Hepatitis B accounts for 80% of cases of viral hepatitis

Out of every 100,000 Vietnamese people, 11 are infected with viral hepatitis, according to the Preventive Medicine Department.

The Ho Chi Minh City Hospital for Tropical Diseases (HTD) on July 28 hosted a meeting in response to World Hepatitis Day to raise public awareness about this deadly disease.

Vietnam is one of the countries having a high rate of hepatitis. Based on epidemiological studies, the number of hepatitis B infections constitute from 10- 25%, and hepatitis C from 0.4 to 4.1% of the national population. In particular, the positive rate for hepatitis B makes up for 80% of all cases of viral hepatitis.

Over the past 10 years, the incidence of viral hepatitis has trended upwards, especially since 2009.

The World Health Organization WHO has pledged to continue working closely with the Ministry of Health and municipal Health Department and a number of key hospitals on providing technical support for viral hepatitis prevention and control.

Dr. Le Manh Hung, HTD Deputy Director said, "Generally, hepatitis viruses do not show external abnormal symptoms. Around 75-80% of patients remain normal. Therefore, screening is the best way for early detection. The late detection will reduce the efficiency of treatment. When the liver is badly damaged, the treatment process will cause dangerous complications without bringing an effect. "

According to the WHO, viral hepatitis is considered a silent killer, claiming the lives of 1.5 million people annually in the world. This is a group of virus-caused infectious diseases that can cause acute and chronic hepatitis for hundreds of millions of people, thus easily leading to serious complications such as cirrhosis, liver failure and liver cancer.

At the World Health Assembly (WHA) in May 2014, 194 member countries adopted a resolution on improving viral hepatitis prevention, diagnosis and treatment.

Health department fines hospital over negligence

The Ha Noi Department of Health has fined the city-based Thuong Tin Hospital VND30 million (US$1,400) for using a biochemical analyser without having documents showing its place of manufacture.

The hospital's Deputy Director Pham Hoang Anh said that they had been hiring the Hitachi 717 machine from the Ha Noi-based Phu Cuong An Co., Ltd since last July in place of a damaged biochemical analyser which the hospital had earlier.

The Hitachi 717 was used for about 90 per cent of the tests conducted in the hospital's laboratory. The Department of Health has ordered that the seized machine should be destroyed.

The Department added that it would conduct widespread inspections of other health facilities to check for use of substandard medical equipment.

Lao Cai residents evacuated from dangerous flood zones

Authorities in the northern mountainous province of Lao Cai are working to finish the evacuation of the remaining 140 local households residing in and around areas vulnerable to floods and landslides as the rainy season begins.

The districts of Bac Ha, Bat Xat, Bao Yen and Sa Pa have the highest numbers of households yet to be moved to safe places.

Deputy Head of the provincial Steering Committee for Flood Prevention and Control, Nguyen Anh Tuan, said the province had so far fulfilled only 57 per cent of its evacuation plan, while the disbursement for building resettlement facilities was slow, reaching only about 50 per cent of the target.

Under the plan, the province aimed to relocate 343 households with around 2,000 people from high-risk areas before June 30 this year when the rainy season began, he said.

However, difficulties had hindered the operation.

"Some households do not want to move to new resettlement areas because they do not want to leave their agricultural land.

However, we need to find ways to force them to move for their own safety when the rainy season starts," he said.

"Infrastructure in some resettlement areas is also incomplete due to lack of funding," he added.

The plan will be implemented at an estimated cost of nearly VND7 billion (US$333,000). However, provincial authorities have earmarked just VND3 billion from the provincial budget.

The northwestern region has entered the rainy season, causing concern for local households in high-risk areas.

The provincial People's Committee has asked district-level authorities to hasten the evacuation to ensure public safety.

Lao Cai is one of the provinces hardest hit by natural disasters during the rainy season. In 2008, a village in the province was swept away by landslides.

Typhoon Rammasun, which hit northern provinces recently, killed five people and caused estimated losses of VND164 billion ($7.8 million) in Lao Cai.

Police prosecute Bach Mai hospital assailant

A 36-year-old man has been arrested and prosecuted for disturbing public order after assaulting doctors at the Ha Noi-based Bach Mai Hospital last Friday.

Nguyen Tien Dung from Hoang Mai district attacked the doctors in the hospital's A9 Emergency Department because he thought they had neglected his sick wife.

