A child infected with Adenovirus is being treated in Hanoi-based . (Photo: National ’s Hospital)Hanoi (VNS/VNA) –
The number of children affected with Adenovirus has dramatically increased
since August, according to the National Children’s Hospital in Hanoi.
According to the hospital’s statistics, from August 1 to September 12, the
hospital recorded 412 children infected with Adenovirus, more than the total
number of infections last year and up more than 44% compared to the same period
in 2021.
Notably, since the beginning of the year, there have been six deaths of
children infected with the virus.
In the week from September 5 to 11 alone, the hospital registered 151 new cases
of the virus, an increase of nearly 2.2 times compared to the previous week.
According to Associated Prof. Dr. Le Thi Hong Hanh, director of the hospital’s
Respiratory Centre, Adenovirus is divided into seven groups from A to G, of
which there are more than 50 types causing diseases in many organs of the human
body.
The most common illnesses caused by Adenovirus infection are upper and lower
respiratory tract infections, eye conjunctivitis or pinkeye, gastrointestinal
diseases including diarrhoea, vomiting and nausea, cystitis, encephalitis and
meningitis, the doctor said.
The diseases caused by Adenovirus appear all year round but especially thrive
at the time of seasons changing such as from spring to summer or autumn to
winter.
Adenovirus is transmitted by droplets of respiratory transmission between
people. The disease can also be transmitted through mucous membranes when
swimming or contaminated water used in daily life, or transmitted when healthy
people share personal items with sick people.
The incubation period is about eight to 12 days.
Adenovirus can cause illness in all ages, with children between the ages of six
months and five years the most common.
In
particular, subjects such as children, the elderly and people with chronic
diseases often have a high risk of infection with this virus due to weak
resistance.
“Adenovirus has the ability to spread quickly in the community and cause many
dangerous complications if not treated promptly, such as respiratory failure,
sepsis and multi-organ failure,” Hanh said.
“The
diseases can also leave long-term complications, affecting the health of
children including post-infectious bronchiolitis obliterans syndrome,
bronchiectasis and pulmonary fibrosis,” the doctor said.
Dr. Le
Kien Ngai, head of the hospital’s Infection Prevention and Control Department,
said that the hospital set up a surveillance system for infectious diseases
many years ago.
“Therefore, right from the middle of August, we realised the trend of the
number of patients coming to the hospital for examination and treatment caused
by Adenovirus increased rapidly and was different from the usual practice,”
said Ngai.
“There is currently no vaccine against the virus in . Therefore, the
best way to control the spread of the disease is early detection, vigilance
with clinical and epidemiological factors so as not to miss testing as well as
adhere to routine preventive measures and comply with vaccinations for related
diseases,” the doctor recommended.
Children infected with Adenovirus often have symptoms such as high fever,
cough, and wheezing, which may be accompanied by conjunctivitis and digestive
disorders. Children with severe symptoms will have difficulty breathing.
Children
with suspected symptoms will be tested to support the diagnosis with blood
tests, chest X-rays, and tests to determine the cause with Real-time PCR
method.
The test is performed on patient samples taken from respiratory fluid to
determine the virus and virus type. The results are 95-99% accurate, the doctor
said.
Meanwhile, paediatrician Nguyen Trong An said that pneumonia or a respiratory
tract infection caused by is an acute illness.
Symptoms of Adenovirus pneumonia are easily confused with other respiratory
viral pneumonia, usually in children six months to five years old.
Symptoms are likely to turn severe in children who are malnourished, children
with poor health conditions or have other underlying diseases.
Older children are less common and nearly 100% of adults have antibodies
specific to many types of the virus, the doctor said.
In healthy children, with good nutrition, the disease can go away on its own,
but in patients with underlying diseases or poor resistance, it can cause
respiratory failure.
Therefore,
parents must bring children to health care establishments immediately if the
children get high fever, have difficulty breathing, rapid breathing, vomiting,
chest tightness or signs of fatigue, warned the doctor.
“It is necessary to disseminate information about the virus to increase
awareness for people to prevent virus from spreading out and protect children’s
safety,” said the doctor.
However,
we should not exaggerate the danger of Adenovirus infection to avoid a wave of
fear among the people, especially parents, he added./.
Source: VietnamPlus
