Case of misdiagnosed melioidosis from Hue city, Vietnam.

Melioidosis is an emerging infection, a potentially fatal tropical disease caused by in humans and animals, endemic in Southeast Asia and northern Australia. Diagnosis remains problematic due to its similarity to many other infections. The lack of clinical awareness and correct microbiological diagnosis contributes to the misidentification of melioidosis.

Associated Factors and Pharmacists' Role in Medication Adherence and Glycemic Control : A Study in Outpatients With Diabetes at Hue University Hospital, Vietnam.

To evaluate medication adherence, associated factors, and the role of pharmacists in adherence and outcome treatments in outpatients with diabetes at Hue University Hospital. Type 2 diabetes (T2DM) is a chronic illness that requires daily treatment. Poor adherence to antidiabetic medication can have negative consequences for patients.

Endemic Severe Fever with Thrombocytopenia Syndrome, Vietnam.

Severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS), a tickborne viral disease, has been identified in China, South Korea, and Japan since 2009. We found retrospective evidence of SFTS virus (SFTSV) infection in Vietnam, which suggests that SFTSV infections also occur in Vietnam, where the virus has not been known to be endemic.

Genotyping of Helicobacter pylori shows high diversity of strains circulating in central Vietnam.

In Vietnam, the high prevalence of Helicobacter pylori infection represents a serious health problem. Virulence genes of H. pylori have been associated to increased risk of severe gastrointestinal diseases and the genetic background differs in geographical areas.

High sensitivity, high surface area Enzyme-linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA).

Background: Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) are considered the gold standard in the demonstration of various immunological reactions with an application in the detection of infectious diseases such as during outbreaks or in patient care.

Objective: This study aimed to produce an ELISA-based diagnostic with an increased sensitivity of detection compared to the standard 96-well method in the immunologic diagnosis of infectious diseases.

Methods: A '3DStack' was developed using readily available, low cost fabrication technologies namely nanoimprinting and press stamping with an increased surface area of 4 to 6 times more compared to 96-well plates.

A Handy Field-Portable ELISA System for Rapid Onsite Diagnosis of Infectious Diseases.

Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) are considered the gold standard for the detection of various immunological reactions and can be used for the detection of infectious diseases during outbreaks or in the care of individual patients. To be useful in the timely implementation of prevention and control measures against infectious diseases, a diagnostic modality should be rapid, accurate, and affordable. In the current study, we demonstrate the efficiency (90% less time and volume consumption compared with those of a standard 96-well ELISA), detection capability, and ease of operation of a field-portable, battery-operated ELISA system, approximately the size of a cellular phone (12 × 6 × 5.

Increased sensitivity of 3D-Well enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for infectious disease detection using 3D-printing fabrication technology.

Enzyme-linked Immunosorbent Assay or ELISA -based diagnostics are considered the gold standard in the demonstration of various immunological reaction including in the measurement of antibody response to infectious diseases and to support pathogen identification with application potential in infectious disease outbreaks and individual patients' treatment and clinical care. The rapid prototyping of ELISA-based diagnostics using available 3D printing technologies provides an opportunity for a further exploration of this platform into immunodetection systems. In this study, a '3D-Well' was designed and fabricated using available 3D printing platforms to have an increased surface area of more than 4 times for protein-surface adsorption compared to those of 96-well plates.

Application of 3D Printing Technology in Increasing the Diagnostic Performance of Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) for Infectious Diseases.

Enzyme-linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA)-based diagnosis is the mainstay for measuring antibody response in infectious diseases and to support pathogen identification of potential use in infectious disease outbreaks and clinical care of individual patients. The development of laboratory diagnostics using readily available 3D printing technologies provides a timely opportunity for further expansion of this technology into immunodetection systems. Utilizing available 3D printing platforms, a '3D well' was designed and developed to have an increased surface area compared to those of 96-well plates.

Antimicrobial resistance in Helicobacter pylori: current situation and management strategy in Vietnam.

Increasing antimicrobial resistance to key antibiotics in Helicobacter pylori has become a main cause of treatment failures in many countries, including Vietnam. For this reason it is advisable to perform antimicrobial sensitivity tests to provide more focused regimens for H. pylori eradication.

Serological evidence of human infection with Pteropine orthoreovirus in Central Vietnam.

Pteropine orthoreovirus, potentially of bat origin, has been reported to cause respiratory tract infections among human beings in Southeast Asia. Twelve IgG ELISA-positive cases with antibodies against Pteropine orthoreovirus were detected among 272 human serum samples collected between March and June 2014 from in and around Hue City, Central Vietnam. These 12 cases were IgM ELISA negative.

