ĐỒNG NAI – The first case of totally drug-resistant tuberculosis in the southern province of Đồng Nai is being treated at the provincial Lung Hospital.

The information was released by the hospital on Tuesday.

The 62-year-old patient, who remains anonymous, is from Biên Hòa City. He was hospitalised in September 2015 for treatment of drug-resistant tuberculosis.

Despite long-term treatment, his condition did not improve and he still tested positive for tuberculosis bacteria.

The Đồng Nai Lung Hospital sent his medical samples to HCM City-based Phạm Ngọc Thạch Hospital for testing. Results revealed that he suffered from totally drug-resistant tuberculosis.

Bùi Văn Thịnh, head of the Tuberculosis Male Patient and Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis Ward under the provincial hospital, said the patient is under treatment and supervision at the hospital.

At present, his condition is gradually improving and he has tested negative for tuberculosis bacteria.

Nguyễn Ngọc Khánh, director of the Đồng Nai Lung Hospital, said totally drug-resistant tuberculosis was a dangerous disease and occurred in patients suffering from drug-resistant tuberculosis, who did not receive proper treatment or caught the disease from another totally drug-resistant tuberculosis patients.

Treatment for totally drug-resistant tuberculosis was very difficult and prolonged, while medicines to treat the disease had several side effects that could be fatal, he said.

Khánh said the tuberculosis could spread quickly, so the hospital had a separate area for drug-resistant tuberculosis patients, which was far from areas housing patients with other lung diseases.

The hospital warned that residents with symptoms of prolonged coughing who had used different medication but their condition not improved and those suffering from high temperature in the afternoon and were losing weight should visit the hospital for timely treatment. – VNS