First Zika virus case reported in Long An province
The first Zika virus infection in the southern province of Long An was announced by the provincial Health Department at a press conference on October 24, raising the total number of infections in the country to 11.
The patient is a 4-year-old girl living in Ben Luc town.
The provincial preventive medicine centre and Ho Chi Minh City's Pasteur Institute have coordinated to investigate the case and conduct the Ministry of Health (MoH)'s guidance on disease prevention.
Both baby and mother were found to have antibodies of Zika virus, proving they were infected by the virus.
The National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology and Japan's Nagasaki university have teamed up to study the causes of the baby's microcephaly.
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Long An health department's authorities at the press meeting (Photo: baolongan.vn) |
Binh Duong province declares communal-level Zika epidemic
The southern province of Binh Duong has declared a Zika epidemic at communal level at Binh Chuan ward of Thuan An township.Earlier this month, Binh Duong recorded a Zika patient who is a 27-year-old woman living in Thuan An township.
She showed such symptoms as rash, fever, muscle pains and conjunctivitis and tested positive for the mosquito-borne virus Zika. She is now in stable health condition and is under monitoring.
The provincial People's Committee has assigned the Director of the province's Health Department and relevant district and communal authorities to immediately take preventive measures, intensify the monitoring of situation in the affected locality, and ramp up environmental clean-up and mosquito larvae killing in residential areas.
The Department of Preventive Medicine under the Ministry of Health ordered the provincial Health Department to closely monitor suspected cases in the area around the patient's residence.
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A medical worker hands out leaflets with Zika information to a fruit vendor in Cai Rang floating market
in Can Tho city (Photo: VNA) |
Check-ups were given to about 300 people living near the infected woman's house in Thuan An town. Blood samples of those with fever have been sent to the Ho Chi Minh City-based Pasteur Institute for testing.
A total of 11 Zika virus cases has been confirmed in the country so far, including a four-month-old baby born with suspected Zika-caused microcephaly in the Central Highlands province of Dak Lak, according to the Health Ministry.