Dung hit medical staff and threw a chair at a seven-month pregnant nurse, making her faint on the spot.

He also called a gang of friends to the hospital to continue the violence, but they were intercepted by police.

Dung was found to have a history of drug addiction.

Blaze ravages plant in Hung Yen province

A major fire broke out at Hoa Phat Electronics Co., Ltd in the northern province of Hung Yen yesterday, causing up to VND15 billion (US$721,000) in damage.

The blaze reportedly started in plastic molds at around 4am and was put out three hours later.

All the equipment and materials in the workshop were completely destroyed, and part of the workshop's roof collapsed.

Preliminary investigations showed that an electrical fault might have triggered the blaze.

Company stands behind decision not to pay prize-winner

An official from Tribeco confirmed that the company does not intend to pay the prize-winner, claiming that the ticket was invalid.

Ta Van An, 62, from southern Binh Duong Province, found a VND100 million (USD4,708) winning ticket in a package of instant noodles made by Tribeco, who was holding a sweepstakes. He contacted the company only to be told that the ticket was invalid because it lacked a stamp and a signature. An said that after he was offered a lesser sum and refused it. After receiving no further response from Tribeco, he hired an attorney and began preliminary legal proceedings on July 24.

Vuong Duc Thien, head of Tribeco's legal affairs department said, that they could do nothing.  

“We won't pay An. His ticket is invalid. A standard winning ticket must have a stamp and a signature by the head of our company. We’ve issued only three such cards. Two people have already claimed their prizes and we are completing procedures for their payment,” said Thien.

When asked whether the company might have forgotten stamping and signature, Thien said it was not a possibility because the process is so heavily supervised that there could be no such mistake.

“The printer of the tickets, Liskin, said that it would be difficult to verify the authenticity of the ticket. They have asked for help from a lab with the proper technology to confirm the ticket's origins," he added.

When asked about the company's earlier offer of VND5 million (USD235.4) to An, he said that it was to compensate him for transportation costs.

An has said that he is not satisfied with the Tribeco's explanations and intends to take the case to court.

Nguyen Van Ban, chairman of the Binh Duong provincial Association of Consumer Protection, said if the company made a mistake in issuing the card, they would be liable to make compensation to An, and would have to negotiate with the prize-winner to find an appropriate amount.

“It’s unacceptable to issue a winning card and then claim it's invalid to get out of paying the promised prize," An added.

Quang Ngai residents in need of clean water supplies

Few things are more precious in the heart of the summer than clean water. But for hundreds of households throughout Quang Ngai province, life has all but dried up.

The hot summer months have dried up much of the water supply, and the rocky mountain terrain makes it difficult to drill for more.

According to the Vietnam News Agency, the pumping station in An Loi Village, Duc Pho District's Pho Nhon Commune was dry, affecting about 320 households.

The pumping station, with total investment of nearly VND8.3 billion (US$395,200), was opened for public use in April. It was expected to supply clean water for local residents in the commune with the capacity of 310cu.m per day.

However, the station was left fallow after one month of use because of a clean water shortage.

Chairman of the Pho Nhon Commune People's Committee Bui Van Sy said that the bumping station took clean water from the Da Giang stream. As a result, during hot weather the stream ran out of water and the station did not have any water sources.

The commune authorities have found different ways to supply water resources for local residents, such as drilling wells and installing pumps. But ground water levels are so low, none of these methods are proving effective.

In Pho Hoa Commune, some 60 households are also going thirsty. Truong Van Sang, a resident in the commune's Pho Van Village, said that the area was full of rocky mountain so it was difficult to drill a well.

"I have tried many times, but when drilling to the depth of 5-6 metres, I cannot drill any more," he said.

Farm produce in the commune has died from the clean water drought.

More than 20 households in Truong Quang Trong Ward in the province's Quang Ngai City contributed money to buy a pump and water pipe lines to pump water, but the amount of clean water was not enough for their use.

Nguyen Duc Toan, Chairman of the Truong Quang Trong Ward People's Committee, said that the area used to be a rice field. Construction work on the Vina film studio project started in the area in 2009, affecting the area's underground water source.

Since then local residents could not drill wells.

The city authorities assigned the city's Urban Management Division to check the terrain and choose a proper position to drill a well.

But it was only a temporarily measure. The well soon failed due to the rocky terrain, said Toan.

