At a press briefing on Wednesday, Le Hong Nga, deputy director of the Ho Chi Minh City Centre for Disease Control, said weekly dengue and hand, foot and mouth disease cases were expected to remain low in the immediate post-Tet period.
However, she noted that hand, foot and mouth disease typically increases in March, while dengue may surface earlier than in previous years. Respiratory infections also tend to rise, particularly in crowded environments.
HCDC recorded 452 dengue cases during the February 16-22 Tet week, down 57.7 per cent compared with the previous four-week average. Hand, foot and mouth disease cases fell 56 per cent to 281. No Group A infectious diseases, including H5N1 or Nipah virus, were reported.
The municipal Health Department has instructed medical facilities to comply strictly with reporting regulations, strengthen surveillance and tighten border health monitoring to ensure early detection and timely response.
Local health stations are working with schools to track potential outbreaks and promote hygiene practices, routine and catch-up vaccinations, and the elimination of standing water where dengue-carrying mosquitoes breed.
Authorities urged residents, particularly older people and those with underlying health conditions, to take preventive measures and follow vaccination guidance issued by the health sector.