HCMC reports first monkeypox case

A representative of the Health Ministry said it has received the city's report and will make an official announcement.

Ho Chi Minh City's Department of Health is cooperating with relevant agencies to monitor infections and stop them, it announced.

Border gates have ramped up monitoring measures,. Suspected monkeypox cases at the border would be diagnosed and their medical and travel history analyzed. Those with symptoms and risk factors would be directed towards the HCMC Hospital for Tropical Diseases, which has been designated as the treatment facility for severe cases, or other general hospitals with quarantine capabilities.

People can come to their nearest district-level hospitals to be tested for monkeypox if they have potential symptoms. Samples would be sent to the Hospital for Tropical Diseases or the Pasteur Institute for analysis. As people wait for their test results, they would need to either self-isolate or be isolated in hospitals. Potential symptoms include unexplained blisters, fevers above 38 degrees Celsius, headaches and muscle aches.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared a global health emergency over monkeypox outbreak as infections rose globally, with more than 35,000 cases across 92 countries and territories, and 12 deaths, as of August 15.

Previously, the health ministry said people entering Vietnam from areas with monkeypox outbreaks will be monitored and suspected carriers will be quarantined.

Risk factors include making contact with people infected or suspected to be infected with monkeypox, or having had sexual intercourse with multiple partners, within 21 days before the first symptoms appear, according to a temporary guide for monitoring and preventing monkeypox by the ministry.