Int'l physics forum opens in Binh Dinh

Nearly 80 domestic and foreign physicists are taking part in an international conference in Quy Nhon city, Binh Dinh Province, to share the latest achievements and enhance cooperation in the field.

The three-day event will focus on flavour physics, a new area for scientists to study the nature of Quarks; an elementary particle and a fundamental constituent of matter.

This particle has drawn attention from the European Organisation for Nuclear Research (CERN), said Chairman of the Meet Vietnam Organisation Tran Thanh Van at the opening ceremony yesterday.

Research on flavour physics can be applied in nuclear power and medicine, heard the conference.

Sugarcane firms suspended over pollution

The Viet Nam Environment Administration has decided to suspend the operation of two sugarcane companies for causing serious pollution.

After Tra Vinh Sugarcane JSC and Ca Mau Sugarcane JSC were caught discharging untreated wastewater, they were ordered to deal with the problem before the end of June, said Deputy Minister of Natural Resources and Environment and head of the administration Bui Cach Tuyen. However, they failed to do so, meaning that they would be shut down.

In the first six months of this year, the administration organised four inspections of 29 businesses that caused serious pollution to the environment in Nam Dinh and Da Nang cities and Cao Bang, Thua Thien-Hue, Quang Nam, Tra Vinh, Ca Mau and Bac Lieu provinces.

According to inspectors, 13 businesses had addressed the problem and 14 others were in the process of doing so.

North Quang Nam Mountainous Area Hospital and Thua Thien-Hue Province's Traditional Medicine Hospital, which failed to improve, would pay penalties.

Tuyen said the administration would work with relevant ministries and sectors to eliminate businesses causing environmental pollution by 2020.

From now on, the administration plans to inspect violators regularly. Those found still polluting the environment will be forced to halt operations.

In 2013 and 2014, 172 businesses were told to stop polluting, but only 25 did so.

Indochinese kids meet in HCM City cultural exchange

More than 220 children from Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia gathered together in an exchange programme, which started in Ho Chi Minh City on July 28.

During the four-day exchange, the children will tour a number of famous historical sites and tourist destinations in the city, and participate in a cultural and art performance.

The event aims to further tighten solidarity and friendship among the three Indochinese nations.

It is also expected to provide the children an insight into the culture, history and socio-economic development of Vietnam in general and Ho Chi Minh City in particular.

This is the third time the event has been organised in Ho Chi Minh City, offering a venue for kids in the city and their peers from Laos and Cambodia.-

Vietnam, Laos to further young scientist training

The Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences (VASS) and the Lao National Institute of Social Sciences agreed to take heed of the development of young scientists at a working session in Vientiane on July 28 as part of a visit by a VASS delegation to Laos.

The two sides were pleased about their comprehensive and effective cooperation over the past couple of years.

They said the exchange of their personnel has lived up to expectations. Notably, joint activities between young scientists have enhanced their mutual understanding and cemented their partnership.

In the time ahead, both sides will pay more attention to training the young through the organisation of scientific seminars.

They also agreed to push forward training, delegation exchange and information sharing, and cooperation at international forums.

Vietnam, RoK localities set up platform for further cooperation

Officials of the central province of Quang Nam and the Republic of Korea’s Osan city inked several cooperation agreements serving as a platform to extend their ties in various socio-economic issues.

Both sides agreed to step up delegation exchange and promote their cultural and sports collaboration.

They will work closer to boost economic ties, attract investment into each other and implement joint projects.

Officials also concurred in fostering education and training connection. In particular, Quang Nam and Osan will consider direct ties between their educational establishments from general schools to universities through granting scholarships and sharing experience.

Le Phuoc Thanh, Chairman of the Quang Nam People’s Committee, expressed his hope that the two localities will put more joint activities into action to push up their socio-economic development in the time to come.-

Nearly 200,000 children from 1-14 years old in the northern province of Ha Nam will be vaccinated against measles-rubella as part of the 2014-2015 vaccination scheme announced by the provincial Health Department on July 28.

The medical and education sectors will work together to count the number of target children, while the preventive health centre has been urged to ensure sufficient quality vaccines.

At the same time, medical staff will be fully equipped with medicine and necessary means to promptly deal with possible post-vaccination incidents.

