Health staff perceptions of patient safety and associated factors in hospitals in Vietnam.

Introduction: Patient safety is a global challenge of preventing and mitigating medical errors which might harm patients during their course of treatment and care. This study was employed to contribute to the existing literature aimed to assess patient safety culture among health staff and to determine predictors of health staff perceptions of patient safety in hospitals in Vietnam. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in three hospitals of Vietnam with a total of 763 participants. This study used the Hospital Patient Safety Scale developed by the American Health and Quality Research Organization. Results: In general, 8 of 12 patient safety dimensions in two hospital; and 10 of 12 dimensions in a third hospital had average scores of 60% and above positive responses. The communication openness and organizational learning dimensions were found to be significant different when comparing hospitals. Regarding sample characteristics, department (subclinical department) and health staff positions (nurses/technicians, pharmacists) were significant predictors in the total model including three hospitals (R2 = 0.07). Conclusion: This study reported that communication openness and organization learning are two aspects that need to be improved they are strongly related to patient safety culture and to knowledge exchange among health staff. It has been suggested that hospitals should deliver patient safety training courses and establish a supportive learning environment to improve these challenges.

Development of a simple and low-cost method using Moringa seeds for efficient virus concentration in wastewater.

Effective virus concentration methods are essential for detecting pathogenic viruses in environmental waters and play a crucial role in wastewater-based epidemiology. However, the current methods are often expensive, complicated, and time-consuming, which limits their practical application. In this study, a simple and low-cost method was developed using the extract of Moringa oleifera (MO) seeds (MO method) to recover both enveloped and non-enveloped viruses, including pepper mild mottle virus (PMMoV), murine norovirus (MNV), Aichivirus (AiV), murine hepatitis virus (MHV), and influenza A virus subtype H1N1[H1N1] in wastewater. The optimal conditions for the MO method were determined to be a concentration of MO extract at the UV280 value of 0.308 cm-1 and an elution buffer (0.05 M KH2PO4, 1 M NaCl, 0.1 % Tween80 [v/v]) for recovering the tested viruses in wastewater. Compared to other commonly used virus concentration methods such as InnovaPrep, HA, PEG, and Centricon, the MO method was found to be more efficient and cost-effective in recovering the tested viruses. Moreover, the MO method was successfully applied to detect various types of viruses (PMMoV, AiV, norovirus of genotype II [NoV II], enterovirus [EV], influenza A virus [matrix gene] [IAV], and SARS-CoV-2) in raw wastewater. Thus, the developed MO method could offer a simple, low-cost, and efficient tool to concentrate viruses in wastewater.

Prevalence of exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of an infant's life and associated factors in a low-middle income country.

BACKGROUND: Although breastfeeding is practiced by 98% of mothers in Vietnam, infant breastfeeding behaviors remain far from World Health Organization recommendations and continues to decline. This study aims to explore the prevalence and factors associated with exclusive breastfeeding in the first six months of an infant's life. METHODS: A cross-sectional study utilized a self-administered maternal questionnaire to collect data on 1072 Vietnamese mothers who brought infants aged between 6 and 30 months to a community health centre (CHC) for routine vaccination. Data collection was conducted from March to May 2021 in two cities in Central and North Vietnam. In order to measure exclusive breastfeeding, we asked mothers to recall (yes / no), if the child had received breast milk, formula, colostrum milk powder, water, vitamin / medicine, fruit juice / honey, and complementary foods aged under six months. RESULTS: In the first six months, 14.2% of mothers exclusively breastfed their infants. Multivariable logistic regression analysis demonstrated a significant association between exclusive infant breastfeeding and the highest maternal education level (university or postgraduate) (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 2.55; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.10, 5.91); male infants (aOR 1.72; 95% CI 1.11, 2.68); duration of skin-to-skin contact greater than 90 min (aOR 7.69; 95% CI 1.95, 30.38); receiving first breastfeeding during skin-to-skin contact (aOR 2.31; 95% CI 1.30, 4.10); completely feeding infant directly at the breast (aOR 1.65; 95% CI 1.00, 2.71) and exclusive breastfeeding intention during pregnancy (aOR 2.48; 95% CI 1.53, 4.00). When compared with mothers who were prenatally exposed to infant formula advertising classified as "often", the prevalence of exclusive infant breastfeeding was higher in mothers who classified their prenatal exposure to infant formula advertising as "sometimes" (aOR 2.15; 95% CI 1.13, 4.10), and "seldom" (aOR 2.58; 95% CI 1.25, 5.36). CONCLUSION: The prevalence of mothers who practiced exclusive infant breastfeeding during the first six months in Vietnam was low. Infants should receive early maternal-infant skin-to-skin contact greater than 90 min and complete first breastfeeding during skin-to-skin contact. Further, mothers should be protected against infant formula advertisements to maximise the likelihood of exclusive breastfeeding during the child's infancy.

