Zika is a mosquito-borne virus that is harmless to the vast majority of people who have contracted many who have no symptoms. But it can cause complications for the children of pregnant women. Zika has been associated with the condition known as microcephaly, in which babies have abnormally small heads.
Zika is feared to trigger Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) in a small number of victims of the virus. This rare disease affects a person's own immune system that damages nerve cells, causing muscle weakness and sometimes paralysis.
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Some evidence has also emerged of a possible risk for male fertility. A study published in the journal Nature examined the effects of Zika on fertility in mice. When they were infected with a virus strain, some mice developed atrophy of the testes, low levels of testosterone and low sperm count. Researchers believe the damage may be irreversible.
The current outbreak of Zika has spread widely in tropical regions, particularly in Latin America. The World Health Organization said: "The distribution of the Zika virus has been expanding steadily since confirmation of the virus's presence in October 2015."
A strict diet to avoid mosquito bites is the best protection against Zika and other common mosquito-borne diseases in the tropics.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs also said: "There has been an increase in the number of dengue cases reported in Vietnam."
Seventeen people tested positive for Zika virus in Ho Chi Minh Monday, according to the city's Pasteur Institute.
They were detected by an epidemiological surveillance system of which the local Ministry of Health has been established.
Tran Phu Đắc, head of the Department of Health Preventive Health Department, said that it was impossible to prevent the spread of Zika because the city had more than 12 million inhabitants.
In addition, the zika virus is transmitted by the same species of Aedes mosquito that spreads dengue also, which is now in its peak season in the city, said in a discussion Monday between the department of preventive health and the city health department To look for measures to fight the disease.
People's awareness of prevention methods, including the killing of mosquitoes and larvae, remains low, he said.
(Read also: Vietnam reports microcephaly probably related to Zika)
Sunday, the Department of Preventive Health has confirmed the first case of microcephaly in the country, or the abnormal smallness of the head, in a four-month-old boy, saying that it is probably related to Zika.
The patient is located in Dak Lak province, in the highlands.
Phu asked the city's health ministry to take immediate steps to protect pregnant women.
They should be the center of evidence and advice Zika said, adding that it is a crucial task.
He also said that pregnant women should have regular medical checkups to control their health and that of their unborn child.
In case of any suspicion they have the disease because of zika, they should be tested and advised, he said.
In Vietnam, 23 people tested positive for the disease so far, the other six being reported in the provinces of Hoa Khanh, Phu Yen, Binh Duong, Long An, Tra Vinh and Dak Lak.
According to the city's health department, the number of facilities designated to oversee Zika has risen from 30 to 45, and include private general clinics in District 2 in addition to pediatrics, obstetrics and district hospitals.
Nguyen Tan Binh, head of the department, said that District 2 has the highest incidence of the disease in the city, so the threat is high.
People with symptoms such as fever, joint pain and conjunctivitis should visit health centers for free tests to detect the disease, he added.
The ministry announced that it would provide 2,000 kits from more than 45 health centers designated for screening.
He also urged the public to kill mosquitoes and larvae in their environment.
It imposes fines on individuals and organizations that fail to perform the task and larvae are detected in their neighborhood.
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