According to an official announcement from the Vietnamese Ministry of Health on Tuesday, 2 patients, one in Ho Chi Minh City and the other in Khanh Hoa Province, have tested positive for the Zika virus.

As a precaution, Da Nang is taking various proactive measures to detect any Zika virus infection at the earliest opportunity in order to prevent outbreaks of the disease in the city.

The General Hospital has already established a steering committee for Zika virus infection prevention and control, which comprises the hospital’s board of directors and 2 epidemic prevention teams. 

Anyone suspected of carrying the Zika virus will be admitted to the hospital’s Tropical Medicine Department, whilst those with severe symptoms will be sent to the Department of Intensive Care and Anti-Poisoning.

Currently, a total of 30 patient beds on the 4^th floor of the 4-storey Tropical Medicine Department have been designated to receive suspected cases.  If the number of infected patients exceeds 30, all the space in the Department will be used to receive patients.

A resident removing a source of standing water which can become a breeding ground for the Aedes mosquito

The Deputy Director of the Da Nang Department of Health, Dr Nguyen Tien Hong, said “Unlike H5N1 and Ebola, the Zika virus is only transmitted to humans through bites from the Aedes mosquito, not human-to-human transmission.  Therefore, all local hospitals are allowed to receive patients carrying this kind of virus”.

The necessary medical equipment for Zika patients is available at local hospitals.  There are drug infusions, medicines, ventilators, and electric syringe pumps in accordance with the treatment protocol defined by the Ministry of Health. 

Most notably, a pregnant woman carrying the Zika virus will be given a screening test for any serious defects of her baby’s brain, called microcephaly, whilst new-born babies from infected mothers will be monitored closely at local paediatrics hospitals.