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\n \n \n \nPosted 30/06/2021. In a cluster-randomised trial of mass microscopic diagnostic screening and treatment for malaria in eastern Indonesia, Kevin Baird and colleagues show that the intervention had no impact on the prevalence of carriage of gametocytes infectious to mosquitoes. The findings highlight the requirement for much greater sensitivity of diagnostics for this intervention to provide benefit to communities.
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\n \n \n \nPosted 05/07/2023. The aetiology of acute encephalitis syndrome (AES) varies greatly in Vietnam and is unknown in many cases. Hannah Brindle, Marc Choisy and colleagues used national surveillance data to analyse the spatio-temporal distribution of cases of AES from 1998 until 2016, which showed differences by region. The number of cases of AES was also positively associated other syndromes and pathogens, climate, landcover and the number of pigs suggesting that many cases may be due to vector-borne pathogens, particularly Japanese encephalitis virus.
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\n \n \n \nPosted 25/04/2023. Providing tuberculosis patients with optimal and timely treatment depends on rapid drug resistance diagnosis. Nguyen Thuy Thuong Thuong and colleagues applied a genome editing method and successfully detected drug resistance directly from sputum with 93.7% concordance to the standard phenotypic drug test, which potentially speeds up drug resistance diagnosis in tuberculosis and other infectious diseases.
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\n \n \n \nPosted 21/04/2023. Tuberculous meningitis kills around 25% of sufferers. New antimicrobial and adjunctive anti-inflammatory agents offer an unparalleled opportunity to reduce mortality. But small trials, testing single interventions, are unlikely to transform outcomes. Guy Thwaites and colleagues therefore propose a global platform trial in adults and children with tuberculous meningitis that will investigate multiple interventions at scale and at speed.
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\n \n \n \nPosted 18/04/23. Dr Anh and colleagues investigated the evolution of SARS-CoV-2 in Vietnam, 2021. The Alpha and Delta variants were the responsible viruses. The Delta variant was confined to AY.57 lineage, likely via a single introduction, causing over 1.7 million infections and more than 32,000 deaths. Viral transmission was strongly affected by non-pharmaceutical interventions.
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\n \n \n \nPosted 12/04/2023. There are now 9 recognised lineages of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, with 1-4 being found most widely around the world. Lineage 4 is understood to have emerged in Europe and been introduced into Asia through trade and colonisation. Timothy Walker and colleagues have identified that relatively unique sub-lineages of lineage 4 have however been circulating between south-east Asian countries since being introduced, possibly with China serving as a conduit from Europe. This leads to the hypothesis that there may have been host population-specific evolution of lineage 4 in south-east Asia.
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\n \n \n \nPosted 28/02/2023. Researchers from Heidelberg and Oxford worked with partners from eight countries across Asia and Latin America to develop an algorithm to improve early diagnosis of dengue; simple clinical and laboratory variables were collected daily from 5189 patients presenting with undifferentiated fever, among whom 2694 were subsequently confirmed to have dengue. Results will help to improve case management and use of limited resources in dengue-endemic areas. By Ronald Geskus
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\n \n \n \nPosted 17/02/2023. Low awareness of antibiotics and antibiotic resistance may lead to inappropriate antibiotic use and contribute to the problem of antibiotic resistance. Sonia Lewycka and colleagues found that most people in a rural community in northern Vietnam had heard of antibiotics, but practical knowledge about antibiotics and antibiotic resistance was limited. Type of health facility, distance from health facility, media use, and health information sources were associated with knowledge.
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\n \n \n \nPosted 10/02/2023. Over 97% of primary care patients with acute respiratory infections are prescribed antibiotics, and children under 5-years old are more likely to be prescribed antibiotics with higher resistance potential. This study in northern Vietnam by Nam Nguyen Vinh, Sonia Lewycka and colleagues highlights the urgent need for antimicrobial stewardship interventions in primary care settings.
