Vietnam detected 107 acute diarrhea patients in eight northern localities last month, of whom 55 were infected with cholera, Xinhua quoted local newspaper New Hanoi as reporting today. Hanoi was the locality being hardest hit by acute diarrhea with60 cases, including 29 cholera sufferers, the paper quoted the Vietnamese Ministry of Health as reporting. Other affected localities included Hai Phong city, and the provinces of Ha Tay, Bac Ninh, Thanh Hoa, Phu Tho, Bac Giang and Nam Dinh. Cholera's bacterium has been detected in water of some rivers and ponds in Ha Noi, Ha Tay and Thanh Hoa, and in raw vegetables, according to the ministry. The ministry has called for local people to ensure food hygiene, eat and drink cooked foodstuff, and wash hands with soap before eating. Between last October and December, acute diarrhea was reported in 13 provinces and cities in Vietnam.
