A doctor examines residents at a diphtheria-hit region. — VNA/VNS Photo

ĐẮK NÔNG — The Department of Health in the Central Highlands Province of Đắk Nông said two new cases of diphtheria have been recorded, raising the total number of infections to 32, including two deaths.

They are an 11-year-old named as D.T.S, a member of the M’Nông ethnic minority, and 24-year-old D.M.

Both live in Tuy Đức District’s Đăk Ngo Commune. They had been admitted to the local hospital on July 15 with symptoms linked to diphtheria including fever, sore throat and coughing.

The provincial Department of Health has directed the Centre for Disease Control to coordinate with Tuy Đức Health Centre to take samples for testing and results showed that they are positive for the disease.

The 11-year-old patient was later transferred to HCM City Hospital for Tropical Diseases for treatment. 

According to CDC Đắk Nông, this is a diphtheria case with complicated epidemiological history because the patient moved from school to home and back during incubation and had contact with a lot of people.

The risk of contagious diphtheria infection in the community was high because it was difficult to determine those who had close contact with the 11-year-old patient, it said.

A total of 630 households in the neighbourhood have been isolated for seven days to contain the disease while those who have been in contact with the diphtheria patients have been asked to self-quarantine at home.

To prevent the spread of the disease, the local healthcare centres have provided check-ups for 324 people who live near the families of the victims in Đắk Ngo Commune.

As many as 170 students and teachers from Đắk R’lấp District Ethnic Minority School where D.T.S., one of the victims, was studying were also examined. Preventive treatment has been provided for dozens of cases while samples have been taken for testing.

The CDC Đắk Nông has transferred 10,000 doses of vaccine against diphtheria to Tuy Đức District health centre to inject people from 2 months' to 49 years' old.

Earlier this month, Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc requested relevant ministries, city and provincial people’s committees, especially in the Central Highlands, to strengthen the prevention of diphtheria. — VNS