HCMC – An 18-year-old female student at a vocational education center in Ky Son District, Nghe An Province, has died of diphtheria, leading to the quarantine of 119 individuals who were in contact with her.
The Nghe An Province Center for Disease Control (CDC) disclosed this information on July 8, stating that the student succumbed to the illness on July 5 after 10 days of sickness. This marks the first diphtheria death in the province this year.
The CDC of the province said that the 119 contacts are from the districts of Ky Son and Tuong Duong, including seven who had close contact with the patient. Among them, two individuals travelled from Ky Son District to Bac Giang Province, with one testing positive for diphtheria.
Previously, the female student attended the high school graduation exam on June 26, exhibiting symptoms such as fever, cough, sore throat, and hoarseness. Several days after the exam, she sought medical attention at the Ky Son District Health Center and was diagnosed with diphtheria.
Diphtheria is a dangerous bacterial infection that mainly affects the mucous membranes of the respiratory tract (nose and throat).
It is transmitted directly from the sick to the healthy through respiratory droplets. Without prompt treatment, patients may face airway obstruction, leading to respiratory failure and death. The mortality rate of the disease ranges from 5% to 10%.
