The Ministry of Health (MOH) was alerted on Friday about rumours circulating on social media of a “new mystery disease” spreading in Xieng Khuang Province.

Many people who received this update on facebook have been sharing it with friends raising concern and speculation about this “new” disease.

“Currently, only 60 patients are being treated at the Xieng Khuang Provincial Hospital,” said Director of the Communicable Disease Control Department Dr Bounlay Phommasack.

Deputy Minister of Health, Mr Khamphone Phoutavong was informed of the suspected jaundice/hepatitis A outbreak in Paek, the capital of Xieng Khuang Province, at the Emergency Operation Centre on Thursday morning.

There has been an increasing trend of reported jaundice cases which seem to have spiked this month with a total of 82 cumulative cases reported since early July.

Given the gravity of the situation, a joint MOH/WHO team visited Xieng Khuang to investigate the situation on the same day.

The joint team met with the Director of the Xieng Khuang Provincial Health Office and staff from surveillance, water and sanitation, health education, immunization, and clinicians who participated in the investigation of the situation upon their arrival to the province.

They also visited the Xieng Khuang Provincial Hospital that afternoon to verify the rumours that there were more than 200 patients at the hospital. However they found the 200 cases to be a cumulative number dating from January of this year.

At the hospital, they found 20 people admitted with cases of jaundice and mild symptoms such as yellowing of the skin or the whites of eyes.  No deaths have so far been reported.

Clusters within households or work environments have been reported. The clinical pictures of the patients are consistent with hepatitis A.

The team will collect samples from the patients and they will be tested here in Vientiane Capital. On a separate note, a six-year old female from Paek district, Capital of Xieng Khuang Province, has sought treatment at Mahosot Hospital where a rapid test for Hepatitis A was done and was found to be positive. Based on initial epidemiological and clinical findings, the team concluded that it is likely to be a viral outbreak of hepatitis A.

The MOH has provided the province with clinical management support, activated the Emergency Operation Centre at the province level and started a hotline for reporting and advice, said Team Leader and Epidemiologist of Health Security and Communicable Diseases, Mr Luo Dapeng.

He added that Hepatitis A is transmitted through the ingestion of contaminated food or water. It is transmitted primarily by the faecal-oral route.

Acute infection may occur with limited or no systems, or may include mild systems such as jaundice (yellowing of the skin and eyes), dark urine, extreme fatigue, nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain. Severity of the disease and fatal outcome is very low.

Maintaining proper hygiene and sanitation is recommended. Care should be taken when preparing food, and infected patients should avoid preparing foods for others. It may be good to avoid the sharing of utensils and cups with others, and water should be boiled before consumption.

“If you are caring for a patient recovering from these symptoms, wash your hands regularly with soap after coming into close contact with the patient. Patients are advised to stay home, get plenty of rest, drink lots of fluids and take medication for fever if needed,” said Mr Luo Dapeng.

Source:
courtesy of KPL NEWS AGENCY

by KPL News Agency

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