Synergistic infection of Edwardsiella ictaluri and Flavobacterium oreochromis in cage cultured tilapia (Oreochromis sp.).

Widespread distribution of a highly pathogenic Edwardsiella ictaluri strain in farmed tilapia in northern Vietnam has recently been reported. The subsequent investigation noticed a disease outbreak occurred at five nearby tilapia farms with floating cages, in which the clinical signs of both edwardsiellosis and columnaris diseases were observed on the same infected fish and caused 65% to 85% fish mortality. Naturally diseased fish (n = 109) were sampled from the five infected farms for bacterial identification and conducting challenge tests. The two bacteria Edwardsiella ictaluri and Flavobacterium oreochromis were identified by a combination of biochemical tests, PCR and 16SrRNA sequencing methods. Experimental challenge tests on Nile tilapia resulted in the median lethal dose (LD50 ) of E. ictaluri and F. oreochromis at 70 CFU/fish by intraperitoneal (i.p.) injection and 3.6 × 106 CFU/mL by immersion, respectively. The experimentally co-infected challenged fish exposed to LD50 doses resulted in 83% ± 6% mortality, with the infected fish exhibiting clinical signs of both edwardsiellosis and columnaris diseases, mimicking the naturally diseased fish. This finding suggests that the co-infection of E. ictaluri and F. oreochromis may interact in a synergistic manner, to enhance the overall severity of the infection and elevates the need for efficient methods to control both pathogens.

1H-1,2,3-Triazole-4H-chromene-D-glucose hybrid compounds: Synthesis and inhibitory activity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis protein tyrosine phosphatase B.

A series of 1H-1,2,3-triazole-4H-chromene-D-glucose hybrid compounds 7a-w were synthesized using click chemistry of 2-amino-7-propargyloxy-4H-chromene-3-carbonitriles 5a-w. CuNPs@montmorillonite was used as a catalyst in the presence of DIPEA as an additive for this chemistry. All synthesized 1H-1,2,3-triazoles were examined for in vitro inhibition against Mycobacterium tuberculosis protein tyrosine phosphatase B (MtbPtpB). Nine 1H-1,2,3-triazoles, including 7c-e, 7h, 7i, and 7r-t, displayed remarkable inhibitory activity against MtbPtpB with IC50 < 10 µM; compound 7t exhibited the most potent inhibition in vitro with an IC50 value of 0.61 µM. Kinetic studies of the three most active compounds, 7c,h,t, showed their competitive inhibition toward the MtbPtpB enzyme. Induced-fit docking and MM-GBSA studies on the enzyme (PDB: 2OZ5) revealed that the most active compound 7t was more effective against MtbPtpB. Residues Arg64, Arg136, Ash165, Arg166, and Arg63 in the binding pocket were identified as potential ligand-binding hot-spot residues for ligand 7t. The binding free energy calculation by the MM-GBSA approach for ligand 7t indicated that Coulomb, lipophilic, and van der Waals energy terms are major contributors to the inhibitor binding. Furthermore, the stability of the ligand-protein complex and the structural insights into the mode of binding were confirmed by 300-ns molecular dynamics simulation of 7t/2OZ5.

Design, Synthesis, α-Amylase/α-Glucosidase Inhibition Assay, Induced Fit Docking Study of New Hybrid Compounds Containing 4H-Pyrano[2,3-d]pyrimidine, 1H-1,2,3-Triazole and D-Glucose Components.

In this study, the click chemistry between N-propargyl derivatives of substituted 4H-pyrano[2,3-d]pyrimidines and tetra-O-acetyl-α-d-glucopyranosyl azide carried out under catalytic conditions using catalyst CuI@Montmorillonite and additive N,N-diisopropylethylamine (DIPEA). The yields of obtained hybrid compounds having 4H-pyrano[2,3-d]pyrimidine connected to 1H-1,2,3-triazole rings were about 85-94 %. All these synthesized hybrid compounds were examined for in vitro α-amylase (with IC50 values in the range of 103.63±1.13 µM to 295.45±1.11 µM) and α-glucosidase (with IC50 values in the range of 45.63±1.14 µM to 184.52±1.15) inhibitory activity. Amongst this series, ethyl ester 8m showed the best inhibitory activity against α-amylase with IC50 of 103.63±1.13 µM, while ethyl ester 8t exhibited the highest activity against α-glucosidase with IC50 of 45.63±1.14 µM. The kinetics of the inhibition of compound 8t showed the competitive α-glucosidase inhibitor property of this compound. Furthermore, the most potent compounds had any cytotoxicity against human normal cells. Induced fit docking and molecular dynamics simulation calculations indicated that the inhibition potential compounds 8m and 8t had the active interactions with the residues in receptors of corresponding tested enzymes. The calculated binding free energy from MM-GBSA approach showed that the major energy components contributed to the active binding of these studied inhibitors, including Coulomb, lipophilic and van der Waals energy. Further, 300 ns MD simulation showed that studied ligand-protein complexes were stable and indicated the structural observations into mode of binding in these complexes.

