About the Authors

Anonh Xeuatvongsa

Affiliation National Immunization Program, Ministry of Health, Lao PDR, Simeuang Road, Vientiane, Lao PDR

Kenichi Komada

Affiliation Bureau of International Cooperation, National Center for Global Health and Medicine, Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan

Tomomi Kitamura

Affiliation Bureau of International Cooperation, National Center for Global Health and Medicine, Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan

Phengta Vongphrachanh

Affiliation National Center for Laboratory and Epidemiology, Ministry of Health, Lao PDR, Simeuang Road, Vientiane, Lao PDR

Chansay Pathammavong

Affiliation National Immunization Program, Ministry of Health, Lao PDR, Simeuang Road, Vientiane, Lao PDR

Kongxay Phounphenghak

Affiliation National Immunization Program, Ministry of Health, Lao PDR, Simeuang Road, Vientiane, Lao PDR

Thongchanh Sisouk

Affiliation National Center for Laboratory and Epidemiology, Ministry of Health, Lao PDR, Simeuang Road, Vientiane, Lao PDR

Darouny Phonekeo

Affiliation National Center for Laboratory and Epidemiology, Ministry of Health, Lao PDR, Simeuang Road, Vientiane, Lao PDR

Bounthanom Sengkeopaseuth

Affiliation National Center for Laboratory and Epidemiology, Ministry of Health, Lao PDR, Simeuang Road, Vientiane, Lao PDR

Vilasak Som-Oulay

Affiliation National Center for Laboratory and Epidemiology, Ministry of Health, Lao PDR, Simeuang Road, Vientiane, Lao PDR

Koji Ishii

Affiliation Department of Virology II, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Musashi-murayama, Tokyo, Japan

Takaji Wakita

Affiliation Department of Virology II, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Musashi-murayama, Tokyo, Japan

Masaya Sugiyama

Affiliation Hepatology Research Center, National Center for Global Health and Medicine, Ichikawa, Chiba, Japan

Masahiko Hachiya

m-hachiya@it.ncgm.go.jp

Affiliation Bureau of International Cooperation, National Center for Global Health and Medicine, Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan

Competing Interests

The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Author Contributions

Conceived and designed the experiments: AX MH KI TW MS. Performed the experiments: KK TK PV CP KP DP BS VSO TS. Analyzed the data: KK TK MH. Contributed reagents/materials/analysis tools: KI TW MS. Wrote the paper: AX PV MH. Revised the manuscript: KK TK PV CP KP DP BS VSO KI TW MS. Arranged laboratory for diagnosis: PV KI TW MS.