Ha Nam sees hundreds of cases of rubella-caused scarlet fever annually, with its peak of 2,400 cases in 2011. In January-June, the province reported 331 measles patients, the highest level since 1997.

The Japanese Government on July 28 approved a grant of nearly VND13.5 billion in non-refundable aid to central Thua Thien Hue province for the second phase of a disaster risk mitigation and adaptation project.

The funding will be channeled through Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).  The localities’ counterpart capital is VND800 million.

The second phase of the project will be implemented from now until July 2016 with the aim of better managing risks of natural disasters through enhanced community involvement, including improved education and awareness about the issues and strengthened preventive measures.

Thua Thien Hue province’s People’s Committee Vice Chairman Le Truong Luu said that JICA has also agreed to support the province in implementing a project to improve the central provinces’ natural disaster adaptation capacity in the 2009-2012 period.

Korean city boosts cooperation with Quang Nam

A high-ranking delegation from Osan city, the Republic of Korea (RoK) led by Osan mayor Kwak Sang Wook paid a working visit to central Quang Nam province to explore cooperation opportunities.

The Korean delegates held talks with Quang Nam provincial leaders and signed a number of socio-economic cooperation agreements.

Osan and Quang Nam leaders agreed to promote cultural and sports exchange, and foster cooperation in such fields as investment, education, and human resource training.

They also expressed a desire to explore future cooperation deals to provide scholarships for students and teachers to pursue overseas study in each other’s countries.

Quang Nam provincial People’s Committee Chairman Le Phuoc Thanh expressed his desire to learn more socio-economic development experience from the Korean city.

Vietnam builds library for Cambodian task force

The Vietnam People’s Army (VPA) Task Force Command on July 28 broke ground on a US$325,000 project to construct a large hall and library in Kandal province as a gift for the Royal Cambodian Army.

The project is expected to boost the traditional friendship ties between the two nations and bolster comprehensive cooperation between the two armies.

The big hall and the library are located in the barracks campus of Parachute Brigade 911-one of the most elite units of the Royal Cambodian Army which is tasked with protecting the capital city Phnom Penh and combating riots and terrorism.

Covering a total area of over 1,200 m2, the Khmer style architectural building will consist of 11 rooms and a conference hall capable of accommodating 500 people, and take 18 months to complete.

Speaking at the groundbreaking ceremony, General Mop Sarun - Deputy Commander of the Royal Cambodian Army praised the project as a noble symbol of friendship and cooperation between the two armies, helping strengthen solidarity and friendship between Vietnam and Cambodia.

Under a signed cooperation agreement, this year the Vietnam Defense Ministry has provided a US$21.6 million grant for the Royal Cambodian Army to support equipment purchases, training and health care, of which US$2.4 million is allocated to the Royal Cambodian Army’s construction projects.

Siam group sponsors internship programme

Nine Vietnamese students on July 15 completed a one-month internship programme in Thailand sponsored by Siam Cement Group (SCG).

During the programme, the students had the opportunity to practice soft skills, such as presentation and teamwork through specialized training and practical projects.

It was a golden opportunity for students to make friends, learn more and become familiar with other ASEAN cultures and people, and get advice as well as one-on-one support and guidance from a senior mentor at SCG.

To participate in the internship programme, students had to complete and submit an application, write an essay, and go through an interview selection process with the organizers.

Kiti Madiloggovit, corporate human resources director of SCG, said he was glad to know thousands of students across Vietnam had enrolled in the programme.

This is the second time SCG has organised the programme following the success of last year’s event. The programme is one of SCG’s activities to mark human resources development in the process of business expansion into Southeast Asia.

SCG, one of the leading conglomerates in the ASEAN region, comprises three core businesses: SCG Chemicals, SCG Paper, and SCG Cement-Building Materials. The company has over 200 affiliates under its umbrella and more than 40,000 employees.

SCG began its regional expansion in Vietnam as its strategic hub in 1992. Currently, it has 18 operations in the country.

First Japanese composite fishing boat launched

The first composite vessel for Japanese Yanmar Company’s pilot project to supply 180 vessels to Vietnamese fishermen to help them increase tuna yield and quality was officially launched on July 28.

The first fishing boat, YANMAR 01, was launched in the central coastal province of Khanh Hoa by Japan’s Yanmar Company in co-ordination with the University of Nha Trang Ship Institute (UNINSHIP).

