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| Medical authorities in the Mekong Delta Province of Bến Tre have stepped up a prevention campaign against Streptococcus suis bacteria, a pig-based pathogen capable of transmission to human beings.— Photo zing.vn |
BẾN TRE — Medical authorities in the Mekong Delta Province of Bến Tre have stepped up a prevention campaign against Streptococcus suis bacteria, a pig-based pathogen capable of transmission to human beings.
Since the beginning of this year, 12 cases of infection have been recorded in the province, compared with nine up to the same period last year, with one fatality.
The information campaign focuses on communities highly exposed to the bacteria, such as pork farmers, transporters, and fresh pork butchers.
The provincial medical sector warned residents against slaughtering or consuming bacteria-infected pigs, dead pigs and pig blood pudding, raw or underdone pork products.
Those who breed, slaughter or process pork products are advised to use protective equipment.
Doctor Đỗ Tấn Hồng, director of the local Preventive Medicine Centre, warned that people who are in direct contact with pigs or eat uncooked pork and develop symptoms such as high fever, headache and vomitting are advised to seek treatment.
Hồng said the extremely dangerous disease is caused by bacteria in the respiratory system and easily transmitted from pigs to humans. Some 60 per cent of patients risk meningitis, septicaemia and even death if they delay going to hospital.
The disease may leave after effects such as blindness, tinnitus and deafness.
More than 300,000 pigs are bred in Bến Tre Province. — VNS
