The number of people infected with Zika virus in Saigon has increased to 30.

On November 3, 9 people in Ho Chi Minh City tested positive for Zika virus, bringing the number of patients to 30. The city's People's Committee decided to establish a steering committee for disease prevention.

At the epidemic prevention meeting with the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee on the afternoon of November 3, Dr. Nguyen Tri Dung, Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Preventive Medicine Center, said that through the monitoring system at 30 hospitals, 921 samples were sent for testing, 30 people were confirmed positive, of which 9 cases are being retested.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Thu, Vice Chairwoman of the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee, emphasized that the Zika virus has signs of spreading throughout the city, in addition to dengue fever which is still complicated. The city has decided to establish a steering committee for dengue fever and Zika prevention led by the People's Committee, the Department of Health and related units.

According to Ms. Thu, if there is only direction on epidemic prevention from districts without checking the specific implementation process of wards and communes, the epidemic prevention work cannot be effective. The city still has many garbage dumps that are favorable places for larvae and mosquitoes to breed and need to be dealt with. The 3 districts with the most inadequate environmental sanitation problems are Hoc Mon, District 12, and Binh Thanh.

Associate Professor Phan Trong Lan, Director of the Pasteur Institute in Ho Chi Minh City, said that the Zika epidemic has increased rapidly in the past two weeks. There have been four cases of pregnant women in the southern region, including three in Ho Chi Minh City and one in Binh Duong. In the immediate future, it is necessary to ensure that high-risk areas are sprayed early and leaflets are distributed to each household with instructions on how to self-check and kill larvae, pupae, and mosquitoes.

There is currently no recommendation to limit travel to areas with cases. The city is establishing 6 anti-Zika teams, strengthening surveillance to detect cases and disease prevention communication, focusing on pregnant women. In addition to general environmental sanitation and widespread chemical spraying, the medical sector calls on each person and each household to kill mosquitoes and larvae themselves, and prevent mosquito bites.

Vietnam has recorded 39 patients infected with Zika virus in 7 provinces and cities. In addition to Ho Chi Minh City, which has the highest number, Dak Lak has 3 cases and Binh Duong has 2 cases. Phu Yen, Khanh Hoa, Long An, Tra Vinh each have detected one patient. A baby in Dak Lak was recorded with microcephaly due to Zika virus.

According to Baoxaydung