Objective of the study is to detect circulation of plague agent and agents of other zoonotic infections (tularemia, pseudotuberculosis, leptospirosis, West Nile fever, Lassa fever, Dengue fever, Chikungunya fever, CrimeanCongo hemorrhagic fever, Q fever, Hantaviruses, tick-borne encephalitis, human monocytic ehrlichiosis, granulocytic anaplasmosis, and borreliosis) among small mammals and their ectoparasites in the territory of seven northern provinces of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam. Materials and methods. We have carried out epizootiological survey of seven northern provinces of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (Dien Bien, Lai Chau, Lào Cai, Hà Giang, Lạng Sơn, Cao Bằng, and Quảng Ninh). Over the period of the study, 3400 trap/nights were accumulated, 179 specimens of small mammals caught, belonging to 10 species, 213 fleas of seven different species – collected, and 143 specimens of gamaside ticks falling under two species. The material gathered was investigated using enzyme immunoassay and polymerase chain reaction at the premises of mobile laboratory for monitoring and diagnostics. Results and discussion. Two-fold testing of 136 blood samples from small mammals revealed antibodies to F1 of Y. pestis in 14 (10.3 %) of them. Investigation of 158 samples of lung and kidney suspensions of small mammals showed that 22 (13.9 %) samples contained 16S rRNA of pathogenic leptospira, Leptospira spp. Analysis of 60 brain samples for the presence of Leptospira spp. revealed three (5.0 %) positive ones. 25 samples of gamaside ticks were tested for the presence of the DNA of Q fever, plague, tularemia and granulocytic anaplasmosis agents, and for the RNA of tick-borne encephalitis, human monocytic ehrlichiosis, and borreliosis agents. One sample (4 %) of gamaside ticks, Laelaps echidninus, contained RNA of Borrelia.

This cross-sectional study estimated the prevalence of hepatitis B, C, D viruses among adults aged 18–22 years and assessed the impact of viral populations on the epidemiological trends in hepatitis virus transmission. A total of 568 students of Da Nang University were enrolled in the study in 2018. The prevalence of HBsAg, anti-HBs and anti-HBc was 4.2% (24/568), 30.4% (173/568), and 17.6% (100/568), respectively. Anti-HCV was found in 0.2% (1/568) of samples, and no participants tested positive for anti-HDV. HBV DNA was detected in all HBsAg-positive samples: 19 HBV isolates belonged to genotype B, and 5—to genotype C. Eight isolates carried immune escape mutations within the S protein, and one harbored three mutations (1762A > T / 1764G > A, 1858 T > C) in the precore/core region. Most of HBV isolates belonged to subgenotype B4, which is part of the Ba global recombinant group comprising subgenotypes B2, B4 and “quasi-B3”, characterized by common recombination sites between positions 1731–1846 and 2200–2252. These findings highlight the high prevalence of HBV and insufficient herd immunity against HBV within this cohort, underscoring the urgent need to expand national HBV vaccination strategies. Widespread distribution of the Ba global recombinant group emphasizes the necessity to revise the current HBV taxonomy.

Neisseria meningitidis is a pathogenic bacterial agent that causes meningococcal meningitis in humans. Developing a rapid and low-cost N. meningitidis detection method is crucial, especially for developing countries. This study focuses on the development of an efficient loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) method for accurate N. meningitidis identification. A new LAMP primer set was designed, and a LAMP reaction was optimized. The colorimetric detection method was also applied, and the assay characteristics were evaluated using clinical samples. The results demonstrated a specific LAMP reaction for N. meningitidis detection of genotypes A, B, and C, with a limit of detection of 10² cfu/mL, 100% specificity and sensitivity, and a rapid detection time of only 40 min by colorimetric visual inspection. No cross-reactivity with reference strains of Streptococcus pneumoniae, Staphylococcus aureus, Neisseria lactamica, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, and Haemophilus influenzae type b was observed in the LAMP reaction with the new primer set. This result suggests that the LAMP reaction could be a promising tool for developing a rapid N. meningitidis detection method suitable for use in Vietnam and other developing countries.

This study investigated the restorative effects of Bacopa monnieri L. extract on olfactory dysfunction in a methimazole-induced injury model in mice. Animals were divided into five groups: physiological control, pathological (untreated), two treatment groups receiving Bacopa monnieri extract (50 and 100 mg/kg/day), and a positive control group receiving donepezil (1.5 mg/kg/day). After 14 days of treatment, olfactory performance was assessed using a peanut butter odor-finding test, and histological recovery of the olfactory epithelium was evaluated via hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining. Treatment with Bacopa monnieri significantly reduced odor-finding latency, increased time spent and entries into the target zone, and improved olfactory epithelial thickness compared with the pathological group. The 100 mg/kg dose produced effects comparable to those of donepezil and closely approximated the physiological control group. These findings highlight Bacopa monnieri as a promising natural agent for restoring olfactory function following epithelial injury.

Bệnh nhiễm trùng do não mô cầu là một bệnh truyền nhiễm cấp tính do N. meningitidis gây ra, bệnh tiến triển nhanh, có tỷ lệ tử vong cao nếu không điều trị kịp thời. Sử dụng vắc xin được xem là một trong những biện pháp hiệu quả nhất để phòng chống dịch bệnh do NMC. Do sự đa dạng cao các kháng nguyên trong thành phần vắc xin dự phòng NMC nhóm huyết thanh B, việc đánh giá mức độ bao phủ kháng nguyên trong vắc xin 4CMenB với kháng nguyên các chủng NMC nhóm huyết thanh B hết sức cần thiết. Nghiên cứu đặc điểm gen mã hóa cho kháng nguyên NadA, NHBA của chủng N. meningitidis nhóm huyết thanh B thu thập, phân lập giai đoạn 2014 - 2024 cho thấy tỉ lệ mang gen nadA là 27,9%. 100% thuộc variant 4/5, trong đó peptit 139,87 chiếm tỉ lệ lần lượt 66,7% và 33,3%. Trong số 83 trình tự gen nhba đã xác định 17 allele đã biết và 2 allele mới mã hóa cho 18 peptit. Allele 41 và peptit 16 chiếm tỉ lệ cao nhất lần lượt 61,4% và 55,4%. Có sự khác biệt về variant và peptit kháng nguyên NadA cũng như allele và peptit NHBA trên các chủng N. meningitidis nhóm huyết thanh B phân lập ở Việt Nam giai đoạn 2014 - 2024 so với kháng nguyên NadA và NHBA trong vắc xin 4CMenB

The problem of environmental pollution with dioxin-containing ecotoxicants has been at the center of close attention from scientists, as well as state and international organizations, for more than 50 years. The most illustrative model for studying the biomedical consequences of dioxins and related substances on ecology and human health has been the U.S. military's use of the combat phytotoxicant Agent Orange in Vietnam. Massive herbicide application led to significant alterations in biogeocenoses, soil changes, destruction of natural habitats, and a marked deterioration in living conditions for local populations across vast territories. The specific nature of dioxin biodegradation in tropical climates contributed to the further spread of this ecotoxicant. The results of long-term dynamic chemical-analytical research on congener content and composition in the environment, food products, and biological media, presented in this study, allow dioxins to be considered a factor of continuing impact on the health of Vietnam's postwar population. Objective assessment of health status in populations living in such regions requires constant monitoring of pollution levels in natural objects, as well as a set of informative medical examinations that account for biomedical, ecosystem, and social risks.