Evaluation of polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) synthesis by Pichia sp. TSLS24 yeast isolated in Vietnam.

Following the rising concern on environmental issues caused by conventional fossil-based plastics and depleting crude oil resources, polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) are of great interest by scientists and biodegradable polymer market due to their outstanding properties which include high biodegradability in various conditions and processing flexibility. Many polyhydroxyalkanoate-synthesizing microorganisms, including normal and halophilic bacteria, as well as algae, have been investigated for their performance in polyhydroxyalkanoate production. However, to the best of our knowledge, there is still limited studies on PHAs-producing marine yeast. In the present study, a halophilic yeast strain isolated from Spratly Island in Vietnam were investigated for its potential in polyhydroxyalkanoate biosynthesis by growing the yeast in Zobell marine agar medium (ZMA) containing Nile red dye. The strain was identified by 26S rDNA analysis as Pichia kudriavzevii TSLS24 and registered at Genbank database under code OL757724. The amount of polyhydroxyalkanoates synthesized was quantified by measuring the intracellular materials (predicted as poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) -PHB) by gravimetric method and subsequently confirmed by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopic and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopic analyses. Under optimal growth conditions of 35 °C and pH 7 with supplementation of glucose and yeast extract at 20 and 10 gL-1, the isolated strain achieved poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) content and concentration of 43.4% and 1.8 gL-1 after 7 days of cultivation. The poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) produced demonstrated excellent biodegradability with degradation rate of 28% after 28 days of incubation in sea water.

Prevalence of early skin-to-skin contact and its impact on exclusive breastfeeding during the maternity hospitalization.

BACKGROUND: Early essential newborn care has been implemented in countries regardless high or low neonatal mortality. This study aims to investigate the current practice of skin-to-skin contact (SSC) and its effect on exclusive breastfeeding during the hospital stay. METHODS: This is a cross-sectional study of 1812 Vietnamese mothers in multicenter. A questionnaire answered by the mothers was used to assess the duration of both SSC and breastfeeding practices. Multivariable logistic regression was used to identify a dose-response relationship between early SSC and prevalence of exclusive breastfeeding in hospital. RESULTS: There were 88.7% of mothers experiencing SSC with their infants right after birth and the highest prevalence of SSC was found in district hospitals. Among those experiencing SSC, 18.8% of the infants received more than 90 min of SSC and completed the first breastfeeding during SSC time. Prevalence of exclusive breastfeeding during maternity hospital stay was 46.7%. We found a significant dose-response relation between the duration of SSC and exclusive breastfeeding in hospital. Compared with infants without SSC, the prevalence of exclusive breastfeeding was higher in infants who experienced SSC for 15-90 min (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 95% confidence interval [95%-CI]: 2.62 [1.61-4.27]) and more than 90 min (aOR [95%-CI]: 5.98 [3.48-10.28]). Completed first breastfeeding during SSC time (aOR [95%-CI]: 4.24 [3.28-5.47]) and being born in district hospitals (aOR [95%-CI]: 2.35 [1.79-3.09]) were associated with increased prevalence of exclusive breastfeeding during hospital stay. On the other hand, mother education level as high school/intermediate (aOR [95%-CI]: 0.58 [0.42-0.82]) and place of residence classified as rural decreased odds of exclusive breastfeeding in hospital (aOR [95%-CI]: 0.78 [0.61-0.99]). CONCLUSION: Our results demonstrate a strong dose-response relationship between duration of SSC and exclusive breastfeeding in hospital. Interventions that support exclusive breastfeeding during hospital stay, especially achieving prolonged uninterrupted SSC, could improve the duration of breastfeeding.

