NGHỆ AN — The province’s Department of Health urgently asked for support from the Ministry of Health on Tuesday after two out of 20 students in Quế Phong District’s Dịch Hạnh Commune, who contracted acute glomerulonephritis, died.

Data from the department showed that 17 students of Dịch Hạnh Boarding Secondary School and three students of Dịch Hạnh Primary School were suffering from acute glomerulonephritis since November 2016. They then were being treated at Quế Phong District’s General Hospital. So far, 10 students were back to school.

The two fatalities – Lô Văn Tuấn, 12, and his younger brother Lô Văn Hiếu, 8 – were recorded on Monday.

Lang Văn Thái, director of the hospital, said all the students were hospitalised with symptoms such as puffy faces (edema), less urination and dark urine.

Also on Monday, after hearing about the deaths, the local health department immediately sent a team to the commune, who took samples for testing.

Following initial tests from the department, it was found that the students had contracted acute glomerulonephritis after being allegedly infected with Group A beta-hemolytic streptococcal.

In a related move, Trần Đắc Phu, head of the ministry’s Department of Preventive Medicine in an interview with Thanh niên (Young People) online newspaper said streptococcal was one of factors that caused strep throat in children (aged 5 to 15). It often led to inflammation of the throat, damaged the heart and joints, eventually resulting in acute glomerulonephritis.

However, the streptococcal infection was not believed to spread widely as a virus infection, Phu said.

“Therefore, it is unusual when dozens of students together catch acute glomerulonephritis after being infected with streptococcal,” he said.

Phu said tests should be conducted carefully to identify exactly why the students contracted the disease. — VNS