High rate of levofloxacin resistance in a background of clarithromycin- and metronidazole-resistant Helicobacter pylori in Vietnam.

Antimicrobial resistance in Helicobacter pylori has increased worldwide and has become a major cause of treatment failure in many countries, including Vietnam. It is advisable to perform an antibiogram to provide optimal regimens for H. pylori eradication.

Immune markers characteristic for asymptomatically infected and diseased Entamoeba histolytica individuals and their relation to sex.

Background: The protozoan parasite Entamoeba histolytica (E. histolytica) usually asymptomatically colonizes the human intestine. In the minority of the cases, the parasite evades from the gut and can induce severe symptoms like colitis or amebic liver abscess (ALA).

Molecular characterization of influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 virus circulating during the 2009 outbreak in Thua Thien Hue, Vietnam.

Introduction: The influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 virus arrived in Vietnam in May 2009 via the United States and rapidly spread throughout the country. This study provides data on the viral diagnosis and molecular epidemiology of influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 virus isolated in Thua Thien Hue Province, central Vietnam.

Methodology: Nasopharyngeal swabs and throat swabs from 53 clinically infected patients in the peak of the outbreak were processed for viral diagnosis by culture and RT-PCR.

Orientia tsutsugamushi bacteremia and cytokine levels in Vietnamese scrub typhus patients.

Scrub typhus, caused by the intracellular bacterium Orientia tsutsugamushi, is a major cause of febrile illness in the Asia/Pacific region. Here, we implemented a novel real-time PCR and determined the relation of DNA target gene concentration with serum cytokine levels. The limit of detection of the novel real-time PCR was 1,062 DNA copies per ml of EDTA whole blood.

Radiological bone lesions in fibroblastic rheumatism; case report.

Introduction: Fibroblastic rheumatism (FR) is a rare disease characterized by polyarthralgia associated with painless subcutaneous nodules, sclerodactyly and finger contractures.

Case Report: A 45-year-old man presented with peripheral vascular disease, polyarthralgia and subcutaneous nodules. The diagnosis of FR was confirmed by histological examination of a biopsy sample of a nodule, which showed myofibroblast proliferation.

Molecular characterization of ICEVchVie0 and its disappearance in Vibrio cholerae O1 strains isolated in 2003 in Vietnam.

We analyzed 28 epidemic Vibrio cholerae O1 strains isolated in the region of Thua Thien Hue (Vietnam) in 2003. Ubiquitous amoxicillin, prevalent aminoglycosides and sporadic erythromycin resistances were observed. All were devoid of plasmids, class 1 integrons and ICEs and showed the same BglI ribotype, irrespective of their site of isolation and resistance pattern.

Ultrasound patterns and frequency of focal liver lesions after successful treatment of amoebic liver abscess.

Objective: To evaluate the frequency and morphology of residual liver lesions in patients successfully treated for amoebic liver abscess.

Methods: Retrospective ultrasound-based study of 240 adult males from an amoebiasis-endemic area in Vietnam with a documented clinical history of amoebic liver abscess. Subjects were re-examined by hepatic ultrasound 1-13 years after abscess treatment.

Epidemiology and treatment of amebiasis in Hué, Vietnam.

Hué, a city of about 300,000 inhabitants in Central Vietnam, is known as a "hot spot" for diseases caused by Entamoeba histolytica and in particular for amebic liver abscess (ALA), thus representing an excellent site for studies on the epidemiology and treatment of E. histolytica infections. Accordingly, during the last few years, various studies on this topic have been performed in Hué in close collaboration among the Hué Medical College, the Hué Central Hospital and the Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany.

Laboratory diagnosis of primary and secondary dengue infection.

Background: Dengue fever is routinely detected in many laboratories using commercial tests for the specific detection of dengue IgM antibodies.

Objectives: We have studied the sensitivity of IgM antibody detection in paired serum samples of 43 patients with either with primary dengue (PD) or secondary dengue (SD).

Study Design: Two consecutive samples were drawn from 23 Vietnamese and 20 German patients.

Hepatic ultrasound in a population with high incidence of invasive amoebiasis: evidence for subclinical, self-limited amoebic liver abscesses.

About 10% of successfully treated amoebic liver abscesses (ALA) do not completely resolve and can be detected by ultrasound as typical residual liver lesions. The frequency of these residues should be an indicator for the prevalence of ALA in a given population, and may help to solve the question whether non-clinical, self-healing ALAs occur. We have performed hepatic ultrasound in 1036 adult individuals living in a high-risk area for ALA in Central Vietnam and identified typical ALA residual lesions in about 1.