Monkeypox is a viral zoonotic disease (zoonotic means it can pass between animals and humans). Usually it causes fever, pain, swollen lymph nodes, and a rash, which often appears as small blisters or pustules.
The virus resembles smallpox, but is much less serious and less contagious. Smallpox was declared eradicated in 1980. Human monkeypox was first diagnosed in humans in 1970 in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Since then, it has become endemic to West Africa and has been largely confined to the region.
Vietnam prepares monkeypox response plans
Vietnam’s Ministry of Health (MoH) held an online training session on August 1 to guide medical institutions across the country in the diagnosis and treatment of monkeypox in the context of cases exceeding 22,000 worldwide.
Deputy Minister Nguyen Truong Son underlined the need to make careful preparations to respond to monkeypox, saying that although no cases of monkeypox had been recorded in Vietnam, the risk of this disease entering the country is very high.
He requested health facilities to prepare the necessary conditions for the prevention of the disease, including clinical early detection, seeking diagnostic tests to proactively detect cases early for timely quarantine and treatment.
Son also stressed the need to promote communication activities to raise public awareness of signs of illness; and strengthen the training of medical research and treatment institutions at all levels to take effective and timely measures to prevent monkeypox infections in medical institutions and ensure effective quarantine and treatment.
Nguyen Luong Tam, deputy director of the Department of Preventive Medicine under the MoH, said the ministry is currently developing guidelines for monitoring monkey pox cases in Vietnam and reactivating the border quarantine system.
Nguyen Trong Khoa, deputy director of the Department of Medical Research and Treatment under the Ministry of Justice, said the Ministry has developed a plan to respond to emergencies, with the Ministry of Health also considering scenarios to deal with this disease. to go.
On July 23, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus declared monkeypox a global public health emergency due to its rapid rate of transmission and the risk of further spreading to other countries.
The world has recorded more than 22,000 cases. An increase in cases, including in countries and territories in the western Pacific, has been posted, the Vietnam News Agency reported.
How does Monkeypox spread?
Monkeypox does not spread easily between humans and is much less contagious than Covid-19. However, it can spread through personal contact.
The WHO said the outbreak in Europe is being transmitted through social networks largely connected through sexual activity, mainly involving men having sex with men.
It can also be spread through contact with clothing or bedding used by an infected person, through respiratory droplets, or through direct contact with monkeypox skin lesions.
People who contract monkey pox are contagious from the time they first develop symptoms until the rash crusts, dries, or falls off.
What happens if I get Monkeypox?
Just like with Covid, you should isolate yourself from others. You should also contact the local health care provider.
The rash usually appears after a few days, starts on the face and then spreads to other parts of the body, including the palms and soles. As with chickenpox, the number of lesions can range from a few to thousands before turning into scabs that fall off.