Chuck Kuhn's Asia in Photos: Vietnam latest news - Thanh Nien Daily | Vietnam tightens border checks as mysterious disease kills children in Cambodia

Sunday, July 22, 2012

Vietnam latest news - Thanh Nien Daily | Vietnam tightens border checks as mysterious disease kills children in Cambodia

Vietnam tightens border checks as mysterious disease kills children in Cambodia

Last Updated: Wednesday, July 11, 2012 05:00:00

A doctor is seen checking a child at Kantha Bopha children's hospital in Phnom Penh (Photo: AFP)

The outbreak of a mysterious disease which has claimed the lives of 56 children in Cambodia has prompted Vietnamese authorities to step up border checks and prevent the entry of animals and animal products.

The Vietnam Administration of Preventive Medicine on Tuesday ordered provinces bordering Cambodia to closely supervise the flow of travelers from Cambodia to Vietnam and tighten controls over the import of animals and animal products.
According to the World Health Organization, an unspecified illness striking children in Cambodia between April and July 8 has taken 56 lives among 74 infected cases.
The children are between three months and 11 years old, with the majority being under three years of age.
Fifty-nine cases, including the 56 fatal cases, had symptoms of high fever followed by rapid deterioration of respiratory functions.
Based on the latest laboratory results, a significant proportion of the samples tested positive for enterovirus 71 (EV-71), which causes the hand foot and mouth disease (HFMD). The EV-71 virus has been known to cause severe complications in some patients.
Additionally, a number of other pathogens, including dengue and streptococcus suis were identified in some of the samples. The samples were found to be negative for H5N1 and other influenza viruses, SARS and Nipah.
The Vietnam Administration of Preventive Medicine has asked directors of medical centers in border areas to implement quarantine procedures and other preventive measures.
Any traveler who shows symptoms of the disease must be quarantined, it said.

The department also asked authorities at border gates to tighten checks on animals and animal products, while preventive medicine centers near border gates are tasked with preparing medicines and chemicals for possible infected cases.
The HFMD is contagious and spreads through direct contact with the bodily fluids or feces of an infected person.
Last year, the disease claimed 169 lives of more than 110,000 infections in Vietnam.

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They say "

“I can’t say what made me fall in love with Vietnam - that a woman’s voice can drug you; that everything is so intense. The colors, the taste, even the rain. Nothing like the filthy rain in London. They say whatever you’re looking for, you will find here. They say you come to Vietnam and you understand a lot in a few minutes, but the rest has got to be lived. The smell: that’s the first thing that hits you, promising everything in exchange for your soul. And the heat. Your shirt is straightaway a rag. You can hardly remember your name, or what you came to escape from. But at night, there’s a breeze. The river is beautiful. You could be forgiven for thinking there was no war; that the gunshots were fireworks; that only pleasure matters. A pipe of opium, or the touch of a girl who might tell you she loves you. And then, something happens, as you knew it would. And nothing can ever be the same again.”
― Graham Greene, The Quiet American

Tips on Travel to Vietnam

It's always warm in Southeast Asia apart from high mountains, so leave the heavy clothing at home. Cotton and breathable fabrics are always better than synthetics -- although cotton does wrinkle a lot when traveling! December through April is roughly the dry season in that region, although it can still rain a little. December is a good time to go in terms of temperature -- cooler than in the humid summertime. Either way, wearing more clothing (shirt sleeves and long pants) is always more respectful towards the Asian culture, especially when visiting temples and rural areas.