On October 6, 2026, A.A. Smorodintsev Research Institute of Influenza (Ministry of Health of Russia) hosted the thesis defense of Dr. Nguyen Thi Thanh Thao, Head of the Enterovirus Laboratory at the Pasteur Institute of Ho Chi Minh City (Socialist Republic of Vietnam), for the degree of Candidate of Medical Sciences in the specialty "Virology" (code 1.5.10). The dissertation was titled "Characterization of Enteroviruses Circulating in Southern Vietnam and Their Role in the Etiology of Infectious Diseases." From 2022 to 2025, Dr. Nguyen Thi Thanh Thao was affiliated with St. Petersburg Pasteur Institute to conduct her thesis research (under the supervision of Dr. Natalia Ivanovna Romanenkova, Candidate of Medical Sciences and Leading Researcher at the Laboratory of Etiology and Control of Viral Infections).
Dr. Nguyen Thi Thanh Thao’s thesis analyzes the circulation of various enterovirus types and genotypes among the population of Southern Vietnam between 2010 and 2021. The study identified the predominant clinical form of enterovirus infection in the region. It was established that Enterovirus 71 accounts for the majority of enterovirus infection cases, including those accompanied by neurological complications such as acute flaccid paralysis, meningitis, or meningoencephalitis. The data obtained during the dissertation research are of great importance for monitoring the epidemic process of enteroviral infection in Southern Vietnam, as well as for the development and implementation of specific vaccine-based preventive measures against the disease.
Members of the dissertation council noted the high methodological standard of the work and the importance of the research – not only for Vietnam but also for the Russian Federation – particularly given that Vietnam is a popular tourist destination for Russian citizens.
