Illustrative image (Photo: Internet) Hanoi (VNA) – The Ministry
of Health has asked the People’s Committees of cities and provinces nationwide,
the s and hygiene and epidemiology institutes to strengthen
prevention and control of the .
The Marburg
virus causes an acute infectious disease, which naturally resides in fruit-eating bats (Rousettus aegyptiacus).
The disease is transmitted from animals (bats, primates)
to humans, or from person to person through direct contact with bodily fluids,
or with environments/objects contaminated by the bodily fluids of a person
infected or deceased from the Marburg virus.
The incubation period of the disease
ranges from 2 to 21 days. Patients initially show signs of high fever,
headache, discomfort, followed by diarrhea, abdominal pain, muscle aches,
nausea, vomiting, and bleeding. Currently, there is no specific vaccine or
treatment for the disease.
The ministry stressed that this is a particularly dangerous
disease with a high transmission and mortality rate, up to 50% and possibly 88%.
The disease is classified as Group A under Vietnam’s Law on Prevention and
Control of Infectious Diseases.
In order to
prevent the disease from entering Vietnam, the ministry asked them to closely
monitor immigrants in the community and medical facilities to early detect
suspected cases for epidemiological investigation. Attention must be paid to those
from African countries hit by the disease within 21 days.
Samples must be taken for diagnostic testing. If there is
any infected cases, healthcare staff must work closely together to prevent it from spreading
to the community.
Localities
should come up with plans to respond to any outbreaks, stay ready with
medicines, equipment, workforce and funding to receive and treat patients.
The ministry urged providing training courses for medical staff
at all levels on prevention and control measures, as well as care and
treatment./.
Source: VietnamPlus