Adsorption behavior and mechanism of As(V) on magnetic Fe3O4-graphene oxide (GO) nanohybrid composite material.

In this study, the magnetic Fe3O4-graphene oxide (GO) nanohybrid composite material was prepared via the combination of the modified Hummer's method and coprecipitation. The morphology of the hybrid sample showed that the diffusion of Fe3O4 nanoparticles into the porous channels of mesoporous GO layers not only restricted the restacking of GO nanosheets but also prevented the leaching and agglomeration of magnetic nanoparticles. The result of the kinetic and isotherm studies that were performed to evaluate the adsorption mechanism showed a good fit with the pseudo-second-order kinetic and Langmuir isotherm models. The As(V) adsorption efficiency, H, of the GO/Fe3O4 nanohybrid composite material reached the maximum value of 99.37% after 60 min. The maximum adsorption capacity qm of the GO/Fe3O4 nanohybrid material was 14.1 mg·g-1 in an acidic aqueous solution (pH 1). The role and contribution of GO and Fe3O4 nanoparticles in adsorption and the improvement in As(V) adsorption efficiency were also investigated in further detail. The findings of this work suggested that the GO/Fe3O4 nanohybrid material could be widely applied for polluted water treatment.

Effectiveness of community and school-based sanitation interventions in improving latrine coverage: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled interventions.

INTRODUCTION: Approximately 1000 children die each year due to preventable water and sanitation-related diarrheal diseases. Six in 10 people lacked access to safely managed sanitation facilities in 2015. Numerous community- and school-based approaches have been implemented to eradicate open defecation practices, promote latrine ownership, improve situation sanitation, and reduce waterborne disease. OBJECTIVE: Given that current evidence for sanitation interventions seem promising, the aim of this study was to systematically summarize existing research on the effectiveness of community- and school-based randomized controlled sanitation intervention in improving (1) free open defecation (safe feces disposal), (2) latrine usage, (3) latrine coverage or access, and (4) improved latrine coverage or access. METHODS: Eight electronic databases were searched: PubMed, Scopus, WHO Global Health Library (GHL), Virtual Health Library (VHL), POPLINE, Web of Science, Cochrane, and Google Scholar up to 26 April 2019. Original randomized clinical trials addressing community-based or school-based intervention that reported feces disposal and latrine coverage were deemed eligible. More than two researchers independently contributed to screening of papers, data extraction, and bias assessment. We conducted a meta-analysis by random-effects model. The risk of bias was assessed by the Cochrane risk of bias tool. RESULTS: Eighteen papers that matched all criteria and 16 studies were included in the final meta-analysis. Compared to the control, the sanitation intervention significantly increased safe feces disposal (OR 2.19, 95% CI 1.51-3.19, p < 0.05, I2 = 97.28), latrine usage (OR 3.72, 95% CI 1.71-8.11, p < 0.05, I2 = 91.52), latrine coverage or access (OR 3.95, 95% CI 2.08-7.50, p < 0.05, I2 = 99.07), and improved latrine coverage or access (OR 3.68, 95% CI 1.52-8.91, p < 0.05, I2 = 99.11). A combination of education and latrine construction was more effective compared to educational intervention alone. CONCLUSION: Our study showed strong evidence for both community- and school-based sanitation interventions as effective for the safe disposal of human excreta. The finding suggests major implications for health policy and design of future intervention in developing countries.

