Two young men contracted monkeypox.

A 25-year-old man from Dong Nai province and his 22-year-old girlfriend from Binh Duong province have been confirmed by health officials to have monkeypox, marking the first case of community transmission.

On the afternoon of September 25th, the Binh Duong Department of Health announced that a 22-year-old woman residing in Tan Uyen City tested positive for monkeypox virus. The patient is currently isolated and receiving treatment in the infectious disease ward of the Tan Uyen City Health Center. Authorities have cordoned off and disinfected the area surrounding the patient's residence. The Binh Duong Center for Disease Control (CDC) is tracing contacts to monitor and promptly manage the outbreak, preventing its spread to the community.

The boyfriend of this girl, who was confirmed by the Dong Nai CDC on September 24th to be a male with monkeypox, is the first case of monkeypox recorded in Dong Nai and the third case in Vietnam since the disease first appeared two years ago. The first two cases were identified as having contracted the virus while abroad; upon their return to Vietnam, they were promptly isolated and treated at a hospital, thus preventing community transmission.

The source of infection for the third patient has not yet been identified, according to a representative from the Dong Nai CDC. Epidemiological investigations indicate that he developed symptoms on September 17th, including fever, chills, sweating, itching, and pustules on his genitals. He received treatment at a private clinic, but his condition did not improve.

On September 22nd, the patient visited the Ho Chi Minh City Dermatology Hospital for examination. His fever had subsided, but he developed swollen lymph nodes in the groin and a pustular rash on his face, oral mucosa, palms, soles, and genitals. Suspecting monkeypox, the Ho Chi Minh City Dermatology Hospital sent a sample to the Pasteur Institute in Ho Chi Minh City for testing, which returned a positive result for the monkeypox virus. He is currently isolated and receiving treatment in Ho Chi Minh City.

The patient stated that he is self-employed and frequently interacts with many people, but not foreigners. On September 2nd, he returned home to Xuan Loc district and had contact with four family members. On September 16th, he had contact with his girlfriend, who subsequently developed a pustular rash.

Thus, the girl is the fourth case of monkeypox in Vietnam and the first case of community transmission.

The Dong Nai CDC is coordinating with the Binh Duong and Ho Chi Minh City CDCs to investigate the epidemiological factors and contact history of the two patients from 21 days before the onset of symptoms to the present in order to determine the appropriate course of action and contain the outbreak.

The monkeypox outbreak began in May 2022, appearing in countries where the virus had never circulated before, such as the US, UK, Sweden, Belgium, Thailand, India, and Spain. To date, the total number of infections worldwide is over 90,000, primarily among men who have sex with men. The mortality rate from monkeypox is 0-11%, and higher in young children. On July 23, 2022, the WHO declared monkeypox a public health emergency, classifying it as a dangerous infectious disease.

Suspicious symptoms include an acute, unexplained blistering rash and one or more of the following signs: fever above 38°C, swollen lymph nodes, headache, muscle pain, back pain, and weakness. The incubation period is 5-21 days.

Currently, Vietnam does not have a vaccine or specific treatment for monkeypox, only a smallpox vaccine.

Phuoc Tuan

Source link