Hanoi has logged 548 new cases of chickenpox so far this year, with the most recent 70 infections recorded just this week, according to statistics from the Hanoi Center for Disease Control (CDC).

There have been no deaths linked to the ongoing outbreak.

Chickenpox is on the rise compared to last year, and many of the patients are preschool and elementary school students, which respectively account for 36.5 percent and 38 percent of the total infections.

So far, 18 out of Hanoi’s 30 districts have been affected by the outbreak, with Chuong My, Me Linh, Ba Vi, and Nam Tu Liem Districts having each detected over 30 cases.

In the outlying district of Chuong My, the local medical center had reported five clusters of 237 chickenpox cases as of March 21.

In Ho Chi Minh City, children’s hospitals citywide said that they have recorded normal rates of hospital admissions and treatment linked to chickenpox.

However, as chickenpox cases tend to surge between February and June, parents should ensure their children are vaccinated and that their children’s play areas are kept clean. 

Chickenpox cases could continue their upward trend over the next several weeks as Hanoi eases into spring, according to the Hanoi CDC, which also stated that local citizens should be aware that other infectious respiratory diseases such as the flu, measles, and whooping cough typically spread during this time of year.

Chickenpox is a contagious disease caused by varicella-zoster virus and can affect people of all ages.

It is typically spread from person to person via direct contact. It can also be spread through saliva and daily practices, like sharing utensils.

It takes 7-21 days after exposure to the virus for someone to develop symptoms of chickenpox, which include a mild fever, runny nose, cough, headache, fatigue, loss of appetite, and an itchy red rash which covers the body with fluid-filled blisters.

Healthcare specialists advise chickenpox patients to take a bath as normal, regularly wash their hands with soap, refrain from sharing utensils with others, and keep their houses and workplaces clean.

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Thirty-one students at an elementary school in Vietnam’s Central Highlands had symptoms such as dizziness, headache, and nausea after being given balloons by strangers.

The incident was recorded at Ly Tu Trong Elementary School in Buon Trap Town, Krong Ana District, Dak Lak Province.

Among the 31 students, 17 were admitted to the district medical center, five of whom received transfusions, a representative of the Krong Ana District Office of Education and Training said on Thursday morning.

The other 14 are being monitored at home.

Doctors diagnosed the children with poisoning, but the cause is unknown.

Currently, the health of the poisoned students is stable.

According to the report of Ly Tu Trong Elementary School, four strangers, including three women and one man, were giving balloons to students in front of the school on Wednesday afternoon.

This group of people was then asked to leave by a security guard.

About 30 minutes later, many of the students who had been given the balloons began to show signs of dizziness, headache, abdominal pain, and nausea.

The students were then taken to the school’s medical room and the case was reported to local authorities.

Authorities are investigating the incident.

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A Vietnamese woman has been extradited from Indonesia by Interpol for an investigation into a fraud case dating back to 2015, local police said on Wednesday.

Nguyen Thi Anh Nga, a 36-year-old from Dong Thap Province in Vietnam’s Mekong Delta region, has been wanted internationally since 2015 after fraudulently appropriating over VND3 billion (US$127,591) from various individuals.

Nga then fled Vietnam to work in Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Cambodia.

Police in Indonesia arrested Nga on March 7.

After discussing with their Indonesian counterparts, Interpol Vietnam brought Nga to Tan Son Nhat International Airport in Ho Chi Minh City and handed her over to Dong Thap police officers for an investigation into the case.

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