Protective Effects of 2-Dodecyl-6-Methoxycyclohexa-2,5 -Diene-1,4-Dione Isolated from Averrhoa Carambola L. (Oxalidaceae) Roots on High-Fat Diet-Induced Obesity and Insulin Resistance in Mice.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: The roots of Averrhoa carambola L. (Oxalidaceae) have long been used as a traditional Chinese medicine for the treatment of diabetes and diabetes-related diseases. 2-dodecyl-6-methoxycycyclohexa-2,5-1,4-dione (DMDD) has been isolated from A. carambola L. roots, and this study was carried out to investigate the potential beneficial effects of DMDD on obesity and insulin resistance induced by a high-fat diet (HFD) in mice. METHODS: C57BL/6J mice were fed a HFD for 16 weeks and orally administered DMDD (12.5, 25, or 50 mg/kg of body weight per day) and metformin (280 mg/kg of body weight per day) for the last 4 weeks. RESULTS: The body weights and adipose tissue weights as well as the serum levels of blood glucose, total cholesterol, triglycerides, free fatty acids, insulin, interleukin-6, and tumor necrosis factor-α were significantly decreased by DMDD, and the expression of Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) and myeloid differentiation factor (Myd88) in the epididymal adipose tissue was downregulated by DMDD. In contrast, insulin sensitivity was enhanced. The results of the glucose tolerance tests, insulin tolerance tests, and insulin release tests indicated that there was a marked improvement in insulin secretion, and the areas under the curve corresponding to the three tests were also significantly decreased by DMDD. The activities of superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase were simultaneously enhanced, whereas the content of malondialdehyde was decreased by DMDD in the liver homogenates of the C57BL/6J mice. In addition, hepatic steatosis and adipocyte hypertrophy, as assessed by H&E staining of liver and adipose tissues, were significantly improved by DMDD. CONCLUSION: These data suggest that MDD has potential benefits for the treatment of HFD-induced obesity and insulin resistance, and its effects may be associated with improvements in lipid metabolism and inhibition of the expression of TLR4 in adipose tissues.

Severe malaria not responsive to artemisinin derivatives in man returning from Angola to Vietnam.

Resistance to artemisinin derivatives, the most potent antimalarial drugs currently used, has emerged in Southeast Asia and threatens to spread to Africa. We report a case of malaria in a man who returned to Vietnam after 3 years in Angola that did not respond to intravenous artesunate and clindamycin or an oral artemisinin-based combination.

Camellia annamensis (Theaceae): phytochemical analysis, cytotoxic, antioxidative, and antimicrobial activities.

Cytotoxic, antioxidative, and antimicrobial activities of Camellia annamensis, and its chemical compositions were first provided in the current study. Phenolic contents in the methanol extracts of its leaves and flowers were 222.73 ± 0.09 and 64.44 ± 0.08 mg GAE/g extract, whereas flavonoid contents in these parts were 108.80 ± 0.28 and 131.26 ± 0.39 mg rutin/g extract, respectively. By using HPLC-DAD analysis, gallic acid (43.72 ± 0.09 - 81.89 ± 1.83 mg/g) and (-)-epigallocatechin gallate (67.31 ± 1.26 - 70.68 ± 7.82 mg/g) were identified as the major compounds. C. annamensis leaf and flower extracts were moderately cytotoxic against A549, HT-29, SK-Mel-2, MCF-7, HepG2, HeLa, and MKN-7. Particularly, they are better than the standards trolox (IC50 7.57 ± 0.23 µg/mL) in lipid peroxidation inhibitory evaluation, and streptomycin (IC50/MIC = 45.34-50.34/128-256 µg/mL) in antimicrobial assay against the Gram-positive bacteria Enterococcus faecalis ATCC299212, Staphylococcus aureus ATCC25923, and the Gram-negative bacterium Salmonella enterica ATCC13076.