The Interdependence of Blood Pressure and Glucose in Vietnam.

INTRODUCTION: Modelling of associations of systolic blood pressure (BP) and blood glucose (BG) with their explanatory factors in separate regressions treats them as having independent biological mechanisms. This can lead to statistical inferences that are unreliable because the substantial overlap in their etiologic and disease mechanisms is ignored. AIM: This study aimed to examine the relationship of systolic blood pressure (BP) and blood glucose (BG) with measures of obesity and central fat distribution and other factors whilst taking account of the inter-dependence between them. METHODS: Participants (n = 14706, 53.5 % females) aged 25-64 years were selected by multi-stage stratified cluster sampling from eight provinces each representing one of the eight geographical regions of Vietnam. Measurements were made using the World Health Organization STEPS protocols. RESULTS: Structural modelling identified direct effects for BG (men P = 0.000, women P = 0.029), age (men P = 0.000, women P = 0.000) and body mass index (BMI) (men P = 0.000, women P = 0.000) in the estimation of systolic BP, and for systolic BP (men P = 0.036, women P = 0.000) and waist circumference (WC) (men P = 0.032, women P = 0.009) in the estimation of BG. There were indirect effects of age, cholesterol, physical activity and tobacco smoking via their influence on WC and BMI. The errors in estimation of systolic BP and BG were correlated (men P = 0.000, women P = 0.004), the stability indices (men 0.466, women 0.495) showed the non-recursive models were stable, and the proportion of variance explained was mid-range (men 0.553, women 0.579). CONCLUSION: This study provided statistical evidence of a feedback loop between systolic BP and BG. BMI and WC were confirmed to be their primary explanatory factors. Saturated fat intake and physical activity were identified as possible targets of intervention for overweight and obesity, and indirectly for reducing systolic BP and BG. Harmful/hazardous alcohol intake was identified as a target of intervention for systolic BP.

Submerged nanofiltration without pre-treatment for direct advanced drinking water treatment.

Membrane fouling is a major challenge toward achieving direct nanofiltration (NF) treatment of surface water. This study aimed to evaluate the potential of the novel submerged flat-sheet NF membrane module to achieve low fouling propensity and high separation performance during the direct filtration of surface water. Laboratory-scale NF tests showed that the transmembrane pressure (TMP) increased only by 10 kPa over 24 d during the direct treatment of river and dam water. The NF system showed high (>80%) and stable rejection of color and organics, as well as low and variable conductivity rejection (28-47%). The rejection of negatively charged trace organic chemicals (TOrCs) was >50%, while that of uncharged or positively charged TOrCs was <50%. Another NF test that was conducted at a drinking water treatment plant showed negligible membrane fouling with a TMP increase of 3 kPa over 35 d. Separation performance of the NF system remained high: total organic carbon (TOC) removal was >70%, which was greater than the conventional rapid sand filtration system with powdered activated carbon and intermediate chlorine doses (TOC removal = 20-60%). Overall, this study demonstrated high water quality and stable system operation of the submerged flat-sheet NF system during direct treatment of surface water.

Protein hydrolysis and fermentation under methanogenic and acidifying conditions.