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\n \n \n \nPosted 08/02/2023. Dr Anh used metagenomics to whole-genome sequence monkeypox virus in 2 women with mpox returning to Vietnam from the United Arab Emirates. The viruses belonged to an emerging sublineage, A.2.1, distinct from B.1 which is responsible for the ongoing multicountry outbreak. Enhanced genomic surveillance is needed to clarify pathogen evolution.
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\n \n \n \nPosted 03/02/2023. As societies become increasingly diverse, understanding the complex nature of racism for multiple ethnic, social, and economic identities is required. Sonia Lewycka and colleagues in New Zealand showed that indigenous and minority experiences of racism are heterogeneous, and flexible resources such as wealth and perceived whiteness can mitigate against some forms of systemic and interpersonal racism.
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\n \n \n \nPosted 11/01/2023. A collaborative work between the Hanoi Medical University, UCLA, and OUCRU, showed no evidence of circulation of monkeypox virus among men who have sex with men attending a sexual health clinic in Hanoi, Vietnam in 2022. So far, the single case of monkeypox described in Vietnam was imported. By Thomas Kesteman
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\n \n \n \nPosted 20/12/2022. Tan and colleagues showed that booster vaccination by BNT162b2 induced cross-neutralizing activities against Omicron variant sub-lineages BA.1 and BA.2 in Vietnamese health care workers completing primary immunization with ChAdOx1-S. These responses however significantly reduced at month 3 post booster doses. The need for a second booster merits further research.
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\n \n \n \nPosted 09/12/2022. Community-onset bloodstream infections caused by multidrug resistant Enterobacter cloacae complex (ECC) species are increasing, underscoring their potential emerging role. This study by Abhilasha Karkey and colleagues elucidated detailed genomic epidemiology of ECC isolates showing complex transmission dynamics within the community. Genomic evidence of resistance to several major antimicrobial classes including carbapenems was detected.
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\n \n \n \nPosted 02/12/22. PhD research from Vu Thi Ngoc Bich at OUCRU Hanoi (with NIHE, Radboud and Maastricht University) on samples from our longitudinal community cohort in Ha Nam, Vietnam, shows that frequent antibiotic exposure may push microbiota to different steady state that is less diverse but more resilient to disruption by subsequent antibiotic use.
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\n \n \n \nPosted 16/11/2022. In this qualitative study, Jennifer Van Nuil and colleagues explored care seeking and treatment experiences for participants enrolled in hepatitis C clinical trials in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. They found that experiences included the following themes: navigating uncertainty, proactivity in the face of challenges, living in fear with faith, and dynamic support systems.
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\n \n \n \nPosted 27/09/2022. In this study, Sophie Yacoub and colleagues at OUCRU evaluated whether using a dynamic delta modified SOFA score might be a feasible endpoint for future therapeutic trials in dengue. They found that the delta mSOFA performed well, and was associated with requirement for organ support, duration of treatment and mortality.
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\n \n \n \nPosted 28/06/2022. South Asia is a hub for typhoid fever, a biblical disease in the West. The new conjugate vaccine, which we studied and now implemented by the Nepali government, is very important for the control of typhoid fever. But well-done treatment trials with adequate sample size are also of paramount importance. By Buddha Basnyat
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\n \n \n \nPosted 31/05/2022. Via online-survey with 332 clinical- and laboratory- based respondents in human and animal sectors across 61 of 63 provinces, followed by face-to-face interviews and review of 10-year-literature, Ngo Thi Hoa and colleagues identified 24 reported circulating-zoonotic diseases in Vietnam. With additional One-Health surveillance on these diseases, we will understand their animal reservoir and impact on human- and animal-health.
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\n \n \n \nPosted 31/03/2017. Using epidemiological and microbiological approaches and sequencing data, this study, led by Prof. Constance Schultsz of the Academic Medical Center and Assoc. Prof. Ngo Thi Hoa, shows that usage of antimicrobials in food animal production selects for antimicrobial resistant bacteria (AMRB) in animals, which increases the risk for faecal colonisation of AMRB in humans.
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