Vietnam has prepared to respond to monkeypox immediately after the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the disease a public health emergency for the second time in two years, according to the Preventive Medicine Department under the Ministry of Health. 

An epidemic control expert from the department has recently told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper that the agency is developing measures to prevent the disease following the WHO declaration, which was released following an outbreak of the viral infection in Africa’s Congo that has spread to neighboring countries.

With experience in preventing and combating monkeypox after Vietnam detected the first case in October 2022, the country now can work out effective measures for monkeypox prevention and control, the expert said. 

The agency will strengthen control of cross-border transmission of monkeypox and raise public awareness of the disease.

‘It is expected that the department will soon promulgate an updated guidance on monkeypox prevention and control suitable for the current context,” the expert added.

According to the health ministry, Vietnam has so far recorded more than 100 monkeypox cases, 90 percent of which were found in men, with ‘men who have sex with men’ (MSM) representing the highest rate.

Typical symptoms of monkeypox include a rash that can last for two to four weeks, along with a fever of 38.5 degrees Celsius, headache, muscle aches, back pain, low energy, and swollen lymph nodes.

The rash often appears as blisters or sores and can develop on the face, palms of the hands, soles of the feet, groin, and genital or anal areas.

People at high risk of severe monkeypox or its complications include pregnant women, children, and people with a weakened immune system.

The agency also noted that transmission can also be from mothers to fetuses or during close interactions between the mother and baby during and after birth.

Those who experience symptoms of monkeypox should promptly go to a medical facility for timely examination and treatment, the ministry advised. 

According to WHO data, between 0.1 percent and 10 percent of people with monkeypox have died, with possible complications including secondary infection, bronchopneumonia, sepsis, encephalitis, corneal infection, and loss of vision.

On Wednesday, WHO declared monkeypox a ‘public health emergency of international concern,’ its highest level of alert that aims to accelerate research, funding, and international public health measures and cooperation to contain the disease, according to Reuters.

Initially, the outbreak in Congo began with the spread of an endemic strain, known as clade I, but a new variant, clade Ib, has appeared to make the spread more easily through routine close contacts, including sexual relations.

The disease has spread from Congo to neighboring African countries, including Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, and Uganda, triggering the WHO action.

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