Sulfonyl thiourea derivatives from 2-aminodiarylpyrimidines: In vitro and in silico evaluation as potential carbonic anhydrase I, II, IX, and XII inhibitors.

A series of synthesized sulfonyl thiourea derivatives (7a-o) of substituted 2-amino-4,6-diarylpyrimidines (4a-o) exhibited the remarkable inhibitory activity against some the human carbonic anhydrases (hCAs), including hCA I, II, IX, and XII isoforms. The inhibitory efficacy of synthesized sulfonyl thiourea derivatives were experimentally validated by in vitro enzymatic assays. 7a (KI = 46.14 nM), 7j (KI = 48.92 nM), and 7m (KI = 62.59 nM) (for isoform hCA I); 7f (KI = 42.72 nM), 7i (KI = 40.98 nM), and 7j (KI = 33.40 nM) (for isoform hCA II); 7j (KI = 228.5 nM), 7m (KI = 195.4 nM), and 7n (KI = 210.1 nM) (for isoform hCA IX); 7l (KI = 116.9 nM), 7m (KI = 118.8 nM), and 7n (KI = 147.2 nM) (for isoform hCA XII) in comparison with KI values of 452.1, 327.3, 437.2, and 338.9 nM, respectively, of the standard drug AAZ. These compounds also had significantly more potent inhibitory action against cytosolic isoform hCA I and tumor-associated isoforms hCA IX and hCA XII. Furthermore, the potential inhibitory compounds were subjected to in silico screening for molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulations. The results of in vitro and in silico studies revealed that compounds 7a, 7j, and 7m were the most promising derivatives in this series due to their significant effects on studied hCA I, II, IX, and XII isoforms, respectively. The results showed that the sulfonyl thiourea moiety was accommodated deeply in the active site and interacted with the zinc ion in the receptors.

Unraveling Hydrogen Adsorption on Transition Metal-Doped [Mo3S13]2- Clusters: Insights from Density Functional Theory Calculations.

Molecular and dissociative hydrogen adsorption of transition metal (TM)-doped [Mo3S13]2- atomic clusters were investigated using density functional theory calculations. The introduced TM dopants form stable bonds with S atoms, preserving the geometric structure. The S-TM-S bridging bond emerges as the most stable configuration. The preferred adsorption sites were found to be influenced by various factors, such as the relative electronegativity, coordination number, and charge of the TM atom. Notably, the presence of these TM atoms remarkably improved the hydrogen adsorption activity. The dissociation of a single hydrogen molecule on TM[Mo3S13]2- clusters (TM = Sc, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, and Ni) is thermodynamically and kinetically favorable compared to their bare counterparts. The extent of favorability monotonically depends on the TM impurity, with a maximum activation barrier energy ranging from 0.62 to 1.58 eV, lower than that of the bare cluster (1.69 eV). Findings provide insights for experimental research on hydrogen adsorption using TM-doped molybdenum sulfide nanoclusters, with potential applications in the field of hydrogen energy.

Towards a machine-learning assisted non-invasive classification of dengue severity using wearable PPG data: a prospective clinical study.

BACKGROUND: Dengue epidemics impose considerable strain on healthcare resources. Real-time continuous and non-invasive monitoring of patients admitted to the hospital could lead to improved care and outcomes. We evaluated the performance of a commercially available wearable (SmartCare) utilising photoplethysmography (PPG) to stratify clinical risk for a cohort of hospitalised patients with dengue in Vietnam. METHODS: We performed a prospective observational study for adult and paediatric patients with a clinical diagnosis of dengue at the Hospital for Tropical Disease, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Patients underwent PPG monitoring early during admission alongside standard clinical care. PPG waveforms were analysed using machine learning models. Adult patients were classified between 3 severity classes: i) uncomplicated (ward-based), ii) moderate-severe (emergency department-based), and iii) severe (ICU-based). Data from paediatric patients were split into 2 classes: i) severe (during ICU stay) and ii) follow-up (14-21 days after the illness onset). Model performances were evaluated using standard classification metrics and 5-fold stratified cross-validation. FINDINGS: We included PPG and clinical data from 132 adults and 15 paediatric patients with a median age of 28 (IQR, 21-35) and 12 (IQR, 9-13) years respectively. 1781 h of PPG data were available for analysis. The best performing convolutional neural network models (CNN) achieved a precision of 0.785 and recall of 0.771 in classifying adult patients according to severity class and a precision of 0.891 and recall of 0.891 in classifying between disease and post-disease state in paediatric patients. INTERPRETATION: We demonstrate that the use of a low-cost wearable provided clinically actionable data to differentiate between patients with dengue of varying severity. Continuous monitoring and connectivity to early warning systems could significantly benefit clinical care in dengue, particularly within an endemic setting. Work is currently underway to implement these models for dynamic risk predictions and assist in individualised patient care. FUNDING: EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training in High-Performance Embedded and Distributed Systems (HiPEDS) (Grant: EP/L016796/1) and the Wellcome Trust (Grants: 215010/Z/18/Z and 215688/Z/19/Z).

