On May 4th, Dr. Nguyễn Ngọc Vinh, head of the Internal Medicine Department A at the Ho Chi Minh City Tropical Diseases Hospital, stated that viral diseases are closely linked to environmental factors.
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Rubella (Image: VNN) |
In recent years, the overall environmental situation, including climate, temperature, weather, and sanitation, has changed significantly. Consequently, viral and bacterial diseases have also been affected.
“One might think that the melting ice in the Arctic seems very distant from our health issues. However, it is a very close factor to the increase of viral diseases recently observed in Vietnam, particularly in Ho Chi Minh City. The melting ice leads to rising global temperatures, creating favorable conditions for various viruses to thrive,” Dr. Nguyễn Ngọc Vinh said.
Over the past two decades, diseases such as AIDS/HIV and Ebola, as well as African hemorrhagic fever, have surged dramatically. Dr. Vinh believes that as the environment worsens, these diseases will emerge and proliferate.
For instance, according to Dr. Vinh, Vietnam is currently facing a resurgence of diseases that seemed to have receded for a while. Examples include meningococcal disease and meningitis caused by the meningococcus bacteria (meningococcus is the Vietnamese name for a type of bacteria, as explained by Dr. Vinh).
Notably, in the last one or two years, new viral and bacterial diseases have emerged in Vietnam, particularly pronounced in the southern region due to favorable climate and temperature conditions. These diseases develop and spread in confined environments such as kindergartens, dormitories, and industrial zones.
Isolating patients upon detection is the best measure to prevent the spread of viral or bacterial diseases, especially in crowded places. However, currently, implementing this preventive measure is very difficult in schools, kindergartens, factories, and industrial zones.
As a result, from September 2005 to now, industrial zones in Ho Chi Minh City have reported at least 400 to 500 cases of Rubella infections. The outbreak remains persistent in these industrial areas as the pathogens continue to circulate in the environment.
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