Ph.D. candidate
Nguyen Cong Trung Dung
Head of the Steering Section of Epidemiology Department, Institute of Malariology, Parasitology, Entomology (IMPE) Quy Nhon
Title: Spatial dynamics, transmission hotspot clustering, and malaria foci ecology in Central Vietnam: An One Health perspective
Name(s): Nguyen Cong Trung Dung1*, Ho Van Hoang1, Huynh Hong Quang1, Tran Thanh Son2
1 Institute of Malariology, Parasitology, and Entomology Quy Nhon, Vietnam
2 The International Centre for Interdisciplinary Science and Education (ICISE)
Background: In malaria elimination, pathogen persistence in jungle-forested areas requires a One Health approach addressing human-vector-environment interactions. In Khanh Vinh district (Vietnam), severe malaria outbreaks have resurged despite high intervention coverage. This study analyzed foci transition dynamics, spatial clustering, and One Health ecological factors across 39 malaria foci (2020-2025). Methods: A longitudinal study (combining retrospective and prospective data) coupled with spatial analysis was conducted on a cohort of 39 malaria foci and 498 cases from 2020 to 2025. Geographic Information Systems (QGIS) and multi-criteria models mapped hotspot clusters. One Health ecology was evaluated through interactions among demographics, vector/pathogen distribution, and transmission habitats. Results: Overall (2020-2025), 20.0% of residual non-active and 7.6% of cleared foci reverted to active foci status, with a severe re-establishment peak in 2022-2023 (63.6% and 29.2%, respectively). Spatially, transmission stratified into four clusters; Cluster 1 (14.3% of communes) accounted for 48.7% of the active foci. The One Health perspective revealed the ecology sustaining these reservoirs: Environment: 60% of active foci adjoined forests, and 100% of infections occurred outdoors (57.6% forests, 42.4% swidden fields). Human: The transmission chain relied on mobile populations (75.1% male, 70.9% forest/ agricultural ethnic workers). Vector/Pathogen: Pathogens were dominated by Plasmodium malariae (in 75% of foci), combined with exophagic secondary vectors (Anopheles aconitus, An. maculatus in 75% of foci), bypassing indoor interventions. Conclusion: Malaria transmission exhibits extreme spatial clustering and unstable dynamics. Resurgence is driven by the One Health nexus, including mobile forest-goers, outdoor-biting secondary vectors, and silent circulation of P. malariae. Health systems must implement micro-targeting interventions to definitively interrupt these localized chains
Biography of the presenting author
Nguyen Cong Trung Dung obtained his Bachelor’s degree in Public Health from Hue University of Medicine and Pharmacy in 2011, and his Doctor’s degree in Preventive Medicine from Hanoi Medical University in 2018. He is currently a PhD candidate at the National Institute of Malariology, Parasitology and Entomology in Hanoi, Vietnam. Since 2020, he has been serving as the Head of the Steering Section at the Epidemiology Department, Institute of Malariology, Parasitology and Entomology Quy Nhon, where he initially started working as a Surveillance Officer in 2011. With over a decade of experience, his research heavily focuses on malaria epidemiology, spatial dynamics, active foci management, and targeted interventions in elimination settings, particularly for high-risk mobile and migrant populations in Central Vietnam. He has participated as a key researcher in numerous projects funded by the WHO and the Vietnamese Ministry of Health, and has authored several scientific papers in reputable medical journals
Presenting author details
Full name: Nguyen Cong Trung Dung
Contact number: +84917026879
Email: nguyendung0917@gmail.com
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ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0002-2719-9104
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Session name/ number: Zoonosis and One Health
Category: Oral presentation/Poster presentation.