Project News

In recent years, a large scale of outbreak of Hand-Foot-Mouth Diseases (HFMD)

or Enterovirus 71 occurs, accompanying with a number of severe and death cases, which is recognized as one of serious problems of the public health in Vietnam. From 2014, the Vietnamese government assigned HFMD as one of infectious diseases, the number of their incidence of which has to be formally reported and has been able to pursuit the total numbers of affected children in nationwide of Vietnam. In the season from 2011 to 2012, a large scale of outbreak of HFMD occurred nationwide with epicenter in the southern region and resulted in a number of serious and death cases, especially in infants (approximately 280000 infected cases, 223 death cases). Laboratory system for HFMD is now on the way of preparation in parallel with governmental regulations of surveillance system for HFMD in Vietnam. A training course of laboratory diagnosis was first organized at NIHE from 16 to 18 July 2014 as response to the demands from NIHE, with 15 participants responsible for laboratory diagnosis from 4 regional institutes (NIHE, PI-HCMC, PINT and TIHE). Lectures included Dr. Thanh, NIHE and Dr. Shimuzu, NIID Japan, who gave a lecture and technical guidance on fundamental facts, biosafety and laboratory techniques related to laboratory diagnosis of HFMD and related Enterovirus. Participants from each regional institute presented the laboratory protocol currently applied in each institute for laboratory diagnosis in order to share the information with each other. Upon the discussion on difference in the protocol, they picked up the points how to improve for laboratory network and information sharing among 4 regional institutes. Definite comparison and discussion on the protocols among 4 institutes revealed that there exists substantial differences among 4 institutes not only in the protocol employed for laboratory diagnosis of HFMD but also in the current situation of laboratory systems including apparatus. Based on the opinions not only from laboratory researchers but also from clinicians and epidemiologists, we reached to the conclusion that the whole view of flowchart for laboratory diagnosis is required to clarify the aims of laboratory diagnosis (i.e.; whether rapid diagnosis for urgent reports to Hospitals or summation for surveillance of HFMD). Aiming the establishment of laboratory network in Vietnam, there is necessity of external quality control system to compare the quality and sensitivity of laboratory diagnosis employed in each institute by preparing periodical distributing a panel of standard Enteroviruses. The workshop provided participants with the current situation of laboratory network of HFMD to solve the problems encountered by responsible researchers in each institute. The workshop for laboratory diagnosis of HFMD was well recognized by Vietnamese researchers and should be periodically organized in compliance with the demands from NIHE, participants and experts.

Molecular diagnosis of FHMD with CODEHOP methods

Discussion in the final of training course