Vietnam’s Ministry of Health Expands List of Diseases Under Surveillance
12 New Diseases Added to Group A and Group B Infectious Disease Categories Under the Law on Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases
The Ministry of Health (MoH) has issued a Decision adding 12 diseases to the list of Group A and Group B infectious diseases, as regulated by the Law on Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases, with the aim of strengthening epidemic prevention and control efforts.
🔴 Group A Infectious Diseases (3 New Additions)
Group A infectious diseases are those considered exceptionally dangerous, highly transmissible, widely disseminated, associated with a high mortality rate, or caused by an unknown pathogen.
The three new diseases added to the Group A list are:
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Influenza A virus (H5N6) disease.
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Influenza A virus (H9N2) disease.
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Nipah virus disease.
Following these additions, the current Group A list includes: Poliomyelitis, Influenza A-H5N1, Plague, Smallpox, Hemorrhagic fever caused by Ebola, Lassa, or Marburg viruses; West Nile fever, Yellow fever, Cholera, Severe acute respiratory infection caused by a virus, and the three newly added diseases. This group also covers new dangerous infectious diseases with unknown pathogens.
🟡 Group B Infectious Diseases (9 New Additions)
Group B infectious diseases are dangerous diseases characterized by rapid transmission capability and potential for fatality.
The nine new diseases added to the Group B list are:
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Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) disease.
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Pneumococcal disease.
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Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) disease.
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Pneumonia caused by Legionella pneumophila bacteria.
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Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) disease.
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Whitmore’s disease (Melioidosis).
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Chikungunya virus disease.
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Botulism caused by Clostridium botulinum bacteria.
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Listeria monocytogenes disease.
The Decision explicitly mandates that prevention and control activities for all 12 newly included diseases shall be implemented according to the provisions of the Law on Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases applicable to their respective Group A and Group B categories.
