Doctors examine a patient with high fever in Chợ Đồn District's Health Centre in the northern province of Bắc Kạn.—Photo courtesy of the Chợ Đồn District's Health Centre

BẮC KẠN — More than 700 students in Chợ Đồn District in the northern province of Bắc Kạn have missed school because of a strong bout of fever which has seen one child die. 

Five other children have tested positive for influenza B and more than 100 are being treated in hospital.

The fatal case is an eight-year-old child, who was taken to the district’s Health Centre on Monday morning with a high fever of 40.5 degrees Celsius.

The child fell into a coma and despite resuscitation efforts, was pronounced dead on the same day.

Doctors of the centre quickly gave resuscitation but failed, the patient died at 10:30 am on the same day.

According to the province’s Centre for Disease Control, the symptoms of the patients are fever with temperatures from 38.5 degrees Celsius to 40 degrees Celsius, cough, sore throat, and fatigue.

The district’s Education and Training Office say the patients are mainly from Bằng Lũng Primary School, the Ethnic Minority Boarding School and some other schools from the district.

Doctor Nông Văn Quân, Director of the district’s health centre, said as soon as they received information about the fever, the centre took samples and sent seven to the Hà Nội-based National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology for tests.

The initial results showed five samples were positive for influenza B, and two samples were negative, he said.

Recommendations

Vi Duy Tuyến, Deputy Director of the province’s Health Department, said influenza B is a common infectious disease, however, there can still be serious complications if it is not detected, monitored and consulted early.

Parents and schools need to regularly monitor children if they show signs of fever and must be taken to a medical facility for treatment, he said.

When a child has a fever, parents should take them to see a doctor to assess the level of the illness. If the disease is mild and moderate, parents will be instructed to take care of the child at home.

If the child has a fever below 38.5 degrees Celsius, and no underlying conditions, then parents should only use common measures to reduce fever.

In case the child has a fever above 38.5 degrees Celsius, parents should use some medicine such as paracetamol.

Parents are advised to enhance nutrition for children to increase resistance. If children have difficulty eating, they should be taken to their nearest health facility.

According to the World Health Organization, there are four types of seasonal influenza viruses, types A, B, C and D. Influenza A and B viruses circulate and cause seasonal epidemics of disease. Influenza B viruses are not classified into subtypes, but can be broken down into lineages. Currently, circulating influenza type B viruses belong to either B/Yamagata or B/Victoria lineage. The most effective way to prevent the disease is vaccination.— VNS