The Ministry of Health has recently issued a document requesting units to enhance monitoring and prevention measures against the Marburg virus entering Vietnam. According to the Ministry of Health, this is an acute infectious disease that is particularly dangerous, with a mortality rate of up to 88%.
Specifically, the Ministry of Health has sent a document to the People’s Committees of provinces and cities across the country, as well as to hygiene and epidemiology institutes/Pasteur institutes regarding the strengthening of monitoring to prevent the Marburg virus outbreak.
The Ministry of Health states that Marburg is an acute infectious disease caused by the Marburg virus, with the natural reservoir being the fruit bat species (Rousettus aegyptiacus).
According to the Ministry of Health, Marburg is a particularly dangerous acute infectious disease – (Illustrative image).
The disease can be transmitted from animals (bats, primates) to humans. It spreads from person to person through direct contact with blood, bodily fluids (urine, sweat, saliva, vomit, breast milk, semen…) or through contaminated environments/items with the bodily fluids of infected individuals who have died from the Marburg virus.
Patients typically present with high fever, headache, malaise, followed by symptoms such as diarrhea, abdominal pain, cramps, nausea, vomiting, and hemorrhaging. The incubation period ranges from 2 to 21 days. Currently, there is no vaccine or specific treatment available for this disease.
The Ministry of Health emphasizes that this is a particularly dangerous disease with high transmissibility and mortality rates (50% may reach up to 88%). The disease is currently classified as a Group A disease under the infectious disease prevention law.
To proactively prevent the Marburg virus from spreading into Vietnam, the Ministry of Health requests that the People’s Committees of provinces and cities enhance strict monitoring of incoming travelers, in communities, and healthcare facilities to quickly identify any suspected cases for epidemiological investigation.
Special attention should be given to individuals entering from countries with outbreaks in the African region within the last 21 days.
Additionally, coordination with hygiene and epidemiology institutes and Pasteur institutes is necessary to collect diagnostic test samples, manage cases (if any), and ensure the disease does not spread to the community.
The Ministry of Health also urges localities to proactively develop response plans for various scenarios to be ready in case of an outbreak in their areas.
For hygiene and epidemiology institutes and Pasteur institutes, the Ministry of Health requires guidance, training, and support for localities on monitoring and preventive measures, sample collection, and readiness to respond upon detecting suspected or confirmed cases in localities (if any).
Previously, on February 13, Equatorial Guinea (a country on the west coast of Central Africa) confirmed its first outbreak of the Marburg virus after the deaths of at least 9 people in the Kie Ntem province in the western part of the country. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the Marburg virus causes a highly virulent disease characterized by hemorrhagic fever, with a mortality rate reaching up to 88%. Currently, there is no vaccine or specific treatment available for the Marburg virus disease. |
