The measures include covering nose and mouth when coughing or sneezing, and washing hands often with soap and water or using an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.

Test tubes labelled "Monkeypox virus positive".

Meanwhile, people with an acute rash of unknown cause, accompanied by one or more suspected symptoms, should contact a medical facility for monitoring and counselling. At the same time, it is also necessary for them to self-isolate and avoid sex.

People are advised to avoid close and skin-to-skin contact with monkeypox-infected people and with infected objects and utensils.

People travelling to countries with monkeypox outbreaks should avoid contact with mammals (dead or alive) such as rodents and marsupials as they may contain the virus.

Ensuring food safety, practicing a healthy lifestyle, and increasing physical activities are also recommended.

As of October 3, there were 68,265 monkeypox cases logged in 106 nations worldwide, including 25 deaths.

Monkeypox can be spread from animals to humans and humans to humans, and in some cases cause skin infection, pneumonia, eye problems, and even death. The disease tends to be more severe in children, pregnant women or immunocompromised people.

The incubation period is 5 to 21 days (usually 6 to 13 days). Monkeypox has symptoms similar to smallpox but differs in its systemic skin lesions and enlarged lymph nodes.

The main symptoms are rash and one or more of the following symptoms: 38-degree or higher fever, swollen lymph nodes, headache, muscle pain, back pain, and asthenia.

Stronger efforts in monkeypox prevention urged

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has instructed People’s Committees of cities and provinces to immediately issue instructions on the prevention and control of monkeypox.

Monkeypox fears prompt HCMC to request health declarations

Ho Chi Minh City has proposed that the Ministry of Health requires all entrants to submit health declarations as fears of a monkeypox outbreak rise.

Vietnam lacks monkeypox testing capability amid global outbreak

Vietnam currently lacks sufficient testing capabilities to detect monkeypox as the WHO declared the disease a global health emergency Saturday.

Vietnam ramps up surveillance amid monkeypox outbreak in 12 countries

The health ministry has asked localities to ramp up surveillance in border areas for possible cases of monkeypox, which has reportedly spread to at least 12 countries.

HCMC to advise 21-day self-quarantine for monkeypox suspects

HCMC may advise foreign entrants suspected of having monkeypox to self-isolate themselves for 21 days, the city’s Center for Disease Control (CDC) said Thursday.

Source: VNA