ministry of Health estimated the market at USD 6.9 billion in 2021 while BMI Research forecast the market to reach USD 16.1 billion in 2026 with a compound growth rate of up to 11%. According to Nguyen Dieu Ha, general secretary and office chief of the Vietnam Pharmaceutical Companies Association (VNPCA), there are 55 foreign-invested pharmaceutical companies in Vietnam as of the end of 2022, 228 companies meeting World Health Organization – Good Manufacturing Practice (WTO-GMP) and 12 meeting high GMP standards of the EU, Japan, PIC/S and TCA. These figures show that the pharmaceutical industry of Vietnam has made a significant improvement since 2017 when there were only two companies meeting GMP. Still, the domestic pharmaceutical market is a … [Read more...] about Pharmaceutical companies urged to invest in R&D, improve competitiveness