On the 5th of April 2016, the Ministry of Health of Viet Nam confirmed the first two cases of Zika virus in Viet Nam.
The first case is a 64 year-old female from Nha Trang, Khanh Hoa province. She developed symptoms (headache, mild fever, skin rash and conjunctivitis) on the 26th of March and was admitted to hospital on the 28th of March. She first tested positive for Zika on the 31st of March in Khanh Hoa and the results of this test were confirmed on the 4th of April by the laboratory of the National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology in Hanoi.
A delegation of the Ministry of Health, WHO and USCDC paid a short visit to the affected commune in Khanh Hoa province to learn more about the response at local level.
The second case is a 33 year-old female living in District 2 in Ho Chi Minh City. She also developed symptoms (malaise, skin rash and conjunctivitis) on the 29th of March and was admitted the same day to hospital. A laboratory test on the 31st of March at Pasteur Institute Ho Chi Minh City was positive for Zika. The diagnosis was confirmed by a research group of Nagasaki University, based in National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology in Hanoi, on the 4th of April.
The close contacts of both females are being closely monitored, but thus far none of the close contacts have developed symptoms or tested positive for Zika. The health condition of these two patients is stable.
It is possible that additional cases of Zika will be detected in Viet Nam given the widespread presence of the principal carrier of the virus, the Aedes mosquito. Zika virus is also known to be transmitted through sexual intercourse.
Vietnamese health authorities have been very proactive in preparing for and responding to Zika in Viet Nam. The Ministry of Health has developed an action plan on Zika, technical guidance for surveillance, laboratory diagnoses, prevention and control, clinical and pregnancy management and risk communications. The Ministry of Health has provided basic training for health care workers on Zika across the country. WHO and other international partners provided technical cooperation.
WHO advice
Many people infected with Zika do not develop symptoms, and even if they do, Zika virus disease is usually relatively mild. There is no specific treatment. In most cases, people with the disease recover quickly and completely. Although not definitively proven, growing evidence links Zika virus to foetal malformations and serious neurological disorders.
It is important for the people of Viet Nam - especially pregnant women or women of childbearing age and their partners - to understand the risks associated with Zika and take precautionary measures.
The following measures are key to limit bites by the Aedes mosquito.
- Use personal protection from mosquito bites: wearing clothes that cover the body; using insect repellents or sprays (containing DEET (diethyltoluamide) or IR 3535 or Icaridin which are the most common biologically active ingredients in insect repellents); using physical barriers such as mesh screens; sleeping under mosquito nets, especially during the day.
- Empty, clean or cover containers regularly that can store (standing) water, such as buckets, drums, pots to destroy mosquito breeding sites. Other mosquito breeding sites should also be cleaned or removed including flower pots, used tyres and roof gutters.
WHO encourages provinces, districts and villages across Viet Nam to work together to reduce the breeding sites of mosquitoes.
WHO continues to work with the Ministry of Health of Viet Nam and its international partners to enhance surveillance, conduct risk assessment, develop or update technical guidance, and intensify risk communications to the population to respond to Zika virus in Viet Nam.