A resident of Binh Tan district learns about preventive methods against dengue fever and Zika infections (Photo: VNA)
HCM City (VNA) – Nineteen Zika virus cases have been reported in HCM City sincethe beginning of the year, according to the city Preventive Health Centre.
Since April 2016, when the first case was reported, 210 people in the city havetested positive for the Zika virus, which is transmitted viainfected Aedes mosquitoes.
Of the 210 patients, 51 were pregnant, said Dr Le Hong Nga, head of thecentre’s contagious diseases’ control division, at a monthly meeting with thecity’s Department of Health and district-level health centres on May 2.
Of thepregnant patients, 19 gave birth to babies with no visible birth defects,including an abnormally small head, which sometimes occurs with Zikainfections.
Nga has instructed all district-level health centres to strengthen surveillanceand reduce the density of mosquitoes in high-risk areas.
Preventive methods can also help control denguefever, which has seen a downward trend in the first four months, with 6,501 newincidences, a decrease of nearly 20 percent compared to the same period lastyear.
“However, several districts such as 5, 10, Go Vap,Tan Binh and Can Gio have wards with an increase in dengue cases,” she said.
Inspection of the city’s 13,636 high-risk sitesshould be strengthened, she said.
Last month, municipal health officials checkedonly 50 percent of these areas and fined violators at eight of them.
Dr Dang Quang Tai of the department’s HealthCommunication and Education Centre said that district-level health centreofficials had provided information about preventive methods, including denguefever and Zika viruses, to all households in high-risk areas.
InDistrict 12, for instance, health officials travelling on motorbikes havecommunicated information with loudspeakers on alleys and roads.
However, communication staff at severaldistrict-level health centres lack necessary skills and have been ineffectivein educating local residents. –VNA
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A resident of Binh Tan district learns about preventive methods against dengue fever and Zika infections (Photo: VNA) 
