Spraying mosquito-killing chemicals in HCM City. (Source: VNA)

Ho Chi Minh City authorities o­n October 18 announced a Zika outbreak o­n communal and ward scale. Earlier, The Preventative Health Department under the Ministry of Health (MoH) has confirmed two more cases inflected with Zika virus in Ho Chi Minh City, raising the total number of infections in the country to seven.

Ho Chi Minh City authorities o­n October 18 announced a Zika outbreak o­n communal and ward scale.The outbreak occurred in Hiep Thanh ward, district 12 and An Phu ward, district 2. Earlier o­n October 15, the Pasteur Institute in Ho Chi Minh City discovered two additional Zika cases in Hiep Thanh and An Phu wards, bringing the city's total Zika infections to 4.Earlier, the Zika outbreak was also announced at Phuoc Long B ward, district 9.

The patients are two women living in districts 2 and 12. They were tested positive for the virus after suffering from fever, hives, muscle pains, and conjunctivitis. They were found to not go travelling nor have contact with infected people. The department said Ho Chi Minh City has so far recorded four cases of Zika virus. The three others are in the southern province of Binh Duong, and the central provinces of Khanh Hoa and Phu Yen. The MoH has been taking measures to prevent the disease, including intensifying activities of the Health Emergency Operations Centres (EOC) and running campaigns to raise public awareness of preventing the disease. Localities, offices, and households are encouraged to spray chemicals to kill larvae, especially in the high-risk areas. The ministry requested the people, especially pregnant and those planned to have baby to strictly follow medical recommendations, towards preventing the spread of the disease.

On the occasion, the municipal People's Committee asked the Director of the Health Department, district and communal authorities to work closely with relevant agencies to launch precautionary measures in line with the Law o­n Prevention and Control of Communicable Diseases.The same day, Vice Chairwoman of the municipal People's Committee Nguyen Thi Thu held a working session with authorities of district 2 where two Zika cases have been recorded so far.She requested screening mosquito-prone areas, called o­n youths to clean up residential areas every Sunday, and asked for communications activities to raise public awareness of combating dengue fever and the Zika virus. 

Nguyen Tan Binh, Director of the municipal Health Department, said the department will take more Zika virus samples at private clinics as well as coordinate with private pharmacies to offer advice to locals when they show suspected symptoms.The municipal authorities asked 24 communes and districts to keep a close watch of the situation, kill larvae in households and residential areas as well as clean up the environment.

The Zika virus is transmitted to humans primarily through Aedes aegypty mosquito bites and sexual intercourse.The symptoms of Zika infection include fever, conjunctivitis, headaches and muscle pains. Zika infection during pregnancy may lead to microcephaly in children, which is responsible for incomplete brain development and an unusually small head. A vaccine for the Zika virus has yet to be discovered.

Other news »

---

• Conference on the summing-up of malaria control and elimination in Central Vietnam in 2023, and Announcement Ceremony of the decision on recognizing the achievement of malaria elimination criteria for Quang Ngai province (01/02/2024)
• Status of Anopheles vectors at malaria increasing sites in Khanh Vinh district, Khanh Hoa province in 2023_Part 2 (08/15/2023)
• Status of Anopheles vectors at malaria increasing sites in Khanh Vinh district, Khanh Hoa province in 2023_Part 1 (08/14/2023)
• Current situation of subnational malaria elimination at district-level in Central Vietnam (04/17/2023)
• Some challenges facing current malaria elimination roadmap (03/10/2023)