A patient with monkeypox under treatment in southern Dong Nai province. — suckhoedoisong.vn
HCM CITY (Vietnam News/Asia News Network): HCM City has recorded four more monkeypox infections, bringing the total number of cases to 13, the city’s Health Department has announced.
The patients are currently under quarantine and receiving treatment.
In an interview with Suc khoe & Doi song (Health & Life) online newspaper published on Monday (Oct 9) regarding the possibility of monkeypox spreading in the community, Dr Tran Dac Phu, a senior advisor for the Vietnam Centre for Emergency Response to Public Health Events, emphasised the need to continue epidemiological investigations and monitor individuals who have had contact with those coming from outbreak areas.
"This is an important issue to assess the risk. We need to respond proportionally to the level of risk, so as not to lose control of the outbreak, but also not to overuse resources, as there are many other outbreaks such as dengue fever and hand-foot-and-mouth disease," he said.
Phu also noted the importance of continuing to strengthen border surveillance, monitoring individuals returning from outbreak areas, and community surveillance to identify patients and affected areas.
Early detection of cases within the community plays a crucial role in zoning, isolating, and preventing the disease from further transmission.
Phu advised people to increase personal disease prevention measures.
"Monkeypox is not easily transmitted to everyone in the community. It is mainly a concern for certain groups at risk, such as men who have sex with men, bisexual individuals, those with multiple unprotected sexual partners, and those in close contact with suspected monkeypox cases.
Therefore, those who have close contact with suspected monkeypox cases should seek diagnosis and self-isolate to prevent further transmission," he said.
The General Department of Preventive Medicine has sent documents to the Pasteur Institute of HCM City, the departments of health of HCM City, Bình Dương and Dong Nai provinces, urging them to enhance monkeypox prevention and control measures.
The General Department of Preventive Medicine asked the departments of health of HCM City, and Dong Nai and Binh Duong provinces to proactively investigate all cases with contact history with the confirmed monkeypox cases to identify the source of infection, manage outbreaks promptly, and prevent community transmission.
Efforts should be made to treat positive cases, avoid cross-infections, and protect healthcare workers during care and treatment.
Various communication methods should be employed to inform the public about the disease situation and prevention measures to alleviate unnecessary concerns and anxieties.
Additionally, healthcare personnel at all levels should receive training on inspection, treatment, and prevention of monkeypox infections.
The department also requested the Pasteur Institute of HCM City to provide timely professional and technical support and guidelines to localities related to inspection, sample collection, diagnosis, and measures for monkeypox outbreaks.
