Doctor Do Duy Cuong of Bach Mai Hospital examines a Whitmore patient. (Photo: VNA)
Hanoi (VNS/VNA) – The has asked health departments at
all localities to enhance measures to prevent Whitmore disease.
The move was made following the recent increase in the number of Whitmore
patients in the central region.
Central localities are expected to record more Whitmore patients in the future
due to poor sanitation conditions caused by recent floods which create ideal
conditions for to develop.
, also known as Melioidosis, is caused by Burkholderia Pseudomallei bacillus.
These bacteria are found in soil, dirty water or in rice fields and stagnant
water. They can spread to humans and animals by direct contact with sources of
contamination.
According to the ministry, the disease is rare and does not lead to a pandemic
but it can cause septic shock leading to failure of major organs and
in some cases, death, particularly among vulnerable groups.
The ministry required localities, particularly central Nghe An, Ha Tinh, Quang
Binh, Quang Tri, Thua Thien-Hue, Da Nang, Quang Nam, Quang Ngai and Binh Dinh provinces
to increase supervision to quickly detect new cases of Whitmore.
Local health departments are instructed to take samples of suspected cases or
those at high risks of infecting with the disease for testing to have proper
treatment.
They are also asked to actively treat to minimise the rate of
fatality.
The health ministry orders local health departments to increase communication
activities to raise public awareness of the disease and preventive measures.
As many as 28 patients with Whitmore’s disease have been hospitalised at the
Hue Central Hospital from the beginning of October, a sudden increase compared
to previous years, according to the local health department.
About 50 percent of the patients were from Thua Thien-Hue province while the
rest were from other provinces such as Thanh Hoa, Ha Tinh, Quang Binh and Quang
Tri.
Many patients arrived at the hospital in late stages of the disease,
with sepsis, septic shock or multi-organ failure making treatment difficult
and costly, according to the hospital.
Director of Hanoi-based Bạch Mai Hospital’s Centre for Tropical Diseases Do Duy
Cuong told Vietnamplus that
the centre has treated 30 Whitmore patients since early this year. In early
November alone, the centre provided treatment for six patients. Three of them
are currently being treated at the centre and they come from northern Son La province
and central Nghe An and Ha Tinh provinces.
Whitmore’s disease is mainly caused by bacteria that enters the body
through the skin, or people who inhale dust, steam, or drink contaminated
water, according to Cuong.
At the site of entry they cause pustules that grow depending on the degree
of the case, sometimes a large abscess will develop.
The disease was discovered in Vietnam in the 1950s and is often found in some
southern provinces. The peak of the disease is recorded during the flood
season, between September and November.
Whitmore’s disease is common in people with diabetes, with about 37-60 percent
accounting for the total. The shortest incubation period recorded was one day
and the longest was 62 years.
Most patients with Whitmore have diverse, ambiguous and multiorgan clinical
symptoms. Diagnosis is easily overlooked and mistaken for other diseases, especially
tuberculosis due to its similar symptoms.
To proactively prevent Whitmore’s disease, the Ministry of Health suggests
people keep up personal hygiene and regularly wash their hands with
soap and clean water, eat cooked food, and do not eat sick poultry or
animals.
People are encouraged to limit exposure to sources of pollution,
wear shoes, sandals and gloves when in contact with soil, dirty water
or flood water.
If people have open wounds or sores, it is necessary to avoid contact with
heavily polluted soil or flood water.
People with chronic diseases such as diabetes and immunodeficiency
need care and protection from damage to prevent infections caused by flood
water./.
Source: VietnamPlus
