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MENINGITIS OUTBREAK: AUTHORITIES DENY EPIDEMIC, SOME KINDERGARTENS CLOSE DOORS FOR QUARANTINE
HEALTH | 10.07.14 | 11:12
http://armenianow.com/society/health/55941/armenia_meningitis_health_kindergartens
Photolure
By SARA KHOJOYAN
ArmeniaNow reporter
While the Ministry of Health and the Municipality of Yerevan insist
that there is no meningitis epidemic in the city, at some kindergartens
parents have been told that they are in quarantine.
Simultaneously, there seem to be lots of patients with serous
meningitis in hospitals.
According to the data of the Ministry of Health, 90 cases of
enterovirus meningitis have already been registered this year, which
is by 30 cases more than the figure for last year.
"Our attention was drawn to the fact that there is some activation,
though we haven't had cases of groups being affected by the disease.
The causes of the disease among all patients are different," head of
the Health Ministry's National Immunization Program Gayane Sahakyan
told reporters on Wednesday.
She said that for prevention of the spread of the disease disinfection
measures have been taken in pre-school establishments, vigilance at
hospitals has been increased.
According to Sahakyan, the symptoms of the disease are immediately
developed high fever and unbearable headache. "We can say that the
rate of disease has started to lower, as at the peak we had 5-6 cases
per day, now it decreased to 3-4."
"It is acute serous meningitis, its incubation lasts up to 10 days,
but it can be treated quickly, a patient recovers within 2-3 days,
it is not treated with antibiotics, mainly lots of fluids are used,"
she added.
The Health Ministry official said that if two suspicious cases are
revealed in the same kindergarten, inspections are conducted there:
"In the kindergartens where the infection was registered, disinfection
measures are being taken, where no cases have been revealed, routine
measures are in place."
Kindergartens are divided into two groups: in some they deny the
spread of meningitis, in others they urge the parents to keep their
children at home.
"We have no such instructions, nothing like that. Attendance is as
usual," Katya Baghdasaryan, a manager at Yerevan's kindergarten N71,
told ArmeniaNow. "Groups have been reduced because we have sent some
of the children to school, some of our teachers are on vacation, but
in September new children will join the groups. We have received no
statement from the Ministry."
Meanwhile, a nurse at one of the groups in kindergarten No. 2 told
the parents that they are having a 10-day quarantine and that the
kids should stay at home.
"I don't understand why they make all parents to keep their children
at home? Let only the sick children stay at home as working parents
do not know what to do," one of the parents told ArmeniaNow.
Meanwhile, the Yerevan municipality says that there is no risk of
the virus spread.
"Attendance at educational institutions working under the jurisdiction
of municipal authorities is normal, the number of absentees is within
the norm, there is no need for interference. Why cause additional
panic?" deputy head of the Municipality's Information Department
Artur Sarukhanyan told ArmeniaNow.
Two days ago, talking to 168.am, chief infectionist of the Armenian
Health Ministry, director of the Nork infection clinical hospital Ara
Asoyan said that the spread of enterovirus disease has intensified
across the region - in Russia, Georgia and Armenia.
"This is a unique virus on which, as a specialist, I myself have a
lot of questions. I have worked in infection hospitals for more than
30 years, but I don't remember such an epidemic. I don't remember
any enterovirus causing meningitis," Asoyan said.
HEALTH | 10.07.14 | 11:12
http://armenianow.com/society/health/55941/armenia_meningitis_health_kindergartens
Photolure
By SARA KHOJOYAN
ArmeniaNow reporter
While the Ministry of Health and the Municipality of Yerevan insist
that there is no meningitis epidemic in the city, at some kindergartens
parents have been told that they are in quarantine.
Simultaneously, there seem to be lots of patients with serous
meningitis in hospitals.
According to the data of the Ministry of Health, 90 cases of
enterovirus meningitis have already been registered this year, which
is by 30 cases more than the figure for last year.
"Our attention was drawn to the fact that there is some activation,
though we haven't had cases of groups being affected by the disease.
The causes of the disease among all patients are different," head of
the Health Ministry's National Immunization Program Gayane Sahakyan
told reporters on Wednesday.
She said that for prevention of the spread of the disease disinfection
measures have been taken in pre-school establishments, vigilance at
hospitals has been increased.
According to Sahakyan, the symptoms of the disease are immediately
developed high fever and unbearable headache. "We can say that the
rate of disease has started to lower, as at the peak we had 5-6 cases
per day, now it decreased to 3-4."
"It is acute serous meningitis, its incubation lasts up to 10 days,
but it can be treated quickly, a patient recovers within 2-3 days,
it is not treated with antibiotics, mainly lots of fluids are used,"
she added.
The Health Ministry official said that if two suspicious cases are
revealed in the same kindergarten, inspections are conducted there:
"In the kindergartens where the infection was registered, disinfection
measures are being taken, where no cases have been revealed, routine
measures are in place."
Kindergartens are divided into two groups: in some they deny the
spread of meningitis, in others they urge the parents to keep their
children at home.
"We have no such instructions, nothing like that. Attendance is as
usual," Katya Baghdasaryan, a manager at Yerevan's kindergarten N71,
told ArmeniaNow. "Groups have been reduced because we have sent some
of the children to school, some of our teachers are on vacation, but
in September new children will join the groups. We have received no
statement from the Ministry."
Meanwhile, a nurse at one of the groups in kindergarten No. 2 told
the parents that they are having a 10-day quarantine and that the
kids should stay at home.
"I don't understand why they make all parents to keep their children
at home? Let only the sick children stay at home as working parents
do not know what to do," one of the parents told ArmeniaNow.
Meanwhile, the Yerevan municipality says that there is no risk of
the virus spread.
"Attendance at educational institutions working under the jurisdiction
of municipal authorities is normal, the number of absentees is within
the norm, there is no need for interference. Why cause additional
panic?" deputy head of the Municipality's Information Department
Artur Sarukhanyan told ArmeniaNow.
Two days ago, talking to 168.am, chief infectionist of the Armenian
Health Ministry, director of the Nork infection clinical hospital Ara
Asoyan said that the spread of enterovirus disease has intensified
across the region - in Russia, Georgia and Armenia.
"This is a unique virus on which, as a specialist, I myself have a
lot of questions. I have worked in infection hospitals for more than
30 years, but I don't remember such an epidemic. I don't remember
any enterovirus causing meningitis," Asoyan said.