The southern part of Vietnam has reported 199 cases of mpox, formerly known as monkeypox, since early 2023, resulting in eight deaths, with most of the patients and fatalities recorded in Ho Chi Minh City, according to the city’s Department of Health.

Of these cases, 150 were reported in 2023, with the remaining cases emerging from early 2024 to the present.

All eight deaths occurred in 2024, the health department said on Saturday, citing data from the Ho Chi Minh City Pasteur Institute.

Ho Chi Minh City accounted for 156 of the total 199 cases and six of the eight fatalities.

All mpox patients in the city were men aged 18 to 53, with 84 percent identifying as part of the 'men who have sex with men' (MSM) community.

Men aged 30-39 represented 46 percent of the city's mpox cases.

Notably, 55 percent of those diagnosed with mpox were also found to be HIV-positive, and seven percent had been taking pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) for HIV prevention.

The health department asserted that it is actively monitoring the mpox outbreak through community surveillance and at the city’s border gates.

The mpox virus clade IIb, which is prevalent in Africa, has been detected in the city.

However, the newer clade Ib variant, recently identified by the World Health Organization (WHO) and believed to spread more easily through close contact, including sexual activity, has not yet been found in the city.

The department highlighted that the mpox virus in Ho Chi Minh City is primarily transmitted within the MSM community through unsafe sexual practices.

Typical symptoms of mpox include a rash that lasts two to four weeks, along with a fever of 38.5°C, headache, muscle aches, back pain, low energy, and swollen lymph nodes.

The rash often manifests as blisters or sores, appearing on the face, hands, feet, groin, and genital or anal areas.

The department urged individuals experiencing symptoms to seek medical attention promptly for proper examination and treatment.

According to WHO data, between 0.1 percent and 10 percent of mpox cases result in death, with complications such as secondary infections, bronchopneumonia, sepsis, encephalitis, corneal infection, and vision loss.

On Wednesday, WHO declared mpox a ‘public health emergency of international concern,’ its highest level of alert, aiming to accelerate research, funding, and international public health efforts to contain the disease.

This declaration follows the spread of the viral infection from the Congo in Africa to neighboring countries, including Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, and Uganda.

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