Spraying chemical to kill mosquitoes and larvae (Photo: VNA) HCM City (VNA) – Ho Chi Minh City’s Preventive Medicine Department has announced eight new cases of Zika virus infection, raising the total Zika-affected cases as of November 18 to 46.
According to Director of the department Nguyen Tri Dung, the new cases were reported in localities where the virus was already circulated. So far, Zika has spread to 13 out of 24 districts of the city.
Binh Thanh and District 2 have the highest number of nine infections, following with Districts 9 and 12 with 4-5 cases.
Doctor Nguyen Huy Hung, Vice Director of the department, said that the real number of Zika infections is higher than the reported 46 cases, as only 20 percent of patients contracting Zika virus show clear symptoms of fever, rash, muscle pain, and acute hemorrhagic conjunctivitis.
Recently, the city’s health sector and authorised agencies have rolled out a number of preventive and control measures against Zika, including calling on locals to kill mosquitoes and mosquito larvae. However, the solutions have shown poor efficiency.
Deputy Chairwoman of the municipal People’s Committee Nguyen Thi Thu attributed the shortcomings to ineffective communications.
She urged for localities to work harder in the work, with strict punishments on irresponsible individuals and collectives who fail to prevent outbreak in locality under their management.-VNA
