VietNamNet Bridge – The Department of Health of Nghe An Province urgently asked for support from the Ministry of Health on Tuesday after two out of 20 students in Que Phong District’s Dich Hanh Commune, who contracted acute glomerulonephritis, died.

Doctors treat a patient.

Data from the department showed that 17 students of Dich Hanh Boarding Secondary School and three students of Dich Hanh Primary School were suffering from acute glomerulonephritis since November 2016. They then were being treated at Que Phong District’s General Hospital in Nghe An Province. So far, 10 students were back to school.

The two fatalities – Lo Van Tuan, 12, and his younger brother Lo Van Hieu, 8 – were recorded on Monday.

Lang Van Thai, director of the hospital, said all the students were hospitalised with symptoms such as puffy faces (edema), less urination and dark urine.

Also on Monday, after hearing about the deaths, the local health department immediately sent a team to the commune, who took samples for testing.

Following initial tests from the department, it was found that the students had contracted acute glomerulonephritis after being allegedly infected with Group A beta-hemolytic streptococcal.

In a related move, Tran Dac Phu, head of the ministry’s Department of Preventive Medicine in an interview with Thanh nien (Young People) online newspaper said streptococcal was one of factors that caused strep throat in children (aged 5 to 15). It often led to inflammation of the throat, damaged the heart and joints, eventually resulting in acute glomerulonephritis.

However, the streptococcal infection was not believed to spread widely as a virus infection, Phu said.

“Therefore, it is unusual when dozens of students together catch acute glomerulonephritis after being infected with streptococcal,” he said.

Phu said tests should be conducted carefully to identify exactly why the students contracted the disease. 

VNS