BACKGROUND: Many kinds of wastewaters contain appreciable quantities of protein. Anaerobic processes are suitable for the treatment of wastewater high in organics to achieve pollution control and recovery of energy as methane and hydrogen, or intermediates for production of biofuels and valuable biochemicals. A distinction between protein hydrolysis and amino acid fermentation, especially for dissolved proteins, is needed to target which one is truly rate-limiting and to effectively harvest bioproducts during anaerobic conversion of these wastewaters. This study explored mesophilic anaerobic hydrolysis and amino acid fermentation of gelatine, as a model for dissolved proteins, at pH 7 and at pH 5. RESULTS: The results showed that at pH 7, protein hydrolysis (first-order rate of 0.15 h-1) was approximately 5 times faster than acidification of the hydrolysis products (first-order rate of 0.03 h-1), implying that not hydrolysis but acidification was the rate-limiting step in anaerobic dissolved protein degradation. This was confirmed by (temporary) accumulation of amino acids. Nineteen different amino acids were detected during the first 8 incubation hours of gelatine at neutral pH and the total chemical oxygen demand (COD) of these 19 amino acids was up to approximately 40% of the COD of the gelatine that was added. Protein hydrolysis at pH 5 was 2-25 times slower than at pH 7. Shifting the initial pH from neutral to acidic conditions (pH 5) inhibited protein degradation and changed the volatile fatty acids (VFA) product profile. Furthermore, the presence or absence of methanogenic activity did not affect the rates of protein hydrolysis and acidification. CONCLUSIONS: The findings in this study can help to set a suitable solid retention time to accomplish anaerobic degradation of protein-rich wastewaters in continuous reactor systems. For example, if the target is harvesting VFAs, methanogens can be washed-out for a shorter retention time while amino acid fermentation, instead of hydrolysis as assumed previously, will govern the design and solutions to improve the system dealing with dissolved proteins.

Prevalence of Candida bloodstream isolates from patients in two hospitals in Vietnam.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Identification of yeasts provides helpful information for appropriate administration of anti-fungal treatments; however, few reports from the Vietnam have been published. This study has been performed to find the prevalence of Candida blood stream isolates from patients in two hospitals in Vietnam. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Candida spp. were isolated from blood cultures in two hospitals, Vietnam between May 2013 and May 2015. Participating hospitals were 103 Military Hospital, Ha Noi city (550 beds) and Cho Ray Hospital, Ho Chi Minh city (1800 beds). All the bloodstream isolates were identified to species level by the germ tube test and polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP). In addition, unknown isolates were subjected to PCR sequencing. RESULTS: A total of 93 Candida isolates were isolated from blood cultures during the study period. The results of this study showed that C. tropicalis (n = 47, 50.54%) was the most common agent, followed by Candida albicans/dubliniensis (n = 18, 19.35%), C. parapsilosis (n = 16, 17.20%), C. glabrata (n = 6, 6.45%), C. mesorugosa (n = 5, 5.38%) and C. krusei (n = 1, 1.08%), respectively. CONCLUSION: The frequency of the non-albicans Candida species in blood is increasing, especially C. tropicalis. Additional investigations should be made to clarify the epidemiological profile of invasive Candida bloodstream in Vietnam.

Assessment of urbanization impact on groundwater resources in Hanoi, Vietnam.

In this study, the impact of urban development on groundwater resources of Hanoi City was assessed in terms of: (1) change of land use practice, and (2) increasing groundwater abstraction due to urban population growth. To this end, a coupled hydrological rainfall-runoff and groundwater flow simulation with WetSpa and MODFLOW codes was carried out with a set of spatial and temporal data of meteo-hydrology, land use, groundwater abstraction, population growth, and losses from the city water supply and sewerage system. The results of the simulation indicate that infiltration from rainfall contributes with 53.6% to the recharge of the groundwater system in Hanoi City, followed by seepage from rivers and lakes (31%). The remaining 15.4% was attributed to leakage from the municipal water supply and sewerage networks. This study also suggests that the main cause of groundwater level's decline in the city is the extensive groundwater abstraction, while an increase of the urban impervious areas due to urbanization only causes a slight decrease of groundwater recharge.

Unraveling the causes of adaptive benefits of synonymous mutations in TEM-1 ß-lactamase.

