Vietnam is scrambling to establish effective screening methods to cope with the Ebola epidemic by implementing standard laboratory diagnostic tests to detect the Ebola virus and ensure laboratory biosafety.

The rapid detection of the Ebola virus requires a Primer testing machine and the Ministry of Health (MoH) is moving quickly to get one set up and devise a standard protocol for lab tests and procedures crucially important for early diagnosis.

The MoH has has also initiated steps to upgrade laboratories at the National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology (NIHE) and HCM City’s Pasteur Institute.

To effectively deal with the epidemic, Dr. Tran Dac Phu, head of the Preventive Health Department said the MoH has asked the World Health Organisation (WHO) to provide bio-facilities and techniques to diagnose Ebola virus and other organisations to support the supply of modern equipment for testing the deadly strain.

On August 11, the MoH sent a delegation to inspect the implementation of requirements to prevent the Ebola virus from entering the country at Noi Bai international airport.

MoH said it is functioning as a liaison to co-ordinate with international and US organisations to support localities in the most urgent cases.

The WHO has reported the number of confirmed Ebola infections has reached 1,711 with 932 deaths in the four West African nations of Guinea, Liberia, Nigeria and Sierra Leone.

Ebola spreads in the human population through close contact with blood, secretions, organs or other bodily fluids of infected animals.

The MoH has upgraded the warning level for the epidemics and has initiated procedures requiring travellers from West African nations to sign a medical declaration at border gates before entering Vietnam as from August 15.

Tour suspension

The Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT) has asked travel agents to consider suspending tours to Ebola outbreak-hit nations (Guinea, Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Nigeria) and provide visitors with up-to-date information about the epidemic and preventive measures.

Tour operators are required to work closely with local health quarantine agency to offer medical check-ups to international visitors from affected markets at border gates.

The VNAT has proposed that cities and provinces, especially key tourist destinations, collaborate with relevant agencies to come up with prompt measures against the disease.

Localities are required to keep abreast of the developments of the Ebola epidemic and preventive measures to ensure tourists’ health and nip in a bud any possible outbreak of the deadly disease.

PM takes measures to prevent Ebola outbreak

Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung on August 9 chaired an urgent meeting with the Ministry of Health (MoH) and other relevant agencies to institute preventative measures to minimize the risk of the Ebola virus entering Vietnam.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has declared the Ebola outbreak an “international public health emergency", PM Dung said and warned the virus could enter Vietnam unless immediate preventative measures are put in place.

He asked relevant agencies to devise detailed and specific plans should any instance of the deadly disease be detected.

The PM directed the MoH to co-ordinate with the WHO to keep abreast of developments related to the epidemic and initiate steps to popularize the outbreak to raise public awareness of the dangers posed by the Ebola virus.

The most likely scenario for the deadly virus to enter the country would be through Vietnamese or others arriving from affected countries, the PM said.

He requested relevant ministries and agencies to urgently mobilise the latest state-of-the-art medical equipment and strictly monitor travellers at border gates and airports for timely detection and isolation.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism should also take immediate measures to limit travel and work of any staff in the nations that have reported breakouts, he said.

The WHO reports the Ebola virus has infected 1,779 people, killing 960 in four West African nations namely Guinea, Liberia, Sierra Leone and Nigeria from the start of the outbreak earlier this year to August 6, 2014. More than 200 health workers have contracted the disease.

The virus is highly contagious and deadly and can spread rapidly.  There is no cure or vaccine for the disease and it has a fatality rate of up to 90%.

However, an epidemic can be contained if early detection and isolation are conducted under strict procedures. 

VOV/VNN