Official Dispatch 1452/BYT-DP 2023 surveillance for prevention and control of Marburg disease

          Marburg disease is an acute infectious disease caused by Marburg virus with a natural reservoir being fruit bat (Rousettus aegyptiacus). The disease can be transmitted from animals (bats, primates) to humans or from person to person through direct contact with blood and body fluids (urine, sweat, saliva, vomit, breast milk, semen, etc.) or with the environment/objects contaminated by body fluids of people infected/dead with the Marburg virus.  After an incubation period of 2-21 days, symptom onset is marked by high fever, headache, malaise; then diarrhea, abdominal pain, cramps, nausea, vomiting, haemorrhage may occur. There is currently no vaccine or specific treatment for the disease^[i].  This is a particularly dangerous disease, with high transmissibility and mortality rate (50%, possibly up to 88%), classified in group A in the Law on Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases of Vietnam.

          In order to proactively prevent the Marburg epidemic from spreading into Vietnam, the Ministry of Health respectfully requests the People's Committees of provinces and cities to attach significance to directing, and the Institutes of Hygiene and Epidemiology/Pasteur to implement, the following operations:

1. People's Committees of provinces and cities shall direct:

1.1.  Provincial-level Health Departments:

 - To strengthen close monitoring of persons on entry, in the community and at medical facilities, to early detect suspected cases for epidemiological investigation (in which, pay attention to those entering from countries with epidemics in Africa within 21 days), and coordinate with the Institutes of Hygiene and Epidemiology/Pasteur to collect samples for diagnostic testing;  perform case management (if any) and prevent the disease from spreading into the community.

          - To fully implement personal protective measures for healthcare workers and people in contact with suspected/infected cases to prevent infection among healthcare workers as well as in the community.

          - To organize training for healthcare workers at all levels on prevention, care and treatment measures, attaching great importance to infection prevention and control.
          - To actively develop contingency plans to respond in the event of an epidemic occurring in the locality, not to be passive; arrange sufficient drugs, equipment, human resources and funds to implement measures to collect, treat and prevent epidemics.

          - To strictly implement the communication and reporting regimes between medical levels and facilities, especially when detecting suspected or infected cases.

          1.2.  Provincial-level Departments of Information and Communications and media agencies shall proactively and timely provide information on the epidemic situation and prevention measures so that people do not panic and well implement disease prevention measures.

          2. Institutes of Hygiene and Epidemiology/Pasteur:

          - To guide, train and support local authorities on surveillance and measures to prevent, take samples, and transport patient samples on a safe manner; receive patient samples for diagnosis and identification of Marburg disease from localities.

          - To continue strengthening the capacity of testing and diagnosing Marburg disease.

          - To review and strengthen the quick response team at the unit, ready to respond upon detecting suspected or infected cases in localities (if any).

          Respectfully./.

For the Minister

The Deputy Minister

NGUYEN THI LIEN HUONG