Hanoi (VNA) - The Ministry of Health’s Department of Disease Control, which serves as Vietnam’s national focal point under the International Health Regulations (IHR), has contacted the World Health Organisation (WHO) Office in the country to verify reports that a lab worker in Russia's Irkutsk region died of pneumonia of unknown cause.
The WHO said on October 7 that it is closely monitoring the situation and engaging with the relevant authorities.
The worker, employed at the Irkutsk Anti-Plague Research Institute, died on October 2 after being hospitalised with severe pneumonia.
Russian health authorities told the WHO that no recent plague cases have been recorded in Irkutsk.
Russia has conducted an epidemiological investigation and put prevention and control measures in place, authorities said. Contacts of the deceased have been identified for medical monitoring and testing.
No high-risk pathogens were found among the contacts, and medical monitoring of all of them has finished, the WHO said.
The WHO is continuing to work with Russian authorities to verify media reports and gather more information to assess any implications for international public health.
The department said it will keep working with the WHO to monitor the situation, assess risks and promptly take disease prevention and control measures as needed.
It urged residents to stay calm and follow updates from the ministry and official health authorities, and not to panic over, or share unverified information about the disease.
The ministry also advised keeping the environment clean and controlling rodents and fleas. Residents should avoid touching, catching or handling sick or unusually dead rodents without proper protection.
Those who may have been exposed to suspected sources of infection, or have travelled to outbreak areas, should seek immediate medical care if they develop sudden high fever, painful swollen lymph nodes, cough, chest pain or difficulty breathing. They should not take antibiotics without medical advice.
The department said it will keep updating the situation, assessing risks and providing timely, transparent information to help residents protect themselves and their communities./.
