Project News

Cholera is classified in Class A as one of the important infectious diseases in Vietnam, Construction of diagnosis 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 has organized so far several training courses on Cholera diagnosis inall of 4 regional institutes such as National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology (NIHE),Tay Nguyen Institute ofHygiene and Epidemiology (TIHE), Pasteur Institutes in Ho Chi Minh City (PIHCMC) and in NhaTrang (PINT). This year we organized to extend training course of Cholera diagnosis in Nghe An PCPM with inviting several PCPM of Northern region in order to evaluate and develop their capacity to diagnose Cholera in laboratories.

The training course on laboratory diagnosis of Cholera was taken place from 21 to 23 July in Nghe An PCPM, Vinh city. Lecturers included Drs. Binh Minh, Cuong, Thu (Bacteriology Dept., NIHE), and a short-term expert Dr. Izumiya (Chief, Department of Bacteriology 1, NIID, Japan). MsThiHien, MsGiang and DrTatsumi Leader attended this course from BSQM NIHE, the Project Office, respectively. Six staffs from Ghe An, 2 from Yen Bai, 2 from Thai Nguyen and 1 from Thai Bin PCPM attended the training course. The training course co-organized by Dr. Bin Minh and Dr. Izumiya covered from basic bacteria culture and biochemical analysis method to applied molecular genetic method of PCR, including genotyping of Cholera by Multiplex PCR method according to the SOP of NIHE to construct the Cholera Surveillance System 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 the principle of LAMP reaction. 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 Northern area of Vietnam. This training course in Nghe An PCPM has allowed us todevelop the capacity of PCPM and to know the current situation of each PCPM. It might make it possible to strengthen the laboratory network in the region. This training course also revealed that a PCR instrument of Nghe An PCPM could not function nor be repaired in Vietnam. The maintenance and repair system of laboratory apparatus is one of most important problem in strengthening the capacity development of laboratory network since PCR is one of the most frequently used for current diagnosis of any pathogens.

Opening speech by Vice-Director Mai, NIHE

Practice of laboratory diagnosis of Cholera