Zika virus to spread across Vietnam
VOV.VN - The Vietnam General Department of Preventive Medicine under the Ministry of Health anticipates that the Zika virus will spread across the nation— though no cases have been reported to date .
The mosquito-borne disease has raged throughout Africa and South America as well as other regions for several months and the inherent risks are high that transmission into Vietnam is likely to happen.
The main vector for transmission is the Aedes mosquito, which is native to Vietnam, says the Department and the volume of traffic for travellers between Vietnam and other nations just compound the inherent risk of the virus spreading.
The Department urges pregnant women to postpone travel to African nations, Bolivia, Brazil, Cape Verde, Colombia, Ecuador, El Salvador, French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Martinique, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Saint Martin, Suriname, Samoa, Venezuela and Puerto Rico.
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That's because the virus has been linked to an uptick in babies born with a neurological condition called microcephaly, which has been known to cause abnormally small heads and serious, sometimes deadly, developmental delays.
The Ministry has also issued a health warning to all people who return home from any of these nations to monitor their health for 14 days. If any symptoms of fever surface, they should seek immediate emergency medical care.
Residents are also urged to take necessary precautions and eliminate mosquito larva in their homes and workplaces.