While synonymous mutations were long thought to be without phenotypic consequences, there is growing evidence they can affect gene expression, protein folding, and ultimately the fitness of an organism. In only a few cases have the mechanisms by which synonymous mutations affect the phenotype been elucidated. We previously identified 48 mutations in TEM-1 ß-lactamase that increased resistance of Escherichia coli to cefotaxime, 10 of which were synonymous. To better understand the molecular mechanisms underlying the beneficial effect of these synonymous mutations, we made a series of measurements for a panel containing the 10 synonymous together with 10 non-synonymous mutations as a reference. Whereas messenger levels were unaffected, we found that total and functional TEM protein levels were higher for 5 out of 10 synonymous mutations. These observations suggest that some of these mutations act on translation or a downstream process. Similar effects were observed for some small-benefit non-synonymous mutations, suggesting a similar causal mechanism. For the synonymous mutations, we found that the cost of resistance scales with TEM protein levels. A resistance landscape for four synonymous mutations revealed strong epistasis: none of the combinations of mutations exceeded the resistance of the largest-effect mutation and there were synthetically neutral combinations. By considering combined effects of these mutations, we could infer that functional TEM protein level is a multi-dimensional phenotype. These results suggest that synonymous mutations may have beneficial effects by increasing the expression of an enzyme with low substrate activity, which may be realized via multiple, yet unknown, post-transcriptional mechanisms.

Hydrological model using ground- and satellite-based data for river flow simulation towards supporting water resource management in the Red River Basin, Vietnam.

The Red River basin (RRB) exhibits substantial variation of water resource seasonally and annually. Sustainable water resource management in the RRB has been challenging due to the lack of in situ hydrological measurement data over the basin-wide scale. To address this issue, this study aimed to perform the setting up, calibration, and validation of the variable infiltration capacity (VIC) hydrological model forced with ground- and satellite-based datasets at a high spatial resolution of 0.1° for simulating the daily river flow of the Red River system in the RRB during the period of 2005-2014. By using the finely resolved land cover characterization with 15 types of land cover and leaf area index - the most important feature of vegetation that significantly influences the simulation of hydrological variables provided by the spatially distributed satellite remote sensing data, this study would not only address the poor data availability over the RRB but also enhance the accuracy of model simulation. The simulation results generally indicated that the calibrated VIC model could satisfactorily capture the river flow dynamics of the Red River system in the RRB. The VIC model's underestimated river flow compared to the observed data during the dry season for the downstream stations was likely due to the operation of the large man-made reservoirs and dams in the upstream catchments of the RRB that not represented by the VIC model. The findings also suggested that for further improving the VIC model performance, the use of more spatially representative meteorological data provided by satellite remote sensing should be considered in future studies.

Dissemination of Carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae clinical isolates with various combinations of Carbapenemases (KPC-2, NDM-1, NDM-4, and OXA-48) and 16S rRNA Methylases (RmtB and RmtC) in Vietnam.

METHODS: Twenty-seven clinical isolates of carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae with MICs ≥4 mg/L for imipenem or meropenem were obtained from inpatients in a hospital in Vietnam. Antimicrobial susceptibility tests and whole genome sequencing were performed. Multilocus sequence typing and the presence of drug resistant genes were determined and a maximum-likelihood phylogenetic tree was constructed by SNP alignment of whole genome sequencing data. RESULTS: All the isolates harbored one of genes encoding carbapenemases, including KPC-2, NDM-1, NDM-4 and OXA-48. Of the isolates, 13 were resistant to arbekacin with MICs ≥256 mg/L and to amikacin with MICs ≥512 mg/L. These isolates harbored a gene encoding a 16S rRNA methylase, either RmtB or RmtC. Eighteen and 4 isolates belonged to international clones, ST15 and ST16, respectively. None of the isolates had colistin-resistant factors. CONCLUSION: Carbapenem-resistant K. pneumoniae isolates belonged to international clones spread in a medical setting in Vietnam, and that these isolates harbored genes encoding various combinations of carbapenemases and 16S rRNA methylases. This is the first report of KPC-2, NDM-4 and OXA-48 producers in a medical setting in Vietnam.

Dissemination of clonal complex 2 Acinetobacter baumannii strains co-producing carbapenemases and 16S rRNA methylase ArmA in Vietnam.

