Vietnam Records Three Deaths from Meningococcal Meningitis

Three Vietnamese people have died from meningococcal meningitis, a serious bacterial infection that results in swelling and irritation of the membranes covering the brain and spinal cord, since the beginning of this year, the Hanoi Moi newspaper said August 31 citing data from the Ministry of Health (MOH). In August, Vietnam had 18 confirmed cases of meningococcal meningitis, up 10 cases from July and raising the total infections in the eight-month period to 72, up 75.6% on year. Given the risk of a bigger outbreak, the Department of Preventive Medicine under the MOH has raised red flag warnings among the public, especially the children group that is most vulnerable to bacterial infection. According to the World Health Organization, meningococcal meningitis can cause severe brain damage and is fatal in 50% of cases if untreated. The bacteria are transmitted from person-to-person through droplets of respiratory or throat secretions from carriers. The WHO reports that the most common symptoms are a stiff neck, high fever, sensitivity to light, confusion, headaches and vomiting. (Hanoi Moi – New Hanoi Aug 31 p7)