ELISA technique was used to determine promtly the specific antibodies in equine sera. The results were comparable to these of mouse neutralization test. This method was recommended to monitor the antibody response in horse and to determine the titers of rabies antibody
Rabies ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Diseases

Background: Preeclampsia is a major cause of maternal and perinatal mortality and morbidity, affecting 5 - 6% of all pregnancies. Recently, homocysteine (Hcy), a metabolite of amino acid methionine has been postulated producing oxidative stress, endothelial cell dysfunction, and alterations associated with preeclampsia. It is unclear whether high concentration of circulating Hcy causes preeclampsia, or whether this is a secondary phenomenon of metabolic alterations resulting from the disorder. Objectives: (1) Determining blood Hcy concentration in pregnancies in various severities of preeclampsia. (2) Discover the relationships between serum Hcy and other biological markers in preeclampsia. Subjects and method: This descriptive cross-sectional study consisted of 3 groups of pregnancies admitted to Thanh Nhan Hospital: 24 normal pregnant women, 28 pregnancies with non-serious preeclampsia, and 27 pregnancies with serious preeclampsia. Concentrations of blood Hcy of all participants were assayed by a competition fluorescence immunoassay (FPIA). Results: The mean concentration of serum Hcy during normal pregnancy was 5.2+/-1.0micromol/L compared with 7.1+/-1.8micromol/L among pregnancies with non-serious preeclampsia, and 11.7+/-2.9micromol/L among pregnancies with serious preeclampsia. Serum Hcy increased in pregnancies with renal dysfunction, elevated serum uric acid, and injuries of liver cells. Conclusion: Concentration of the serum Hcy in pregnancies with serious preeclampsia is significantly higher than that of pregnancies with non-serious preeclampsia, and the serum Hcy in pregnancies with non-serious preeclampsia is significantly higher than that of normal pregnancies. There are relationships between elevated serum Hcy in preeclampsia with level of kidney failure, injury of liver and increased levels of serum uric acid.
Homocysteine ; Preeclampsia

Background: Training community-oriented general practitioners with the aims to provide the medical knowledge and skills of working in the community for medical students is appropriate with the socioeconomic context in Vietnam. Objectives: To evaluate the acceptance of the community in two districts Kim Bang (Ha Nam province) and Dong Hy (Thai Nguyen province) on field training for medical students. Subjects and method: The cross - sectional study was carried out on 300 households that were chosen randomly from 2 rural districts on April 2006. The heads of households were interviewed by open - ended questionnaires. Another 120 key informants from these two districts were invited to participate in a focus group discussion. Results: 81% of households voluntarily participated in the organization of field training for the medical students. More than 97% households paid attention to the medical students\u2019 information about health care and environmental hygiene. With medical community-based education, the people from communities receives\u2019 improvement in their knowledge of child care and personal hygiene in order to prevent diseases. Conclusion: Being exposed to health problems in communities, medical students can enhance their working and communication skills. People in the communities had a chance to improve their knowledge of disease preventions.
medical field training

Background: In recent years, some arbo viruses which causes acute encephalitis syndrome (AES) have been identified in serveral countries in the world such as Chandipura virus belonging to Rhabdoviridae family in India, Banna virus belonging to Reoviridae family in China. In Vietnam, apart from Japanese Encephalitis Virus which is considered as main cause of AES, there are a few intestinal viruses like Herpes symplex virus type 1 and 4 and Nam Dinh virus considering other causes of AES. Objective: To identify the hyppothesis that one virus strain parasitizing in mosquito in Gia Lai province causes AES in order to provide more information about virus strains which cause AES in Vietnam. Subjects and method: Aedes albopictus cell line clone C6/36 was used for the isolation of virus in 43 cerebrospinal fluid samples of patients who were treated in Gia Lai hospital, from January/2005 to July/2005. Result and Conclusion: One virus strain from a 3-year old girl in Gia Lai province was isolated in 2005. The virus coded 05VN225 has the morphology similar to other viruses belonging to Reoviridea family.The nucleic acid sequence of the virus was checked with specific primers of alphavirus and flavirus groups, Nam Dinh virus and Conti virus group B (reovirus) of the Reoviridae. The positive result was confirmed with reovirus primers. This member of the Reoviridae family was isolated from acute encephalitis syndrome in Vietnam in 2005. Further study on pathology of the virus is very necessary.
Encephalitis ; Arbovirus/ epidemiology ; pathology ; Reoviridae/ growth & ; development ; pathogenicity ;

Background: Recently Japanese Encephalitis (JE) virus type 1 has surfaced and is co-circulated with JE virus type 3 in the northern areas of Viet Nam, so a sensitivity of JE viral antigen genotype 3 to detect IgM is required. Objectives: To compare the sensitivity of JE viral antigen genotype 1 and 3 to detect IgM against the JE virus. Materials and method: 783 cerebrospinal fluid and serum samples from viral encephalitis cases from 1999-2005 were collected and examined by MAC-ELISA for JE viral antigen genotype 1 and 3. Results: The agreement on the diagnosis of these kinds of antigen was 99.7% and the sensitivity of JE viral antigen genotype 3 was higher than that of genotype 1. Thus, JE viral antigen genotype 3 could be considered as the selected antigen for JE diagnosis in Viet Nam. IgM titer determined by JE viral antigen genotype 1 was higher than that of genotype 3 in 2003 and 2005 and lower in 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002 and 2004. Conclusion: The dominant phenomenon of JE viral genotypes differing over the years might be due to the interaction of the virus and its vectors. Further study is required to clarify this observation.
Japanese Encephalitis ; antigen

