The health authority of Muong Lat District in Thanh Hoa Province, north-central Vietnam has provided nearly 800 residents in the same neighborhood with prophylactic antibiotics for prevention of diphtheria.

Ha Thi Phuc, director of the Muong Lat District Medical Center, told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper on Monday that three cases of diphtheria have been detected in a neighborhood in Muong Lat since August 5, with 34 close contacts now under home quarantine and treatment.

The medical center deployed a number of response measures, including disinfecting the neighborhood, providing prophylactic antibiotics for almost 800 inhabitants and over 200 health workers, and offering medical masks to the residents.

The diphtheria outbreak in the area has been put under control, while the health condition of the three diphtheria patients has improved, according to the medical center.

Dau Thanh Tung, vice-chairman of the provincial administration, asked authorities in Muong Lat not to drop their guard against this contagious disease during his visit to check the diphtheria prevention and control efforts in the neighborhood.

They were ordered to evaluate the risk of possible diphtheria outbreaks in other areas across the district and take action to raise public awareness about the fatal yet vaccine-preventable disease.

The vice-chairman demanded that the provincial Department of Health stay updated about the health condition and treatment of the patients and timely inform the locals of the latest developments of the disease in their place.

He urged the health department to address the Muong Lat administration’s proposal, according to which the district asked for the supply of 25,000 doses of the tetanus-diphtheria vaccine to inoculate those at high risk of catching the disease.

Early last week, a mother-to-be in the neighborhood was confirmed to have been infected with diphtheria.

She was identified as 17-year-old Ph.L.M., a native of Lai Chau Province in northern Vietnam and currently living in Muong Lat.

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