The boat, 18m long, 4.5m wide and 2.5m high,  has a capacity of 350CV running at an average speed of 11.5 nautical miles per hour.

OVs in Canada turn hearts to homeland

The Vietnamese Embassy in Canada held a July 26 meeting with Overseas Vietnamese (OVs) to update them on the East Sea situation and solicit their support for law enforcement forces and fishermen at home.

Ambassador To Anh Dung reported on China’s recent provocation in the East Sea and the Vietnamese stance and effort to maintain sovereignty over its sea and islands.

Dung answered OVs’ questions and acknowledged their proposals regarding the ongoing struggle for national sovereignty and territorial integrity.

The Vietnamese Embassy has stimulated Canadians and international friends to support Vietnam’s stance in the East Sea and called on OVs in Toronto and adjacent areas to promote solidarity and join hands to protect homeland sovereignty over sea and islands through practical activities, while responding to a campaign to support coast guard and law enforce forces and fishermen.

Participants at the meeting agreed that national solidarity is a decisive factor in helping the nation overcome difficulty as history has proven.

At the meeting OVs donated more than CAD5,000 to coast guard, law enforcement forces and fishermen at home.

OVs in Toronto, Ottawa, Vancouver and Montreal have so far raised more than CAD14,000 in support of these forces.

Vietnam among 9 Western Pacific countries suffering most from viral hepatitis

Vietnam is among nine countries in the Western Pacific region that face the most serious threat of viral hepatitis, a “silent” disease that causes a severe impact on public health, experts said at a meeting in south-central Vietnam last weekend.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the other eight countries are Cambodia, Kiribati, Laos, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, the Solomon Islands, Samoa, and Vanuatu.

The warning was released at the 9th National Liver Conference, which was held in Nha Trang City of Khanh Hoa Province on Friday last week, drawing more than 300 delegates from major hospitals and universities in Vietnam and abroad.

Addressing the event, which was organized to mark World Hepatitis Day (July 28), Dr. Dinh Quy Lan, chairman of the Vietnam Hepatic Association, warned that viral hepatitis kills about 1.4 million people around the world per year – close to the number of deaths caused by HIV/AIDS, and more than those brought about by malaria and tuberculosis.

In addition, every year sees about 500 million people suffering from cirrhosis of the liver or liver cancer caused by viral hepatitis, Dr. Lan said.

In the Western Pacific region alone, the hepatitis B virus is responsible for almost 900 deaths per day, according to the WHO.

Although placed among the nine Western Pacific countries that suffer the most from viral hepatitis, Vietnam has in recent years made encouraging achievements in the prevention of this disease, experts said at the conference.

More than 50 percent of newborn babies have been vaccinated against hepatitis B in the past 10 years, thus remarkably lowering the rate of infection, they said, adding that no hepatitis A and E epidemics have broken out during the past 30 years.

Besides, many liver transplant cases have successfully been performed in Vietnam, they said.

At the conference, experts presented 30 papers focusing on symptoms and treatment of liver and gall diseases, hepatitis B and C prevention, and liver transplants.

These experts also provided useful, basic information about liver inflammation.

“Improving the knowledge of viral hepatitis among the public is one of the effective ways to prevent the disease in communities,” Dr. Lan said.

“In fact, many people with viral hepatitis, mainly hepatitis B, do not know why and when they were infected with it; thus it is nicknamed ‘the silent killer’,” the doctor said.

Viral hepatitis is an inflammation of the liver caused by one of the five hepatitis viruses: A, B, C, D and E, experts said.

The five hepatitis viruses are transmitted through different routes: hepatitis A and E through contaminated food and water; hepatitis B through blood and other bodily fluids; and hepatitis C and D mostly through blood, they said.

These viruses can all cause acute hepatitis, but most people fully recover from acute infection. However, hepatitis B and C infection can lead to chronic liver disease, the most common cause of liver cirrhosis and liver cancer, according to the WHO.

More rural households can use fresh water: urgent action

It is an urge to supply at least 60 liter of fresh water per person a day in the Mekong delta for the government beyond 2015.

At an annual online meeting about clean water and environment sanitation in rural districts held last week, deputy Prime Minister Hoang Trung Hai stressed that global climate change will deduce the degradation of fresh water resources and environment hygiene; it will threat to people’s health condition.

Accordingly, fresh water supply is very important for living quality in the countryside areas and it is one of the targets of Millennium Development Goals, Hai added.