Growth performance, meat quality, and blood characteristics of finisher crossbred pigs fed diets supplemented with different levels of green tea (Camellia sinensis) by-products.

Background and Aim: Dietary supplementation with green tea by-product shows special effects on animal parameters. This study aimed to assess the effects of green tea by-products (GTBP) in the diet on some blood parameters, growth performance, and carcass characteristics of finishing pigs and on meat quality, and nutritional composition of pork. Materials and Methods: One hundred and sixty crossbred pigs with an initial body weight of 65.15 ± 0.38 kg, were distributed into four dietary treatments, with four replicates of 10 pigs each. The dietary treatments were a basal diet (control diet, CON), and three experimental diets (GTBP8, GTBP16, and GTBP24) based on the CON diet supplemented with GTBP at 8, 16, and 24 g/kg of feed. The studied parameters were examined during the experimental period of 10 weeks. Results: No statistical differences in average daily feed intake, average daily gain, and feed conversion ratio were observed between the diet treatments (p > 0.05). Backfat thickness decreased (linear, p < 0.05) according to the GTBP levels but no other carcass parameters. Meat quality was not influenced by the GTBP levels (p > 0.05). However, pigs fed with GTBP had a decrease in cholesterol content and an increase in crude protein and total omega-3 content of pork compared to the CON diet (p < 0.05). Moreover, dietary supplementation with GTBP significantly decreased plasma cholesterol (p < 0.05), and trends for the decrease in low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and urea nitrogen were observed (linear, p = 0.08). Conclusion: Up to 24 g/kg GTBP in the diet for finishing pigs does not impair animal performance and makes carcass leaner with softer meat as well as positive effects on cholesterol and fatty acid metabolism. Further experiments are needed to determine the optimal levels of GTBP addition in finishing pig diet to produce higher meat quality.

Thiourea derivatives containing 4-arylthiazoles and d-glucose moiety: design, synthesis, antimicrobial activity evaluation, and molecular docking/dynamics simulations.

Some substituted glucose-conjugated thioureas containing 1,3-thiazole ring, 4a-h, were synthesized by the reaction of the corresponding substituted 2-amino-4-phenyl-1,3-thiazoles 2a-h with 2,3,4,6-tetra-O-acetyl-ß-d-glucopyranosyl isocyanate. The antibacterial and antifungal activities of these thiazole-containing thioureas were estimated using a minimum inhibitory concentration protocol. Among these compounds, 4c, 4g, and 4h were better inhibitors with MIC = 0.78-3.125 µg mL-1. These three compounds were also tested for their ability to inhibit S. aureus enzymes, including DNA gyrase, DNA topoisomerase IV (Topo IV), and dihydrofolate reductase, and compound 4h was found to be a strong inhibitor with IC50 = 1.25 ± 0.12, 67.28 ± 1.21, and 0.13 ± 0.05 µM, respectively. Induced-fit docking and MM-GBSA calculations were performed to observe the binding efficiencies and steric interactions of these compounds. The obtained results showed that compound 4h is compatible with the active site of S. aureus DNA gyrase 2XCS with four H-bond interactions with residues Ala1118, Met1121, and F:DC11 and also three interactions with F:DG10 (two interactions) and F:DC11 (one interaction). Molecular dynamics simulation in a water solvent system showed that ligand 4h had active interactions with enzyme 2XCS through residues Ala1083, Glu1088, Ala1118, Gly1117, and Met1121.

