On December 4, Dr. Nguyen Trong Khoa, Deputy Director of the Department of Medical Examination and Treatment Management (Ministry of Health) chaired an in-person and online meeting on the situation and response to medical examination and treatment of influenza in Binh Dinh province.
According to the summary report of Binh Dinh Department of Health, as of November 26, 2024, Binh Dinh province has recorded 842 cases of influenza. Monitoring 26 cases of severe pneumonia suspected to be caused by the virus, test results showed 10 cases positive for influenza A/H1N1pdm, 1 case of influenza B, 9 cases negative, 6 cases with no results yet. Of which, 4 deaths were recorded in Phu My (3 cases) and Vinh Thanh (1 case).
Through investigation, the cases of influenza A/H1N1pdm recorded in Binh Dinh are single cases, the epidemiological relationship between the cases has not been determined.
The deaths were positive for influenza A/H1N1pdm, elderly, had many underlying diseases, the patient's condition upon admission was severe pneumonia with respiratory failure complications, basically there were no abnormalities.
The Department of Medical Examination and Treatment has requested to conduct more gene sequencing of severe viral pneumonia cases to eliminate new virus strains; end-line hospitals to monitor and detect unusual cases early; Research, update and supplement the Guidelines for diagnosis, treatment and prevention of seasonal influenza and influenza virus strains; strengthen influenza vaccination for high-risk subjects...
The Department of Medical Examination and Treatment also recommends strengthening influenza surveillance at all medical examination and treatment facilities, especially severe cases, and early detection of new strains of influenza; medical examination and treatment facilities need to strengthen infection prevention measures in medical examination and treatment facilities, and carry out triage and isolation of severe influenza cases, to prevent the emergence of new strains of the virus.
Regarding the A/H1pdm flu strain, a representative of the Department of Preventive Medicine (Ministry of Health) said that this is a common seasonal flu strain. This flu virus was first discovered during the 2009 flu pandemic, so it is called pandemic (pdm).
According to the Department of Preventive Medicine, seasonal flu caused by the A/H1N1 strain (also known as swine flu) is an acute infectious disease spread through sneezing, coughing and direct contact with objects contaminated with the virus, which then infects the nose and throat. In addition to the A/H1N1 strain, other major strains of influenza virus that cause seasonal flu include A/H3N2, influenza B and influenza C.
