Vietnam to monitor entrants from monkeypox areas for 21 days

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 of Health.

Based on their risk factors, entrants will be transferred to medical facilities for diagnosis, treatment or self-monitor for 21 days after entry. This policy will also be applied to entrants coming from countries/regions with monkeypox.

If symptoms like rashes, headache, fever, chills, sore throat or fatigue show up, people should avoid making contact with others and go to medical facilities for diagnosis and treatment. Localities and medical facilities should ramp up public health monitoring.

The health ministry has requested the collection of samples for monkeypox testing among all cases suspected to carry the disease, as well as monitoring the health of all close contacts within 21 days since their last meeting with suspected cases.

Suspected infections include cases with rashes in the form of blisters and pustules that cannot be explained by other diseases with rashes as symptoms, such as herpes, measles, syphilis or chickenpox. Those with one or several symptoms like headache, fever above 38.5 degrees Celsius, sores and fatigue can also be suspected cases.

As of Aug. 15, over 35,000 monkeypox cases, with 12 deaths, have been recorded in 92 countries and territories, including China, Japan, Singapore, South Korea and Thailand.

Typical monkeypox symptoms include fever, headache, muscle pain, skin lesions, and rashes. It is transmitted through contact with bodily fluids and lesion material.

Vietnam has not recorded any cases so far. Health officials have admitted that the country currently lacks sufficient testing capabilities to detect monkeypox.