Ho Chi Minh City detected three new Zika virus infections, raising the total number of infections in the city to 38, announced the municipal Department of Health on November 14.

Two of the latest infections were reported in District 2 and one in Binh Thanh District, said Nguyen Huu Hung, Deputy Director of the department, adding that Zika cases had been recorded in 13 out of 24 districts in the city. Binh Thanh saw the largest number with eight cases, followed by District 2 with six. 

Hung also said one of five pregnant women with Zika virus in District 12 had recently given birth and the newly-born baby did not suffer from microcephaly. 

The municipal health sector was monitoring the ​baby and other Zika-infected pregnant women, he added. 

According to Nguyen Thi Thu, ​Vice Chairperson of the municipal People’s Committee, disease prevention work had been substandard in some localities. 

Localities were urged to continue fighting the disease, implement educational campaigns on disease prevention and call on locals to help prevent the disease. 

Earlier the same day, Ba Ria-Vung Tau province announced the first Zika case in the province. The male patient had fallen ill after returning from a visit to Ho Chi Minh City two weeks ago. 

To date, Vietnam has recorded 46 Zika-linked cases, of which 38 cases were in Ho Chi Minh City, two cases in Binh Duong and one each in the provinces of Dak Lak, Phu Yen, Khanh Hoa, Long An, Tra Vinh, Ba Ria-Vung Tau.

VNA