Prevalence and Characterization of Gastroenteritis Viruses among Hospitalized Children during a Pilot Rotavirus Vaccine Introduction in Vietnam

Rotavirus (RV), norovirus (NoV), sapovirus (SaV), and human astrovirus (HAstV) are the most common viral causes of gastroenteritis in children worldwide. From 2016 to 2021, we conducted a cross-sectional descriptive study to determine the prevalence of these viruses in hospitalized children under five years old in Nam Dinh and Thua Thien Hue provinces in Vietnam during the pilot introduction of the RV vaccine, Rotavin-M1 (POLYVAC, Hanoi, Vietnam). We randomly selected 2317/6718 (34%) acute diarrheal samples from children <5 years of age enrolled at seven sentinel hospitals from December 2016 to May 2021; this period included one year surveillance pre-vaccination from December 2016 to November 2017. An ELISA kit (Premier Rotaclone®, Meridian Bioscience, Inc., Cincinnati, OH, USA) was used to detect RV, and two multiplex real-time RT-PCR assays were used for the detection of NoV, SaV and HAstV. The prevalence of RV (single infection) was reduced from 41.6% to 22.7% (p < 0.0001) between pre- and post-vaccination periods, while the single NoV infection prevalence more than doubled from 8.8% to 21.8% (p < 0.0001). The SaV and HAstV prevalences slightly increased from 1.9% to 3.4% (p = 0.03) and 2.1% to 3.3% (p = 0.09), respectively, during the same period. Viral co-infections decreased from 7.2% to 6.0% (p = 0.24), mainly due to a reduction in RV infection. Among the genotypeable samples, NoV GII.4, SaV GI.1, and HAstV-1 were the dominant types, representing 57.3%, 32.1%, and 55.0% among the individual viral groups, respectively. As the prevalence of RV decreases following the national RV vaccine introduction in Vietnam, other viral pathogens account for a larger proportion of the remaining diarrhea burden and require continuing close monitoring.

Anal human papillomavirus prevalence and risk factors among men who have sex with men in Vietnam

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HPV infection in men having sex with men (MSM) was studied in two cities of Vietnam

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Prevalence of any HPV and HPV16/18 among MSM was 32.3% and 11.0%, respectively

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High-risk HPV infections in MSM were associated with risky sexual behaviours

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A targeted HPV vaccination strategy would be beneficial for MSM in Vietnam

Objectives

Men who have sex with men (MSM) are at risk of human papillomavirus (HPV)-related cancers, while published data are scarce. This study determined HPV prevalence and risk factors in MSM in Vietnam to inform HPV prevention strategies in this key population.

Methods

A cross-sectional study of 799 MSM aged 16-50 years was conducted in Vietnam in 2017-2018. Information was collected on risk behaviours, and knowledge of HPV and anal cancer; rectal swabs were taken to detect anal HPV infection. An in-house polymerase chain reaction and Genoflow HPV array test kit were used for HPV detection and genotyping.

Results

The median age of the study participants was 25 years (range 18-52). Overall prevalence of any HPV and HPV16/18 infection was 32.3% and 11.0%, respectively. A higher prevalence of high-risk HPV infection to all 14 types tested was found in Ho Chi Minh City (30.9%) than in Hanoi (18.4%). High-risk HPV infection was associated with inconsistent condom use and history of engaging in sex under the influence of drugs (adjusted odds ratio (aOR), 2.27; 95% CI, 1.48-10.67), as well as having multiple sexual partners (aOR, 1.01; 95% CI, 1.00–1.02).

Conclusions

High-risk anal HPV infections in Vietnamese MSM were significantly associated with risky sexual behaviours. A targeted HPV vaccination strategy would have substantial benefit for MSM in Vietnam.