Second mosquito-killing campaign launched
The Health Ministry launched a mosquito-killing drive across the country on October 21 in the context of dengue fever spreading in central and southern regions and the discovery of the 7th infection of Zika virus.
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The campaign, the second of its kind, will be conducted through October and November with the goal of getting local authorities, all agencies and every resident involved in disease prevention measures.
The Health Ministry asks provincial health departments to guide locals in how to stop mosquito from breeding by keeping their water containers clean and advise local authorities on imposing administrative fines on individuals and organisations who refuse to take preventive measures against the diseases.
Communication work needs to be promoted via mass media and in all daily public activities to raise public awareness about their role in disease prevention.
The health sector will strengthen their monitoring and supervision of patients and quarantine work at border gates, while collecting more samples of suspected cases for tests.
Zika is mainly transmitted through the Aedes Aegypti mosquito, which also carries dengue fever. The virus causes only mild symptoms in most, including fever, sore eyes and a rash. But pregnant women infected with the virus risk giving birth to babies with microcephaly.
As of October 17, seven cases of Zika infection were confirmed in the central provinces of Khanh Hoa and Phu Yen, Binh Duong province and Ho Chi Minh City in the south.