Background: In recent year, Japanese Encephalitis Virus (JEV) genotype 1 has been detected among isolates from mosquitoes and pig\u2019s blood samples in northern Viet Nam, but there has been no information on the presence of this genotype in the Central, Southern and Highland regions. Objectives: This study aims to detect the Japanese encephalitis genotype 1 in various different geographic regions of Viet Nam. Material and method: Sequence analysis\u2019s of whole E gene of 18 strains isolated from human, mosquitoes and pig\u2019s blood during 2001-2007. Results: 7 strains isolated from pig\u2019s blood and mosquito samples in the Northern, Central, Southern and Highland fell into genotype 1, but 11 others isolated from humans in the Northern and Central regions belonged to genotype 3. Conclusion: This is the first time that JEV genotype 1 was detected in the central, northern, highland Viet Nam and further studies on genotype 1 causing human diseases needs to be carried out.\r\n', u'\r\n', u'
Virus ; Japanese Encephalitis ; genotype 1 ; E gene.

Background: A/H5N1 influenza virus spreads from birds to humans and cause influenza diseases with high mortality rate. Vaccination is the most effective way to protect communities from pandemic, reduce morbidity and mortality. The study of creating A/H5N1 influenza vaccines in conformity with Vietnam was the urgent need. Institute of Vaccine\u2019s Achievement (IVAC) studied production of inactivated influenza vaccine for human on egg-grown from reassortants NIBRG-14. Objectives: In order to produce experimentally A/H5N1 influenza vaccine for human in accordance with WHO requirements and set up a viable process for production of the vaccines. Subjects and method: 10 days embryonated eggs and NIBRG-14 strains were served to the study with LAL method to check endotoxin, Kijehdal method to test total protein. Results: IVAC had produced successfully 5 lots of absorbed vaccine A/H5N1 (FLUVAC) using NIBRG-14 strains and embryonated eggs. Initially, production and quality control processes had been set up at IVAC by applying the recommendations of WHO. Conclusion: The success of the study was a basis of the approval of the government to establish a influenza vaccine manufacturing facilities.
Influenza A Virus ; H5N1 Subtype ; Influenza Vaccines ; Humans ; Eggs

Little is known about antibiotic-resistant Gram-negative bacteria (GNB) intestinal carriage among healthcare workers (HCWs) in Vietnam. All HCWs at a tertiary intensive care units were asked to undertake weekly rectal swabs. Among 40 participants, 65% (26/40) carried extended spectrum β-lactamases (ESBL)/AmpC β-lactamase-producing Escherichia coli. Two HCWs colonized with ESBL/AmpC β-lactamase-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae. One HCW colonized with Acinetobacter baumannii. No one carried Pseudomonas spp.. A quarter (10/40) of HCWs were identified as persistent and frequent carriers. There is an urgent need to screen antibiotic-resistant GNB among HCWs and improve HCWs' hand hygiene compliance to reduce the transmission of antibiotic-resistant GNB in the hospital.

Little is known about antibiotic-resistant Gram-negative bacteria (GNB) intestinal carriage among healthcare workers (HCWs) in Vietnam. All HCWs at a tertiary intensive care units were asked to undertake weekly rectal swabs. Among 40 participants, 65% (26/40) carried extended spectrum β-lactamases (ESBL)/AmpC β-lactamase-producing Escherichia coli. Two HCWs colonized with ESBL/AmpC β-lactamase-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae. One HCW colonized with Acinetobacter baumannii. No one carried Pseudomonas spp.. A quarter (10/40) of HCWs were identified as persistent and frequent carriers. There is an urgent need to screen antibiotic-resistant GNB among HCWs and improve HCWs' hand hygiene compliance to reduce the transmission of antibiotic-resistant GNB in the hospital.

Background: Mosquitoes and pigs play important roles in maintaining and increasing the Japanese Encephalitis (JE) virus in nature and which is then transmitted to humans. Thus, surveillance of the JE infection frequency in the pig population may predict the human JE cases. \r\n', u'Objectives: The study aimed to determine IgG antibody against the JE virus in the pig population in Hanam province \r\n', u'Subjects and methods: The study included 1791 pig serum samples collected from 3 districts of Hanam province from Apr 2006 to Mar 2007. GAC-ELISA technique was used to determine the JE virus infection in the swine population.\r\n', u'Results: The average positive rate in pig population was 34.9 % (626/1791); with the highest frequency occurring in the summer (37.7%- 84.0 %), co-incident with the JE season in Northern Vietnam. On the contrary, in winter JE case are rare, frequency of IgG antibody against JE virus in the swine population was low, ranging from 9.2% to 22.0.%. \r\n', u'Conclusions: These results have shown the ecologically close relationship between the amplification of the JE virus in the swine population, vector and JE cases in northern Vietnam. \r\n', u'
Japanese encephalitis ; pig population ; GAC-ELISA.