Vietnam Ministry Issues Preventive Measures against Diphtheria

The Department of Preventive Medicine under Vietnam’s Ministry of Health has recently issued preventive measures against diphtheria as the disease is identified as the cause of two deaths among a series of recent deaths and infections in the central province of Quang Nam. Accordingly, children must receive enough vaccination. People must keep personal and environmental hygiene. Residents living in the affected areas must be isolated and receive proper treatment. The department said clearly in its document that diphtheria is an infection caused by the bacterium Corynebacterium diphtheriae. Diphtheria is transmitted from person to person, usually through respiratory droplets, like from coughing or sneezing. Head of the Department of Preventive Medicine Dr. Tran Dac Phu said that through medical survey, the disease killed two 17 year old students and 24 others were kept isolation. The two students died because local medical workers wrongly diagnosed. Symptoms of the disease include fever and chills, difficulty breathing and swollen glands in the neck. (baodansinh.vn Jan 20, vtv.vn Jan 20)