Compared to the same period in 2021, the number of dengue cases in Ho Chi Minh City increased by almost 50%.
According to information from the Ho Chi Minh City Center for Disease Control and Prevention, in the first five months of 2022, the city recorded 152 dengue cases, a 46.4% increase from the same period in 2021 (6867). In particular, 194 of these cases were severe due to dengue fever. This is a nearly five-fold increase compared to the same period (28 cases) in 2021.
In the past week, the city had 1402 cases, an increase of 457 (48.4%) from the average over the past four weeks. Also, recently, the number of dengue fever patients requiring hospitalization for inpatient treatment and outpatient treatment has also increased, the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) reported.
However, there have been no further deaths from dengue fever. So far, there have been 7 deaths from dengue fever.
According to the HCDC, the number of dengue cases has increased in most regions except District 12 and Punyun. The number of cases of dengue fever has increased in some areas of District 8, Binh Chan, Binh Thanh, Gucci, and Tan Phu.
The recent heavy rains will increase the tendency of dengue hemorrhagic fever, says Pham Van Quang Pediatric Hospital intensive care physician. However, the early symptoms of dengue hemorrhagic fever are quite similar to those of other viral infections, such as the flu. In particular, the onset of dengue fever is similar to COVID-19, so it is easy to miss.
“In the current situation, many parents’ anxiety about sending their child to the hospital leads to a risk that children with dengue hemorrhagic fever can get worse easily, cause many complications, and even be life-threatening,” he said.
Experts diagnose dengue hemorrhagic fever as a patient with persistent high fever for 2-7 days with bleeding signs such as petechiae, dental bleeding, nosebleeds, bruises, and vaginal bleeding (pubertal girls).
The disease is usually exacerbated by signs of cardiovascular collapse (cold hands and feet, light pulse that is difficult to detect) on days 4-6 of disease. Pediatric patients are likely to experience respiratory symptoms (cough, runny nose) and diarrhea.
If dengue hemorrhagic fever is diagnosed at an early stage and treated promptly, most cases have a good course, resulting in few deaths. Therefore, parents should not be subjective in order not to miss the disease or purchase drugs to cure the disease.
