On May 15, Le Hong Nga, Deputy Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Center for Disease Control (HCDC), said the city had recorded around 16,000 dengue fever cases from the beginning of the year through May 10 - an increase of more than 70% compared to the same period in 2025.

Meanwhile, hand-foot-and-mouth disease cases have surged by more than 100% year-on-year.

This year has also seen the return of Enterovirus 71 (EV71), a strain commonly associated with major hand-foot-and-mouth outbreaks and severe complications. Health experts consider it a particularly worrying factor heading into the summer season.

In addition to those two diseases, the city also recorded scattered cases of meningococcal encephalitis and measles during the first four months of 2026.

According to Nga, historical patterns show dengue fever cases typically begin rising rapidly from mid-June onward.

Hand-foot-and-mouth disease is currently declining in line with seasonal trends but could rebound once the new school year begins.

Diseases such as meningococcal infections, measles and influenza are also expected to circulate during the summer months.

To combat dengue fever, HCDC has urged residents to proactively eliminate standing water containers around homes where mosquitoes breed.

The city plans to launch a large-scale environmental sanitation campaign down to ward and commune levels in response to ASEAN Dengue Day on June 15.

Health authorities are also strongly encouraging residents to receive dengue vaccinations as a preventive measure.

Anyone experiencing unexplained fever symptoms - whether adults or children - should seek medical attention immediately rather than self-medicating.

For hand-foot-and-mouth disease, families with children under five years old have been advised to monitor symptoms closely.

Children who develop fever accompanied by blisters on the palms or soles should be taken for medical examination immediately.

For cases being treated at home, parents are urged to recognize warning signs of severe progression and bring children to hospitals promptly if symptoms worsen.

For vaccine-preventable diseases such as measles and meningococcal disease, HCDC advised residents to maintain full immunization schedules.

Older adults and people with underlying health conditions should be prioritized for protection.

Health authorities also warned about rabies, which carries an almost 100% fatality rate once symptoms appear.

Dog owners are being urged to vaccinate pets regularly, while anyone bitten by a dog must seek vaccination immediately without delay.

“We continue coordinating closely with the Department of Health to maintain integrated surveillance systems monitoring disease cases, transmission vectors and pathogens across the city,” HCDC leaders said.

“However, the most important factor remains raising public awareness so people actively prevent disease and seek timely medical care.”

Phuoc Sang