Ho Chi Minh City has reported 49 cases of monkeypox (Mpox) since the beginning of 2024, according to a statement made by Nguyen Hong Tam, Director of the HCMC Center for Disease Control (HCDC), during a socio-economic press briefing held on August 22.

The city continues to enforce rigorous public health measures and has initiated genetic sequencing of certain virus samples to monitor for any changes in the virus strain.

According to the Pasteur Institute in HCM City, the southern region of Vietnam has recorded 199 Mpox cases over the past two years, with eight fatalities. HCM City alone accounts for 156 cases and six deaths, making it the most affected area in the region.

Of the 49 cases recorded this year, all are male, with ages ranging from 18 to 53. Notably, 84% of the cases involve men who self-identify as part of the men who have sex with men (MSM) community. Additionally, 55% of these individuals are living with HIV, and 7% are undergoing pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) treatment for HIV.

On August 14, the WHO declared monkeypox a global health emergency, citing the emergence of a new clade, clade Ib, which has caused a rapid increase in cases across Africa.

However, Tam reassured the public that the current strain in HCMC remains clade IIb, the same strain responsible for outbreaks worldwide. The virus continues to spread primarily among the MSM community or those engaging in unsafe sexual practices.

HCM City's health authorities are maintaining active surveillance at border entry points and within the community to control the spread of the disease. Despite the global alarm, the situation in HCM City remains stable, with no signs of the more virulent clade Ib strain detected in the city.

Health officials urge residents to seek immediate medical attention if they or those around them exhibit symptoms of monkeypox. The best preventive measure remains practicing safe sex.

The WHO describes monkeypox as a viral zoonotic disease, which can be transmitted from animals to humans and between humans. The disease manifests with a range of symptoms, from mild to severe, requiring medical care in some cases.

Typical symptoms include fever, severe headaches, muscle aches, back pain, fatigue, and swollen lymph nodes, followed by a rash that can last 2-3 weeks. The rash tends to concentrate on the face, palms, soles, eyes, mouth, throat, groin, and genital or perianal areas, eventually forming blisters.

Bach Duong