A Kien Giang Department of Health report on 21/3 confirmed the new suspected case is among 36 students in the same class as the child who died from meningococcal type B. Ho Chi Minh City Hospital for Tropical Diseases is currently treating this new patient, whose health is stable and prognosis for recovery is good.
Through contact tracing, health authorities identified an additional 45 individuals who had contact with the first patient. This group includes family members and 40 people living in the same boarding house. Authorities swiftly quarantined and listed close contacts for health monitoring. Health staff and direct contacts received prophylactic antibiotics or vaccines. To date, no other suspected cases have been detected locally.
On the same afternoon, the Kien Giang Department of Health directly collaborated with Phu Quoc city, urging enhanced epidemiological surveillance, improved disease detection capabilities, and stronger communication efforts. The department also requested personnel support from higher-level authorities to ensure effective medical examination and treatment services on the island.
Assessing the danger level, Associate Professor and Doctor Pham Quang Thai, Deputy Head of the Department of Infectious Disease Control (National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology), classified meningococcal meningitis as a high-risk disease because the bacteria rapidly destroy patients. Patients often have no time to react if they underestimate initial symptoms like high fever, severe headache, nausea, stiff neck, or hemorrhagic rash. Without timely medical intervention, the mortality rate can reach 50% within 24-48 hours. Even with aggressive emergency care, about 8-15% of patients still die, and 20% of survivors suffer lifelong neurological and physical sequelae such as deafness, brain damage, or limb necrosis.
Neisseria meningitidis bacteria cause this disease through over 12 serogroups, with A, B, C, W, and Y being the most common. The pathogen is present year-round, spreads rapidly in crowded environments like dormitories and schools, and can easily cause small outbreaks in cold seasons. The persistent presence of asymptomatic carriers in the community further complicates disease control.
In 2025, the Ministry of Health reported 95 meningococcal meningitis cases nationwide, an increase of 74 cases compared to 2024, with three deaths.
Ngoc Tai
