Project News

Cholera is classified in Class A as one of the important infectious diseases in Vietnam, Construction of testing system and enhancement of diagnosis technique are essential and should be maintained by the means of periodical training courses with substantial update-content in order to control its epidemic in the future. The project organized so far several training courses on Cholera diagnosis in National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology (NIHE) and Pasteur Institutes in Ho Chi Minh City (PIHCMC) and in Nha Trang (PINT).

The sixth training course on laboratory diagnosis of Cholera was taken place from November 18th to 20th in Tay Nguyen Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology (TIHE), Regional Institute in highland regions of Vietnam. Lecturers included Drs. Binh Minh, Cuong, Thu (Bacteriology Dept., NIHE), and a short-term expert Dr. Izumiya (Chief, Department of Bacteriology 1, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Japan). Ms Giang and Dr Tatsumi Leader attended this course from the Project Office. Seven staffs from TIHE, and each PCPM – Gia Lai, Dak Lak, Kon Tum, Dak Nong PCPM attended the training course. The training course co-organized by Dr. Ngoc Hung (Microbiology Dept., TIHE), Dr. Bin Minh and Dr. Izumiya covered from basic bacteria culture method to applied molecular genetic method of PCR, including genotyping of Cholera by Multiplex PCR method as basics to construct the Cholera Surveillance System of in the future. They added a simple and rapid genetic test of LAMP method, which is invented by a Japanese researcher as isothermal amplification of target genes and is suitable for provincial PCPM without PCR instruments. Dr. Izumiya also gave the trainees a lecture on Cholera Surveillance System, in which it was explained and underlined to construct the effective Cholera Surveillance System by the genetic analysis of genome with advanced technology, Pulsed-Field Gel Electrophoresis, obtained from Cholera outbreaks in order to control Cholera epidemics in the future.

Participants and lectures also discussed each other on the results obtained from the course and shared experience in laboratory diagnosis of Cholera in order to strengthen the laboratory network in highland area of Vietnam. This training course in TIHE has completed the first stage of constructing laboratory network for diagnosis of Cholera in Vietnam with common SOP developed by NIHE. The next training course on Cholera might be organized for staffs from PCPMs in the highly affected regions in Vietnam to strengthen the laboratory network in RIs and PCPMs.

Lecture on laboratory diagnosis of Cholera

Practice of laboratory diagnosis of Cholera