Outcomes of Gamma Knife Radiosurgery for Drug-Resistant Primary Trigeminal Neuralgia.

Objective: To evaluate the result of gamma knife radiosurgery (GKRS) for drug-resistant primary trigeminal neuralgia (TN). Methods: Patients who were diagnosed with drug-resistant primary TN were treated with GKRS at the Nuclear Medicine and Oncology Center, Bach Mai Hospital from January 2015 to June 2020. Using the pain rating scale of the Barrow Neurological Institute (BNI), follow-ups and evaluations were conducted at 1 month, 3 months, 6 months, and 9 month, and 1, 2 years, 3 years, and 5 years after radiosurgery. Comparisons of pain levels was performed before and after radiosurgery according to the BNI scale. Results: From January 2015 to June 2020, 33 patients were treated with GKS. There were 23 female patients and 10 male patients; the average age was 61.9. The average onset time of disease was 4.42 years. Among all patients, 84.8% of patients were relieved from pain and 78.8% were pain-free without medication. The mean time for pain relief was 3 months and was not related to the dose of GKS (<80 Gy and ≥80 Gy). The efficacy of pain relief is not related to blood vessel contact with the trigeminal nerve, the dose of GKS, and the onset of disease. The rate of recurrence after the first pain relief was low (14.3%). Conclusions: Gamma knife is an effective method for the treatment of primary drug-resistant TN, especially in elderly patients with underlying medical conditions. The analgesic effect does not depend on the presence of nerve-vascular conflict.

An application of data mining algorithms for predicting factors affecting Big Data Analysis adoption readiness in SMEs.

The adoption of Big Data Analysis (BDA) has become popular among firms since it creates evidence for decision-making by managers. However, the adoption of BDA continues to be poor among small and medium enterprises (SMEs). Therefore, this study adopted the Technology-Organization-Environment (TOE) framework to identify the drivers of readiness to adopt BDA among SMEs. Chi-square automatic interaction detection (CHAID), Bayesian network, neural network, and C5.0 algorithms of data mining were utilized to analyze data collected from 240 Vietnamese managers of SMEs. The evaluation model identified the C5.0 algorithm as the best model, with accurate results for the prediction of factors influencing the readiness to adopt BDA among SMEs. The findings revealed management support, data quality, firm size, data security and cost to be the fundamental factors influencing BDA adoption readiness. Moreover, the results identified the service sector as having a higher level of readiness toward the adoption of BDA compared to the manufacturing sector. The findings are imperative for the enhancement of the decision-making process and advancement of comprehension of the determinants of BDA adoption among SMEs by researchers, managers, providers and policymakers.

Detection and characterization of Kudoa thunni from uncooked yellowfin tuna (Thunnus albacares) in Southeast Asia.

Myxosporean parasites Kudoa spp. have been reported in several marine fish species worldwide. However, little is known about the contamination of these parasites in raw fish in Southeast Asia, where the consumption demand of uncooked fish is increasing. In 2019, the occurrence of several cases of raw yellowfin tuna (Thunnus albacares) obtained from retail shops with the presence of unknown white, nodular cysts within the musculature have raised public health concerns for the consumption of raw marine fish in Vietnam. Microscopic examination revealed numerous myxospores with the quadratic shape of the Kudoidae. Morphologically, stained spores detected in this study are suspected to Kudoa thunni. To confirm the suspected Kudoa species, further examination of the 18S small-subunit (SSU) was conducted and the results of nucleotide sequence analysis obtained from nodular cysts revealed 99.18-100% identity to that of Kudoa thunni sequences available in GenBank. Detection of K. thunni infection in tuna in Southeast Asia highlights the need for appropriate surveillance and control measures to ensure high quality standards and safety on raw fish production and consumption.

Widespread presence of a highly virulent Edwardsiella ictaluri strain in farmed tilapia, Oreochromis spp.

