Authorities in Ha Tinh Province, north-central Vietnam are implementing preventive measures to curb the spread of allergic dermatitis in the area as fleas have been spreading in many residents.

An epidemiological surveillance investigation conducted by the Medical Center of Thach Ha District in Ha Tinh showed that a total of 158 people of 64 households in the district’s Phuc Thanh Village have suffered inflammation, redness, and irritation of the skin since the end of February.

The patients have undergone examination and treatment at a number of hospitals in and outside the province but their bad skin condition has persisted, affecting the quality of their health and life, Nguyen The Phiet, director of the Medical Center of Thach Ha, said on Monday.

During the epidemiological investigation, functional forces discovered a type of insect clinging to household items and clothes in the patients’ houses.

The insect, which appears to feed on the host patients, is dark brown and smaller than a grain of rice and has six legs. 

It is also found attached to animals.

The functional forces then identified the insect as a flea, which lives in areas with a high density of animals and often clings to walls, beds, and dark corners in houses. 

It typically feeds on humans at night and can cause itchy skin, leading to bacterial skin infections or the transmission of dangerous diseases such as typhus and plague. 

Local health authorities have carried out measures to prevent flea bites, including spraying chemicals and sanitizing the local environment, and advised residents to seek medical attention if bitten. 

These recent efforts of the local health sector in controlling infections and screening for the residents have stabilized the situation, according to Phiet.

No more cases of allergic dermatitis caused by flea bites have been reported, he said.

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