BACKGROUND: Acinetobacter baumannii strains co-producing carbapenemase and 16S rRNA methylase are highly resistant to carbapenems and aminoglycosides. METHODS: Ninety-three isolates of multidrug-resistant A. baumannii were obtained from an intensive care unit in a hospital in Vietnam. Antimicrobial susceptibility tests and whole genome sequencing were performed. Multilocus sequence typing and the presence of drug resistant genes were determined and a maximum-likelihood phylogenetic tree was constructed by SNP alignment of whole genome sequencing data. RESULTS: The majority of isolates belonged to clonal complex 2 (ST2, ST570 and ST571), and carried carbapenemase encoding genes bla OXA-23 and bla OXA-66. Two isolates encoded carbapenemase genes bla NDM-1 and bla OXA-58 and the 16S rRNA methylase encoding gene armA and did not belong to clonal complex 2 (ST16). CONCLUSION: A. baumannii isolates producing 16S rRNA methylase ArmA and belonging to clonal complex 2 are widespread, and isolates co-producing NDM-1 and ArmA are emerging, in medical settings in Vietnam.

A prospective multi-center observational study of children hospitalized with diarrhea in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.

We performed a prospective multicenter study to address the lack of data on the etiology, clinical and demographic features of hospitalized pediatric diarrhea in Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC), Vietnam. Over 2,000 (1,419 symptomatic and 609 non-diarrheal control) children were enrolled in three hospitals over a 1-year period in 2009-2010. Aiming to detect a panel of pathogens, we identified a known diarrheal pathogen in stool samples from 1,067/1,419 (75.2%) children with diarrhea and from 81/609 (13.3%) children without diarrhea. Rotavirus predominated in the symptomatic children (664/1,419; 46.8%), followed by norovirus (293/1,419; 20.6%). The bacterial pathogens Salmonella, Campylobacter, and Shigella were cumulatively isolated from 204/1,419 (14.4%) diarrheal children and exhibited extensive antimicrobial resistance, most notably to fluoroquinolones and third-generation cephalosporins. We suggest renewed efforts in generation and implementation of policies to control the sale and prescription of antimicrobials to curb bacterial resistance and advise consideration of a subsidized rotavirus vaccination policy to limit the morbidity due to diarrheal disease in Vietnam.

Pepper mild mottle virus as an indicator and a tracer of fecal pollution in water environments: comparative evaluation with wastewater-tracer pharmaceuticals in Hanoi, Vietnam.

We analyzed pepper mild mottle virus (PMMoV) in 36 samples taken from surface water, wastewater, groundwater, tap water and bottled water in Hanoi, Vietnam. We then compared the occurrence and fates of PMMoV with pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs), which are known wastewater tracers. PMMoV was detected in 94% of the surface water samples (ponds, water from irrigated farmlands and rivers) and in all the wastewater samples. The PMMoV concentration ranged from 5.5×10(6)-7.2×10(6)copies/L in wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) influents, 6.5×10(5)-8.5×10(5)copies/L in WWTP effluents and 1.0×10(4)-1.8×10(6)copies/L in surface water. Among the sixty PPCPs analyzed, caffeine and carbamazepine had high detection rates in surface water (100% and 88%, respectively). In surface water, the concentration ratio of PMMoV to caffeine remained unchanged than that in WWTP influents, suggesting that the persistence of PMMoV in surface water was comparable to that of caffeine. The persistence and the large concentration ratio of PMMoV in WWTP influents to the method detection limit would account for its ubiquitous detection in surface water. In comparison, human enteric viruses (HEV) were less frequently detected (18-59%) than PMMoV in surface water, probably because of their faster decay. Together with the reported high human feces-specificity, our results suggested that PMMoV is useful as a sensitive fecal indicator for evaluating the potential occurrence of pathogenic viruses in surface water. Moreover, PMMoV can be useful as a moderately conservative fecal tracer for specifically tracking fecal pollution of surface water. PMMoV was detected in 38% of the groundwater samples at low concentrations (up to 19copies/L). PMMoV was not detected in the tap water and bottled water samples. In groundwater, tap water and bottled water samples, the occurrence of PPCPs and HEV disagreed with that of PMMoV, suggesting that PMMoV is not suitable as an indicator or a tracer in those waters.