Edwardsiella ictaluri is an emerging bacterial pathogen that affects farmed tilapia (Oreochromis spp.). This study reports the widespread presence of E. ictaluri in farmed tilapia in Vietnam. Among 26 disease outbreaks from nine provinces in Northern Vietnam during 2019-2021, 19 outbreaks originated from imported seeds, while outbreaks in seven farms were from domestic sources. Clinically sick fish showed the appearance of numerous white spots in visceral organs, and accumulative mortality reached 30%-65%. A total of 26 representative bacterial isolates recovered from 26 disease outbreaks were identified as E. ictaluri based on a combination of phenotypic tests, genus- and species-specific polymerase chain reaction assays, 16S rRNA and gyrB sequencing, and phylogenetic analysis. All isolates harboured the same virulence gene profiles esrC+ , evpC+ , ureA-C+ , eseI- , escD- and virD4- . Antimicrobial susceptibility tests revealed that 80.8%-100% of isolates were multidrug resistant, with resistance to 4-8 antimicrobials in the groups of penicillin, macrolides, sulfonamides, amphenicols and glycopeptides. The experimental challenge successfully induced disease that mimicked natural infection. The median lethal doses (LD50 ) of the tested isolates (n = 4) were 42-61 colony forming units/fish, indicating their extremely high virulence. This emerging pathogen is established and has spread to various geographical locations, causing serious impacts on farmed tilapia in northern Vietnam. It is likely that this pathogen will continue to spread through contaminated stocks (both imported and domestic sources) and persist. Thus, increased awareness, combined with biosecurity measures and emergent vaccination programs is essential to mitigate the negative impact of this emerging disease on the tilapia farming industry.

Data on cerebral palsy in Vietnam will inform clinical practice and policy in low and middle-income countries.

PURPOSE: To document known risk factors, clinical severity, associated impairments and rehabilitation status of children presenting with cerebral palsy (CP) to the National Children's Hospital (NCH) in Hanoi, Vietnam. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Active prospective ascertainment of cases of CP presenting between June and November 2017 to the NCH using surveillance modelled on the Paediatric Active Enhanced Disease Surveillance system in Australia. RESULTS: Data were collected on 765 children with CP (mean age: 2 years 7 months (SD 2 y 6 mo). Mean age at diagnosis was 1 year 8 months (SD 1 y 9 mo). Children predominantly had spastic CP (95.2%, n = 729), most were quadriplegic (69.6%, n = 532) and 60.3% (n = 454) were Gross Motor Functional Classification System level III-V. Of the children 76.2% (n = 583) had one/more associated impairments. 36.3% (n = 276) had presumed perinatal asphyxia, 26.5% (n = 202) were preterm. Physiotherapy (94.3%, n = 663) was the most common form of intervention used. Only 2.6% (n = 12) of the children who would have benefitted from assistive devices had wheelchairs. CONCLUSION: We established hospital-based surveillance of CP in Hanoi and confirmed a high burden and severity of CP with potentially preventable risk factors. These data will inform clinician training and health policy and identify need for evidence-based care and assistive devices.IMPLICATIONS FOR REHABILITATIONWe identified a high number of children with severe forms of cerebral palsy (CP) in Hanoi, Vietnam through hospital-based surveillance.There is an urgent need for clinician training and access to and use of evidence-based interventions including assistive technology.This study will inform local capacity building and health policy for improved diagnosis and care of children with CP in Vietnam and other low and middle-income countries.

Molecular Identification and Pathogenicity of Novel Duck-Origin Goose Parvovirus Isolated from Beak Atrophy and Dwarfism Syndrome of Waterfowls in the North of Vietnam.

The aim of this study is to identify and characterize virus isolates (which are named for Bacgiang Agriculture and Forestry University [BAFU]) from diseased Cherry Valley duck and mule duck flocks and investigate the damage caused by a novel parvovirus-related virus (DuPV) to tissues and organs, including the brain, cerebellum, kidney, liver, lung, spleen, and spinal cord. The results of phylogenetic analysis show that DuPV-BAFU evolved from a goose lineage and duck parvoviruses rather than from Muscovy duck parvoviruses. In the genetic lineages, DuPVs were identified from the DuPV samples analyzed, and DuPV-BAFU was found to be closely clustered with two known goose origin parvoviruses (GPVa2006 and GPV1995) and a duck GPVs. Finally, structural modeling revealed that DuPV-BAFU and the closely related viruses GPVa2006 and GPV1995 possessed identical clusters of receptor-interacting amino acid residues in the VP3 protein, a major determinant of viral receptor binding and host specificity. Significantly, these three viruses differed from DuPVs, Muscovy duck parvoviruses, and other goose parvoviruses at these positions. These results also demonstrated that DuPV-BAFU represents a new variant of goose-origin parvovirus that currently circulates in ducklings and causes beak atrophy and dwarfism syndrome, as noted in the previous reports in Europe, Taiwan, and China. This new finding highlights the need for future surveillance of DuPV-BAFU in waterfowl in order to gain a better understanding of both the evolution and the biology of this emerging parvovirus in waterfowl.

