[health-vn] Comment on usage: Vietnam develops highly-effective cholera vaccine

[Vern Weitzel]

Thanks Phi,

It is not as though there would be a confusion in language. The
two organisms have different names in Vietnamese. Hence, the
failure appears to be in misunderstanding the biology. It would be
good to know what proportion of  Vietnamese journalists have a
university background in the sciences.

This would make it hard for them to work knowledgeably on
science issues.

I may be wrong, but I do not think that there are specific courses/degrees
in science or technical writing in Viet Nam. Is this correct?
There are a good many such certifications overseas.

Then the main remaining issue would be the proper terms and usage in
Vietnamese.

Can someone elucidate? Vern


Subject: 	Re: [health-vn] Vietnam develops highly-effective cholera vaccine
Date: 	Sat, 30 May 2009 16:13:12 +0700
From: 	Phi Huynhdo <phihuynhdo at gmail.com>

There's again a confusion between bacterium and virus.

The pathogen responsible for cholera is vibrio cholerae, a gram-negative
bacterium.

If things are not written correctly, I wonder who would believe in the
effectiveness of the vaccine.

best


HdP