Two hospitals have been tasked with uncovering the cause of the death of a student from Thai Nguyen Industrial College in the namesake province in northern Vietnam and the hospitalization of 12 others between Thursday last week and Monday this week.

All 13 victims had developed fevers, headaches, stomachaches, and nausea, with the cause still unknown.

Following reports of the situation, the Department of Medical Service Administration under the Ministry of Health charged the National Hospital for Tropical Diseases and the Vietnam National Children's Hospital, both in Hanoi, with identifying the root cause of the incident.

The two hospitals were also told to identify appropriate treatments for the patients and control the infection, if any, in medical units and at Thai Nguyen Industrial College to minimize the number of people likely to catch the disease.

The two hospitals can dispatch working teams to Thai Nguyen Province if needed.

The Thai Nguyen Central General Hospital and the Thai Nguyen Department of Health will be responsible for providing the patients' medical records and relevant documents for the two central-level hospitals.

The deceased student was diagnosed with multi-organ failure, acute heart failure, myocarditis, and hepatitis B.

One student is in a critical condition and is being put on a ventilator at Thai Nguyen Central General Hospital.

The 10 remaining students are having their health monitored at the hospital in stable condition.

Another is receiving medical treatment at the Vietnam National Children's Hospital.

A representative of the Vietnam National Children's Hospital said the patient was hospitalized and complained of a stomachache, chest pain, and slight fever.

According to the Thai Nguyen Department of Health, it has yet to be able to conclude if the disease is infectious as testing results have not been completed. 

Despite a lack of information, the department has implemented prevention and control measures.

The department has tasked the medical center in Thai Nguyen City, the provincial capital, with sending an emergency team, including a doctor and two nurses, together with an ambulance, medicine, and emergency equipment to Thai Nguyen Industrial College to support potentially affected students.

The victims’ roommates have all been isolated.

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