In a statement released on the evening of May 17, the Ministry of Health of Vietnam cited information from the World Health Organisation (WHO), which classified the Ebola outbreak caused by the Bundibugyo strain as a public health emergency of international concern.
The ministry stressed that the warning was intended to encourage countries to strengthen surveillance, improve early detection and prepare response measures, but did not mean the disease had spread globally.
According to WHO data updated on May 16, the Democratic Republic of the Congo had recorded eight laboratory-confirmed Ebola cases linked to the Bundibugyo strain, alongside 246 suspected infections and 80 suspected deaths in Ituri province.
Uganda has also confirmed two Ebola cases, including one death in Kampala. Both patients had travelled from the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Ebola is a dangerous infectious disease (Photo: iStock).
Vietnam’s Ministry of Health said it was closely monitoring the outbreak, regularly updating information from WHO and strengthening surveillance at hospitals and medical quarantine procedures at border gates.
The ministry advised the public not to panic and to follow official updates from health authorities and WHO.
Travellers returning from affected areas have been urged to monitor their health for 21 days and avoid direct contact with individuals showing Ebola symptoms, as well as with bodily fluids or personal belongings of infected patients.
Anyone experiencing fever, fatigue, headaches, muscle pain, vomiting, diarrhoea or bleeding symptoms after travelling from outbreak areas has been instructed to seek immediate medical attention and provide information about travel and contact history.
The ministry said it would continue updating prevention and response measures in line with developments in the outbreak.