On the afternoon of 9/4, a representative from the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Health reported that students exhibited symptoms such as abdominal pain, vomiting, fever, and digestive upset. Gia Dinh People's Hospital admitted the most cases, with 27 patients. Of these, five have been discharged, and 22 are still receiving treatment.

Binh Quoi Ward Health Station handled two mild cases, providing medication and discharging them for home monitoring. Children's Hospital 2 admitted four cases; one sample has been collected for testing to determine the cause, with results pending. Binh Thanh General Hospital received 20 cases, mostly stable and treated as outpatients, while one case is under observation in the emergency room.

Doctor, Level I Specialist Pham Thi Hoang Oanh, Deputy Head of the General Pediatrics Department at Gia Dinh People's Hospital, stated that most pediatric patients were transferred from the emergency department. Common symptoms included persistent high fever that was difficult to reduce, colicky abdominal pain, severe fatigue, poor appetite, and continuous vomiting and diarrhea.

The doctor stated, "the children admitted to the hospital all showed moderate to severe gastrointestinal infections." The treatment team administered antibiotics and fluid resuscitation immediately upon admission. However, some cases remain unstable, unable to eat, and still feel weak.

A parent caring for their seven-year-old child in the hospital reported that the child attended semi-boarding school and ate lunch there on 7/4. After school, the child drank a carton of milk before attending an evening class. Around 2-3 AM on 8/4, the child experienced vomiting, diarrhea, and fever, which did not subside with medication. The child was admitted to the hospital on the morning of 9/4. The child is currently still tired, feverish, and experiencing diarrhea, with the cause of the unusual symptoms still unclear.

Doctors at Gia Dinh People's Hospital examine a pediatric patient with suspected poisoning, afternoon of 9/4. Photo: Minh Toan

The Ho Chi Minh City Department of Health instructed hospitals to closely monitor and treat patients according to guidelines, collect samples for pathogen identification, and inform the Ho Chi Minh City Food Safety Department for timely action.

The agency also directed the Ho Chi Minh City Center for Disease Control (HCDC) to coordinate with relevant units and Binh Quoi Tay Primary School to conduct an epidemiological investigation and collect samples to clarify the cause.

The school leadership reported that early on the morning of 8/4, many students from grades one to three showed signs of fatigue and fever. Throughout the day, over 100 students visited the medical room, and more than 40 experienced vomiting and abdominal pain. As symptoms appeared early in the morning, before eating lunch at school, it cannot be confirmed that the semi-boarding meal was the cause. The possibility of external food or water sources is not ruled out.

The school has suspended semi-boarding meals. Food samples from 7-8/4 have been sent for testing, with results expected on 14/4.

Le Phuong