A mother-to-be in Thanh Hoa Province, north-central Vietnam has been infected with diphtheria, the provincial Center for Disease Control confirmed on Monday.
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, a mountainous and border district in Thanh Hoa.
M., who is in the eighth month of pregnancy, had not left her place of residence over the past two weeks, according to her family.
A few days ago, she took over-the-counter medicine to soothe her sore throat but saw no improvement.
The young woman visited an obstetrics clinic in Muong Lat on Sunday to seek medical care for her sore throat and difficulty swallowing, the Muong Lat Medical Center confirmed.
She was transferred to the Muong Lat General Hospital for further treatment after being diagnosed with probable diphtheria at the clinic.
Local health agencies then made a list of those who had close contact with her and put them under quarantine, while disinfecting the patient’s home and the surroundings.
So far, 19 close contacts have been reported. Four of them experienced a sore throat, while the rest are in normal condition.
The agencies also ramped up efforts to raise public awareness about diphtheria prevention and control in the area.
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