Chemicals are sprayed in ward 25, Binh Thanh district, Ho Chi Minh City, to kill mosquitoes

The nine patients are under treatment at specialised hospitals in the city, the centre said.

As of November 28, the virus has circulated across 17 out of 24 districts in HCM City. Binh Thanh district has recorded the largest number of Zika infections with 17, followed by District 2, 14 cases; Tan Phu district and District 12, both nine cases; and District 9, six cases.

Against the backdrop, the city has built a procedure for admission and treatment of Zika patients, particularly pregnant women who have been advised about possible consequences caused by Zika virus during the their pregnancy as well as countermeasures.

The centre said it will spray chemicals to kill mosquitoes in the above-mentioned localities from now through the end of December this year.

The local health sector has also called on the community to take the initiative in fighting the virus by cooperating with health workers in cleaning the environment.

Zika is mainly transmitted through the Aedes Aegypti mosquito, which also carries dengue fever. The virus causes only mild symptoms in most, including fever, sore eyes and a rash. But pregnant women infected with the virus risk giving birth to babies with microcephaly.-VNA