Dr Vuong Anh Tai of the Ho Chi Minh City Health Department on April 8 declared a Zika health emergency following the first reported case of the virus in the city.

A 33-year-old pregnant woman was diagnosed with the Zika virus, a generally mild, mosquito-borne illness that causes rash, fever and joint pain, said Dr Tai.

At present, her health is stable and she has returned to work and resumed her normal daily routine.

Nguyen Thi Thu, vice president of the Municipal People’s Committee, in turn directed city governmental agencies to coordinate their actions amongst themselves and with national ministries to prevent a Zika epidemic.

Local residents were also asked to disinfect mosquito infested areas to eradicate the mosquito larva to prevent any new outbreaks.

A total of two people in Vietnam have been diagnosed, with neither still exhibiting symptoms, according to the agency.

Zika is carried by mosquitoes, which transmit the virus to humans. Zika has not been proven to cause microcephaly in babies, but there is a growing body of evidence that indicates there is a strong correlation.

The condition manifests in abnormally small heads of babies that can result in a myriad of developmental problems.