How to distinguish signs of Zika virus disease and dengue fever

According to Dr. Nguyen Van Kinh, Director of the Central Hospital of Tropical Diseases (Hanoi), Zika is a strain of virus circulating in many countries in Africa, but recently it has become a pandemic and spreads to other continents. . Meanwhile, dengue fever has long and popular in our country. Expression of two similar diseases : fever, skin rash, conjunctivitis, arthralgia, myalgia, fatigue and headache .

Mr. Kinh said: Compared to dengue fever, Zika virus disease is milder , 80% does not have symptoms. Clinical manifestations of dengue are often worse , from day 2 can root bleeding, nosebleeds; heavier can internal bleeding, vascular collapse, shock, very high risk of death.

However, Zika virus disease is dangerous in small head complications in newborns , especially in 3-headed pregnant women infected with Zika virus and Guillain-Barré syndrome - neuropathy.

Regarding the possibility of death, according to Mr. Kinh, it is not worrisome because there is almost no recorded case of death due to this virus but dengue fever does. In Vietnam in 2015, recorded more than 88,000 dengue cases, 57 deaths.

According to Mr. Kinh, the capacity of Vietnamese laboratories can completely diagnose the disease caused by Zika virus. However, most patients do not show symptoms, so it will be difficult to detect the first case early.

Therefore, in addition to keeping a close eye on the immigrants from the epidemic areas, it is possible to retrospectively from cases of ultrasonography of the fetus to see if a child has an abnormally small head, the blood can be taken for testing.

Mosquitoes - agents that cause dengue fever and Zika virus disease.

Concerning Zika virus disease, on February 11, the Department of Preventive Medicine - Ministry of Health said that on February 10, 2016, the Chinese Medical and Family Planning Committee announced that it had recognized the school. The first case of infection with Zika virus invades from the epidemic. This is a 34-year-old man, Jiangxi, who has traveled to Venezuela and has symptoms of fever, headache and dizziness on January 28, 2016, then returned to the country on February 5, 2016, too scene across Hong Kong (China). The patient was discovered and tested for infection with Zika virus on February 6, 2016. Currently, patients are being treated and isolated at the hospital.

According to the Department of Preventive Medicine, Zika virus disease often presents with fever, rash and some other symptoms such as muscle pain, headache, eye pain. Epidemiological investigations suggest that there may be a link between microcephaly and babies born from mothers infected with Zika during pregnancy. The main mode of transmission of Zika virus is that through the Aedes mosquito (the type that spreads dengue fever) , there is some evidence that might suggest that the virus can be transmitted through blood, from mother to child at birth and through. sex sugar; however recognition is very rare. Incubation period from 3-12 days.

In the beginning of 2016, the epidemic of Zika virus is continuously recorded in many countries around the world. According to the notice of the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control, on February 9, 2016, there were 36 countries and territories in the world recording cases of Zika virus infection in the past 9 months, in which There are 31 countries and territories recorded cases of Zika virus infection in the past 2 months, many countries are tending to increase the spread of Zika virus. In addition, a number of other countries have also documented intrusions that are passengers who enter after arriving / leaving / returning from an area where the epidemic is being circulated from other countries.

Vietnam actively prevent epidemics caused by Zika virus from the border gate.

In Vietnam, no cases of Zika virus have been detected yet, but our country has circulated dengue fever together with the prevalence of Aedes mosquitoes , this is the mosquito that transmits Zika virus, at the same time the exchange calendar, trade, great labor to countries and territories are epidemic diseases caused by Zika virus so the risk of Zika virus can penetrate and spread in our country.

In order to proactively prevent Zika virus infection and infection in our country, the Ministry of Health strongly recommends that people implement the following preventive measures:

1. Women who are pregnant or planning to become pregnant within the next 6 months should not go to countries where Zika virus outbreaks are not needed.

The list of countries that circulate or record Zika viruses is updated on the Preventive Medicine Department Website: http: www.vncdc.gov.vn

1. People going / coming / returning from a country with Zika virus disease disease actively monitor their health within 12 days, if there are signs of health abnormalities, go to health facilities for examination, counseling and treatment.Phone hotline: 0989, 671. 115.
2. To prevent Zika virus disease, people apply measures to prevent mosquito bites, actively kill mosquitoes and larvae (stinging).