On July 4, the Lam Dong Department of Health said that it had issued an urgent official dispatch to the People's Committees of communes, wards, special zones and health units, requesting to strengthen measures to prevent and control Japanese encephalitis.
According to the epidemiological investigation results of the Provincial Center for Disease Control (CDC), the suspected case was detected in hamlet 4, Tra Tan commune.
Mr. Nguyen Ngoc Phong - Chairman of Tra Tan Commune People's Committee - said that immediately after receiving the information, the locality directed the Commune Health Station to coordinate with relevant units to deploy epidemiological investigation, supervision and implement epidemic prevention and control measures according to regulations.
Through investigation, the suspected patient had not been vaccinated against Japanese encephalitis.
Notably, the vaccination rate in the locality is still low, dose 2 only reached 25.8% and dose 3 reached 24.13%.
According to the health sector, in addition to the low vaccination rate, raising livestock and poultry near residential areas and improper waste treatment also increase the risk of disease-transmitting mosquitoes.
To prevent epidemics, the Department of Health requests localities, especially Tra Tan commune, to organize general environmental sanitation, kill mosquitoes and larvae; guide people to move barns away from residential areas and treat livestock waste in accordance with regulations.
The health sector also strengthens epidemiological surveillance, disease vector surveillance, reviews and organizes compensatory and booster vaccination against Japanese encephalitis for children in the vaccination area.
Suspected cases of acute brain syndrome must be monitored and reported within 24 hours.
According to the Department of Health, Japanese encephalitis mainly occurs in children under 15 years old, with a high mortality rate and easily leaves severe neurological and motor sequelae.
Full vaccination combined with proactive mosquito bite prevention is the most effective measure to prevent the disease.
