The Ministry of Health’s mission finished their field-trip survey in Ba Dien commune in the central province of Quang Ngai, and defined several elements that cause the strange skin disease, including moldy rice, fleas and environment.

Health workers decontaminate water resources in Reu village, where 21 people died of the unknown skin disease.

Dr. Phan Trong Lan, Vice Chief of the Preventive Medicine Agency, confirmed that many elements caused the strange disease.
He said that experts detected Aflatoxin toxin in moldy rice (which is fermented under the custom of H’re ethnic minority people) used by local people. “This toxin is dangerous for the liver. It can cause cirrhosis and even liver cancer,” he said.

The Ministry of Health asked the local government to provide white rice to the people.

Dr. Trieu Nguyen Trung, director of the Central Institute for Malaria and Parasitology, said that polluted environment is another element.

According to Trung, most of local people live in narrow houses on stilts, which do not have windows. They raise cattle under their houses. Experts found out a lot of fleas in their sedge mats. These mats were destroyed and locals were provided with new mats.

Experts said that of the four villages that have strange skin diseases, the environment in Tuong village was better so it had fewer patients than the three others.

The Ministry of Health is releasing an official report on May 14.

A patient named Pham Thi An, who has hospitalized for over 10 times but her disease has not been cured yet, has been moved to the Hue Central Hospital. She will be given a free liver transplant. Up to four people in Ms. An’s family got this disease. Her son died.

Source: VNN