First case of Zika virus infection detected in Phu Yen.

On the afternoon of August 3rd, the Director of the Phu Yen Department of Health confirmed the first case of Zika virus infection in the province.

According to Dr. Nguyen Thi Mong Ngoc, Director of the Phu Yen Department of Health, the province has just detected a case of Zika virus infection. The patient is Mr. D.D.T, 27 years old, residing in Tan Hoi village, Son Hoi commune, Son Hoa district.

According to a report from the Provincial Department of Health, on June 27th, Mr. D.D.T. developed a fever, with a maximum temperature of 38.5 degrees Celsius, along with symptoms of muscle and joint pain. By June 30th, the patient developed a rash of small red spots all over his body and was admitted to Son Hoa District General Hospital for treatment.

Here, doctors suspected the patient had dengue fever, so they took a blood sample and sent it to the Provincial Center for Preventive Medicine for testing. The result was negative for dengue fever.

On July 7th, Mr. T recovered and was discharged from the hospital. However, a serum sample from patient D.D.T was sent by the health authorities for testing at the Pasteur Institute in Nha Trang, and on July 28th, the institute concluded that the patient's blood sample tested positive for the Zika virus.

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has confirmed that the Zika virus is the culprit behind microcephaly (a condition where the brain is shrunken) affecting thousands of children. Photo: Reuters.

According to Doctor Ngoc, as soon as the Department of Health received the conclusions from the Pasteur Institute in Nha Trang, they established a monitoring team at Mr. D.D.T's house and surrounding households in Tan Hoi village to isolate and handle the outbreak, aiming to minimize its spread to the community.

The monitoring team also directed the Son Hoa District Health Center, commune health stations, village health workers, and the Son Hoi Commune Youth Union to organize a general sanitation campaign, eliminate mosquito larvae, and spray chemicals in 154 households within a 250-meter radius around the patient's house.

The Department of Health also directed the Provincial Center for Preventive Medicine, the health centers of districts, towns, and cities, and medical facilities with inpatient beds to strengthen the prevention and control of Zika virus disease.

This is the third case of Zika virus infection in Vietnam this year. Previously, a pregnant woman in Ho Chi Minh City and an elderly woman in Khanh Hoa were found to be infected with the Zika virus. The pregnant woman subsequently terminated her pregnancy early.

The Zika virus is considered dangerous for pregnant women because it can cause microcephaly (a birth defect characterized by a small head) in babies.

According to Zing