Hospitals to test 1,600 samples for Zika infection The Pasteur Institute of HCM City will co-ordinate with the Health Departments of Lam Dong Province and HCM City for suspected Zika virus cases from March 28 to April 8.   Equipment for early detection of the Zika virus within 6 to 8 hours at The Pasteur Institute of HCM City. The measure has been prompted by the information about an Australian visitor who tested positive for the virus after returning from Việt Nam. During this period, the institute will collect and take samples of all suspected Zika cases. In addition, 30 hospitals in the city and provinces will conduct tests on 5 to 10 cases daily. Cases which are supposed to be tested are those with rash or fever and have other symptoms such as redness in the eyes, headache, muscle and joint pains within five days. Total samples provided by the hospitals are expected to reach about 1,600. The samples and case information sheet will be transferred to the Department of Microbiology and Immunology under the Pasteur Institute of HCM City for testing. To improve the effectiveness of supervision, the medical staff of the hospitals who join the programme were trained and received instructions on the examination of cases as well as collection, transportation and testing samples of suspected cases. According to Lương Chấn Quang, deputy head of disease control and prevention Ward under the Pasteur Institute, the monitoring plan focusses on the provinces and cities with tourist attractions where the virus can easily spread from person to person. The objective of the plan was to detect the prevalence of the virus and implement timely measures to prevent the virus from spreading in the community, he said.  VNS