The Ministry of Health's decision on 27/11 places these three diseases alongside the most virulent infectious diseases currently classified in Group A. This category includes polio, influenza A/H5N1, plague, smallpox, hemorrhagic fever caused by Ebola, Lassa, or Marburg viruses, West Nile fever, yellow fever, cholera, severe acute respiratory infections, and newly emerging dangerous diseases with unknown agents.
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A doctor checks an influenza vaccine at the National Children's Hospital. Photo: Giang Huy. |
In the same announcement, the health regulatory body also added nine other diseases to the Group B infectious disease list, which encompasses dangerous, fast-spreading, and potentially fatal conditions. The updated list includes: Adenovirus disease, human papillomavirus (HPV), respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), Chikungunya virus, Whitmore disease, Listeria monocytogenes, Legionella pneumophila (which causes pneumonia), Haemophilus influenzae type b, and botulism caused by Clostridium botulinum.
The reclassification to Group A necessitates stricter compliance with disease prevention and control regulations under the Law on Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases for both healthcare facilities and the public. Upon detecting a confirmed or suspected case, or a carrier of a Group A pathogen, healthcare facilities must immediately notify the authorities. This triggers a response to cordon off the area, disinfect, and manage the outbreak. Patients discharged from hospitals are required to register for health monitoring at their place of residence.
Specifically, regulations stipulate that the bodies of individuals who die from Group A infectious diseases must be disinfected and buried within 24 hours.
The current law categorizes infectious diseases into three groups: A, B, and C, based on their decreasing levels of danger. Group A diseases are deemed extremely dangerous, characterized by rapid transmission, widespread dissemination, high mortality rates, or an unknown causative agent. Group C diseases are considered less dangerous.
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