Some provinces such as the Mekong delta provinces of An Giang, Kien Giang, the central province of Binh Dinh , Quang Tri, the highlands province of Gia Lai, the northern provinces of Thai Binh, Hai Duong did carry out well drinking fresh water and basic sanitation program.

Ho Chi Minh City is leading the program with most of households in the outlying districts using clean water and standard toilets.

State Prime Minister has approved the national strategy for clean water and basic sanitation from 2000 to 2020 both aims at improving people’s living condition and helping increase socio-economic growth in the country. The strategy includes many phases.

This year’s phase requires 85 percent of rural households to access to clean water, 65 percent of using standard toilets, 45 percent of hygienic breeding farms and most of schools and medical clinics having enough water and toilets.

After fifteen year implementation of the program, it have improved habits of using clean water and standard toilet instead of open defecations into residents in the countryside. Besdies, as many as private companies have invested in providing fresh water to over 500,000 residents in Dong Thap, Tien Giang, Logn An in the Mekong delta and Hung Yen, Hai Duong provinces in the North and rural regions nationwide.

Universities adapt ahead of ASEAN Community

Using case studies in university curricula will help meet the need for a highly qualified workforce in the ASEAN Economic Community that takes effect next year, a professor of Vietnam National University's Technology University in Ho Chi Minh City said.

Prof. Bui Thi Minh Hang said that US's Harvard Business School used the case study method in its teaching programme.

Hang, who spoke at a workshop on building academic bridges held on July 28 by Vietnam National University-HCM City (VNU-HCM), said the method helps provide students with opportunities to learn and practice management, recognise and solve real world problems in the classroom.

A lack of real-life understanding of the workplace hampered students' knowledge and ability, while there were few opportunities to practice management skills, she said.

Hang said that Vietnam's universities should use international case studies as a basis to develop local cases.

She added that conferences or workshops on case study methods for business and social management faculties should be organised.

The VNU-HCM plans to develop case studies for its members and training managers for enterprises under the assistance of Singapore Management University (SMU).

The two universities on July 28 signed an agreement to enhance their academic strengths and promote economic, legal and education cooperation between Singapore and Vietnam.

In the agreement, SMU will help train case writing teams on business and law topics in Vietnam. It will allow VNU-HCM access to its case teaching database at its Centre for Management Practice (CMP) for a period of two years at no cost.

VNU-HCM will assist SMU by providing advice, contacts and references and CMP will add the Vietnamese case studies to its database.

In addition, they will create a student/faculty exchange programme, a joint Master's/PhD programme, and provide business services to the community such a legal consulting.

SMU will assist in setting up a centre for management practice at VNU-HCM.

Foot-and-mouth disease strikes livestock in central Vietnam

Duc Tho District of the central province of Ha Tinh reported an outbreak of foot-mouth in herds of local cattle on July 25.

Foot-mouth disease has affected multi domestic animals of four houses in Quang Tien Village. These animals suffer high fever, blisters inside the mouth and foot, excessive secretion of stringy or foamy saliva.

An investigation showed that a cow in a herd of cattle of Bui Xuan Tiep in the village had felt in illness six days after being bought from the northern province of Thai  Nguyen. Foot-and-mouth disease virus was transmitted to animals of the next houses.

Local authority disinfected the environment in farms and issued warning that this is infected foot-and-mouth disease. Health watchdog acted quickly to vaccinate to more than 300 cows in the locality. Control stations were set up to forbid the sale, transportation and slaughter of diseased animals to other areas.

People should not eat snail: Food watchdog

The Food Administration of Vietnam under the Ministry of Health July 27 said that some people died because of eating snail as food or medications.

Lately, hospitals in the central city of Da Nang and Ho Chi Minh City have admitted and treated cases of food poisoning as people have snail as food or medication. Fretting the situation will spread widely, the health authority confirmed that there had no study about the use of medium-sized edible snails in the nature as food.

Consequently, people should not follow folk wisdom or baseless rumor to serve snail as a food. People should not absolutely eat raw snail, or underdone.

Residents should conduct environment sanitation, kill rats and snail to curb biological life cycle of nematode worm A. cantonensis to prevent diseases. If people suffer symptoms such as fever, headache, stomachache, vomiting and rash, they should go to nearby medical clinics to receive timely treatment.

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