A Multi-Center Randomized Trial to Assess the Efficacy of Gatifloxacin versus Ciprofloxacin for the Treatment of Shigellosis in Vietnamese Children

The bacterial genus Shigella is the most common cause of dysentery (diarrhea containing blood and/or mucus) and the disease is common in developing countries with limitations in sanitation. Children are most at risk of infection and frequently require hospitalization and antimicrobial therapy. The WHO currently recommends the fluoroquinolone, ciprofloxacin, for the treatment of childhood Shigella infections. In recent years there has been a sharp increase in the number of organisms that exhibit resistance to nalidixic acid (an antimicrobial related to ciprofloxacin), corresponding with reduced susceptibility to ciprofloxacin. We hypothesized that infections with Shigella strains that demonstrate resistance to nalidixic acid may prevent effective treatment with ciprofloxacin. We performed a randomized controlled trial to compare 3 day ciprofloxacin therapy with 3 days of gatifloxacin, a newer generation fluoroquinolone with greater activity than ciprofloxacin. We measured treatment failure and time to the cessation of individual disease symptoms in 249 children with dysentery treated with gatifloxacin and 245 treated with ciprofloxacin. We could identify no significant differences in treatment failure between the two groups or in time to the cessation of individual symptoms. We conclude that, in Vietnam, ciprofloxacin and gatifloxacin are similarly effective for the treatment of acute dysentery

Associations between inorganic arsenic in rice and groundwater arsenic in the Mekong Delta

There is growing concern regarding human dietary exposure to arsenic (As) via consumption of rice. The concentration and speciation of As in rice are highly variable, and models describing rice As speciation as a function of environmental covariates remain elusive. We conducted a survey of paddy rice and soil in the Mekong Delta with the objective of linking patterns in rice As content to soil chemical variables or hydrogeological parameters. The sum of As species (ΣAs) in husked rice averaged 243 μg/kg and the average inorganic As (iAs) content was 84%. There was no relationship found between rice As concentration or speciation and As levels in soil. However, mean As concentrations in groundwater near rice sampling locations were strongly correlated with grain ΣAs and iAs over a large part of the study region, despite the fact that groundwater is not commonly used for rice paddy irrigation in this region. We hypothesize that surficial sediments with high concentrations of soluble and plant-available As also serve as sources of arsenic to downgradient shallow aquifers, explaining the observed associations between rice and groundwater As. This study suggests that shallow groundwater As concentrations may serve as a useful indicator for locations at risk of elevated iAs concentrations in rice

Arsenic Speciation in Mekong Delta Sediments Depends on Their Depositional Environment

International audienc

From free to forced adaptation: A political ecology of the ‘state‐society‐flood’ nexus in the Vietnamese Mekong Delta

10.1111/apv.12241Asia Pacific Viewpoin

Urbanization and water management in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam-issues, challenges and perspectives

The management of water resources is an unfinished effort of the international community. Rapid urbanization has transcended the management capacity of governments in developing countries. Since the renovation policy launched in 1986, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, has experienced the fastest urbanization and industrialization process. This has placed severe constraints on the use of water resources and management capacity of the local government. The abstraction of groundwater has exceeded the limiting volume (520,000 m3/day) and the annual drawdown of water table is 2–3 m. In addition, the quality of urban water bodies is increasingly exacerbated by a huge volume of untreated industrial and domestic wastewater. These are hampering water demand, use and the capacity of the municipal authority in managing water resources. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the impact of urbanization on water resources. Current issues and challenges in the management practices of water resources are discussed. It will propose a new paradigm of water management in Ho Chi Minh City.Phu Le V