Antimicrobial susceptibility and extended-spectrum beta-lactamase rates in aerobic gram-negative bacteria causing intra-abdominal infections in Vietnam: report from the Study for Monitoring Antimicrobial Resistance Trends (SMART 2009-2011).

Treatment options for multidrug-resistant pathogens remain problematic in many regions and individual countries, warranting ongoing surveillance and analysis. Limited antimicrobial susceptibility information is available for pathogens from Vietnam. This study determined the bacterial susceptibility of aerobic gram-negative pathogens of intra-abdominal infections among patients in Vietnam during 2009-2011. A total of 905 isolates were collected from 4 medical centers in this investigation as part of the Study for Monitoring Antimicrobial Resistance Trends. Antimicrobial susceptibility and extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL) rates among the appropriate species were determined by a central laboratory using Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute methods. Among the species collected, Escherichia coli (48.1% ESBL-positive) and Klebsiella pneumoniae (39.5% ESBL-positive) represented the majority (46.4%) of the isolates submitted for this study. Ertapenem MIC90 values were lowest for these 2 species at 0.12 and 0.25µg/mL and remained unchanged for ESBL-positive isolates. Imipenem MIC90 values were also the same for all isolates and ESBL-positive strains at 0.25 and 0.5µg/mL, respectively. Ertapenem MIC90 values for additional species with sufficient numbers for analysis, including Enterobacter cloacae, Proteus mirabilis, Acinetobacter baumannii, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, were 1, 0.06, >4, and >4µg/mL, respectively. Analysis of beta-lactamases in a subset of 132 phenotypically ESBL-positive Enterobacteriaceae demonstrated that CTX-M variants, particularly CTX-M-27 and CTX-M-15, were the predominant enzymes. High resistance rates in Vietnam hospitals dictate continuous monitoring as antimicrobial inactivating enzymes continue to spread throughout Asia and globally.

Tuberculosis screening by tuberculosis skin test or QuantiFERON-TB Gold In-Tube Assay among an immigrant population with a high prevalence of tuberculosis and BCG vaccination.

RATIONALE: Each year 1 million persons acquire permanent U.S. residency visas after tuberculosis (TB) screening. Most applicants undergo a 2-stage screening with tuberculin skin test (TST) followed by CXR only if TST-positive at > 5 mm. Due to cross reaction with bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG), TST may yield false positive results in BCG-vaccinated persons. Interferon gamma release assays exclude antigens found in BCG. In Vietnam, like most high TB-prevalence countries, there is universal BCG vaccination at birth. OBJECTIVES: 1. Compare the sensitivity of QuantiFERON-TB Gold In-Tube Assay (QFT) and TST for culture-positive pulmonary TB. 2. Compare the age-specific and overall prevalence of positive TST and QFT among applicants with normal and abnormal CXR. METHODS: We obtained TST and QFT results on 996 applicants with abnormal CXR, of whom 132 had TB, and 479 with normal CXR. RESULTS: The sensitivity for tuberculosis was 86.4% for QFT; 89.4%, 81.1%, and 52.3% for TST at 5, 10, and 15 mm. The estimated prevalence of positive results at age 15-19 years was 22% and 42% for QFT and TST at 10 mm, respectively. The prevalence increased thereafter by 0.7% year of age for TST and 2.1% for QFT, the latter being more consistent with the increase in TB among applicants. CONCLUSIONS: During 2-stage screening, QFT is as sensitive as TST in detecting TB with fewer requiring CXR and being diagnosed with LTBI. These data support the use of QFT over TST in this population.