VietNamNet Bridge – At a Hanoi conference this week evaluating the ongoing outbreak of measles, experts said that they have seen many strange things in the epidemic this year.

Dr. Nguyen Tien Dung, Head of the Pediatrics Ward of the Hanoi-based Bach Mai Hospital said that so far, his ward had admitted over 160 cases of measles, with eight deaths.

Notably, there were three patients whose conditions deteriorated very rapidly, within only one day. One of the three died. Disturbingly, tests found only the presence of the measles virus, with no other agents that might have contributed to their sudden demise.

The doctor said it was very strange for the measles virus to directly attack the lungs, causing pneumonia and respiratory failure. Usually, after having initial symptoms of measles, complications from pneumonia appear.  All four cases of measles with the same conditions resulted in deaths within the first 3-4 days of illness.

However, the other deaths were stranger, Dr. Dung said. Doctors, having thought the danger had passed, decided that the children could be taken off the respiratory machines. But in the case of four of the children, their conditions worsened and they died.

"There are two reasons for the severity of the children’s illness: the kids’ health conditions and the virus itself. Overall, many children did not have any other disease  but it was very hard to cure their measles and some even died. This fact requires further studies," said Dr. Dung.

Dr. Tran Dac Phu, Director of the Preventive Medicine Agency, said that the Ministry of Health had assigned the Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology of the Pasteur Institute of HCM City to collaborate with hospitals in carrying out research projects of the measles epidemic this year.

Phu said one of the most important issues that must be considered right now is changing the immunization schedule. Measles vaccination for children under 9 months old is a very big change and perhaps they will need more doses. Children under one year of age account for 11 percent of measles cases this year.

The numbers of measles cases in other provinces like Thanh Hoa, Hai Phong, Nghe An and Ha Nam are also rising.

From February, Nghe An province recorded 218 cases of measles, including one fatality and two serious cases that hospitals could not treat. However, Mr. Hoang Van Hao, Deputy Director of the Nghe An Department of Health, said measles was still under control.

In Hai Phong, there were 80 cases of measles, including one death in the past two months. Dr. Trinh Thi Ly, Deputy Director of the Hai Phong Department of Health, also said that the measles epidemic in her city was still under control.

Thanh Hoa province reported 71 cases of measles. It also claimed that the number of children vaccinated against measles had reached 75 percent, which is high compared with other locations.

In Ha Nam province, there were 29 cases of measles so far this year, with nearly 87 percent of children vaccinated.

Cam Quyen