Identificación molecular y patogenicidad de un nuevo parvovirus de ganso de origen en pato aislado del síndrome de atrofia del pico y enanismo de las aves acuáticas en el norte de Vietnam. El objetivo de este estudio es identificar y caracterizar aislados de virus detectados en la Universidad de Agricultura y Silvicultura de Bacgiang (BAFU) de parvadas de patos enfermos Cherry Valley e híbridos y también investigar el daño causado por un nuevo virus relacionado con parvovirus del pato (DuPV) en tejidos y órganos, incluidos el cerebro, el cerebelo, los riñones, el hígado, los pulmones, el bazo y la médula espinal. Los resultados del análisis filogenético mostraron que el virus DuPV-BAFU evolucionó a partir de un linaje de parvovirus de patos y gansos en lugar del parvovirus de patos reales. En los linajes genéticos, se identificaron virus DuPV a partir de las muestras de DuPV analizadas, y se encontró que el DuPV-BAFU estaba estrechamente agrupado con dos parvovirus conocidos de origen de ganso (GPVa2006 y GPV1995) y con parvovirus de pato. Finalmente, el modelado estructural reveló que el virus DuPV-BAFU y los virus estrechamente relacionados GPVa2006 y GPV1995 poseían grupos idénticos de residuos de aminoácidos que interactúan con el receptor en la proteína VP3, que es un determinante importante de la unión al receptor viral y la especificidad del huésped. Significativamente, estos tres virus diferían de los DuPV, los parvovirus del pato real y de otros parvovirus del ganso en estas posiciones. Estos resultados también demostraron que el virus DuPV-BAFU representa una nueva variante del parvovirus de origen ganso que actualmente circula en patitos y causa atrofia del pico y síndrome de enanismo, como se señaló en reportes anteriores en Europa, Taiwán y China. Este nuevo hallazgo destaca la necesidad de una vigilancia futura para el virus DuPV-BAFU en las aves acuáticas para comprender mejor tanto la evolución como la biología de este parvovirus emergente en las aves acuáticas.

First confirmed case of infant botulism caused by Clostridium botulinum type A(B) in a 10-month-old infant in Hanoi, Vietnam.

Infant botulism is a rare but sometimes life-threatening toxemia caused by ingestion of Clostridium botulinum spores. Although cases of infant botulism have probably occurred in Vietnam in the past, they have never been diagnosed and reported. Herein, we report the isolation of C. botulinum type A(B) from the stool of a 10-month-old infant during hospitalization.

Prevalence, Virulence Gene Distribution and Alarming the Multidrug Resistance of Aeromonas hydrophila Associated with Disease Outbreaks in Freshwater Aquaculture.

The study aims to evaluate the infection prevalence, virulence gene distribution and antimicrobial resistance of Aeromonas hydrophila associated in diseased outbreaks of cultured freshwater fish in Northern Vietnam. The confirmed A. hydrophila were screened for the presence of the five pitutative-virulence genes including aerolysin (aerA), hemolysin (hlyA), cytotonic enterotoxin (act), heat-labile cytotonic enterotoxin (alt), and heat-stable enterotoxin (ast), and examined the susceptibility to 16 antibiotics. A total of 236 A. hydrophila isolates were recovered and confirmed from 506 diseased fish by phenotypic tests, PCR assays, and gyrB, rpoB sequenced analyses, corresponding to the infection prevalence at 46.4%. A total of 88.9% of A. hydrophila isolates harbored at least one of the tested virulence genes. The genes aerA and act were most frequently found (80.5% and 80.1%, respectively) while the ast gene was absent in all isolates. The resistance to oxacillin, amoxicillin and vancomycin exhibited the highest frequencies (>70%), followed by erythromycin, oxytetracycline, florfenicol, and sulfamethoxazole/trimethoprim (9.3-47.2%). The multiple antibiotic resistance (MAR) index ranged between 0.13-0.88 with 74.7% of the isolates having MAR values higher than 0.2. The results present a warning for aquaculture farmers and managers in preventing the spread of A. hydrophila and minimizing antibiotic resistance of this pathogen in fish farming systems.