The Preventive Health Centre in Ho Chi Minh City called on residents to remain highly vigilant over prevalent diseases such as dengue and chickenpox, even though most of the diseases are on the decline at present.

According to Doctor Nguyen Tri Dung, Director of the centre, the city has recorded 496 cases of dengue fever in April, down 35 percent against the month prior, with eight districts reporting over 50 percent reductions such as Binh Thanh and Binh Tan.

In the first three months of this year, the city reported a number of chickenpox and mumps cases at primary and nursery schools. However, so far this month, the disease has been contained and no new cases have been reported.

In April, the city recorded 631 hand-foot-mouth disease incidents, up 14 percent from March. Though the number of such cases increased in the month, it is still within normal ranges. So far this year, the city has had 2,139 hand-foot-mouth cases, down 28 percent over the same period last year.

Though the diseases are likely to continue to reduce, the health sector warned city dwellers not to neglect the issue since the prolonged hot weather presents favourable conditions for viruses and bacteria to thrive.

They advised the community to maintain personal hygiene and environmental sanitation, and wash hands regularly with soap.

The municipal Preventive Health Centre will work with relevant departments and sectors to hold a mosquito-killing campaign in June in response to the ASEAN Dengue Day (June 15).

Simultaneously, the heath sector will work to control dengue and hand-foot-mouth in districts with elevated rates of diseases.-VNA