The four-year-old boy was not expected to make it through the night
WHEN THIS four-year-old boy was brought from his village many miles away, he was not expected to make it through the night.
But intensive care saw him through the worst of his hand, foot and mouth disease, which is at epidemic proportions in parts of Vietnam and can be prevented by good hygiene practices.
He is now resting quietly in a step down unit (pictured above), where his mother watches over him.
Seattle Pacific University students have faced cases like this on a daily basis during their MEDRIX study abroad program in Hue Central Hospital.
“There are currently many children with this diagnosis: it is at epidemic numbers,” MEDRIX executive director LaRelle Catherman said.
“15 children from the same daycare center as this boy were infected.
“The child has suffered a fever, small blisters in the mouth, nausea, vomiting and breathing difficulties. In severe cases there is brain damage and respiratory failure.”
Hand, foot and mouth disease (not to be confused with the foot and mouth disease that affects cattle, sheep and swine) is a virus that is spread by bad hygiene from hands, respiratory routes (coughing), bad toilet habits (fecal to oral) and from contaminated environmental surfaces like cooking spaces.
MEDRIX is committed to teaching good hygiene, including handwashing, food preperation and general cleanliness in the home and community. This teaching will save the lives of many children.
When teaching such basics, an emphasis is placed on the use of clean water for washing hands after toileting, before preparing food and when coming in from feeding animals or working in the garden. Soap is also given to mothers and children, many of who cannot afford such a luxury.
The hope is that such illness will become less frequent as rural people understand the basics of good hygiene.
