Binh Phuoc Research Articles

The Cham Bani of Vietnam

Based on 1989 statistics, approximately 131,282 Cham live in Vietnam.They are the descendents of Champa, an Indian-Hindu kingdom that, centurieslater, was heavily influenced by Arabic-Islamic culture. Buddhismalso made its way into Champa, but was confined to the royal circle duringthe reign of King Indravarman II (c. 896-905). Historically, the Cham weredivided along religious lines: Hindu and Muslim. The Muslim population issubdivided further between the Cham Banis and the mainstream (Sunni)Cham Islam. The Cham population is concentrated mainly in the lowermiddleand southern parts of Vietnam. In the middle part, they live scatteredin the Phan Rang and Phan Ri regions. In the southern and southwesternparts, they live in Tay Ninh, Chau Doc, An Giang, Ho Chi Minh City, LongKhanh, and Binh Phuoc cities. The Cham Banis and Cham Hindus onlyreside in Phan Rang and Phan Ri. There, the Cham Banis make up about onehalfof the Cham population, while the remaining half is Cham Hindu. However,in the south and southwest, all of them follow mainstream Islam ...

Resistance of Plasmodium falciparum to antimalarial drugs in a highly endemic area of southern Viet Nam: a study in vivo and in vitro

To assess the antimalarial sensitivity of Plasmodium falciparum in vivo and in vitro in a highly endemic area of southern Viet Nam, a field study was conducted (in 1999) at a rubber plantation in Binh Phuoc Province north of Ho Chi Minh City. Fifty patients were treated with either artesunate (4 mg/kg on day 0, then 2 mg/kg on day 1 to 4) or mefloquine (10 mg/kg at 0 h, then 5 mg/kg at 6 h), and their progress was followed for 28 days under standard WHO protocols. Blood spots were taken at baseline from all patients, as well as from those who redeveloped parasitaemia during follow-up, for polymerase chain reaction (PCR) determination of parasite genotypes to assist differentiation of re-infection from recrudescence. Both treatments cleared parasites within 5 days. Of the 25 mefloquine-treated patients, 2 (8%) re-presented with probable re-infections. For artesunate, 4 patients (16%) had re-infections and 5 (20%) had recrudescences. Sensitivity tests in vitro of pre-treatment P. falciparum isolates showed geometric mean IC 50 values of 29, 38, 209 and 15 nmol/L for chloroquine ( n = 32), mefloquine ( n = 33), quinine ( n = 31) and artemisinin ( n = 31), respectively. There were significant correlations between IC 50s for artemisinin and mefloquine ( r = 0·72, P = 0·004), and chloroquine and quinine ( r = 0·44, P = 0·05). These data show that, although mefloquine has been used for 10 years in Binh Phuoc Province, it remains fully effective, perhaps because an artemisinin derivative is commonly given at the same time. The recrudescence rate for artesunate is similar to those reported in other epidemiological contexts. The present in-vitro data imply that quinine remains effective and that reduced drug pressure has been associated with increased sensitivity of local strains of P. falciparum to chloroquine. Although from one hyperendemic area, these results may have implications for antimalarial prophylaxis and treatment strategies for residents and travellers to southern Viet Nam.