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Fulltext Campylobacter enteritis in children: clinical and laboratory findings in 137 cases

Puthucheary SD, Parasakthi N, Liew ST, Chee YW

Singapore Med J, 1994 Oct;35(5):453-6.
PMID: 7701360

One hundred and thirty-seven children with Campylobacter diarrhoea were reviewed. The predominant species was C. jejuni. Ninety-five percent of the children were below 5 years of age with 61% of these being 2-12 months old. A slight male preponderance was noted. About half the cases presented with fever and bloody diarrhoea; vomiting was seen in 28% and abdominal colic in only 8%. Moderate to severe diarrhoea was present in 48% of the children. Thirty-seven percent had a history of recent or concurrent illness. Other bacterial enteropathogens together with Campylobacter were isolated in 15% of the children. Erythromycin, the most useful drug, when indicated for Campylobacter infections, had an MIC90 of 2 mg/l with 96.2% of the strains being sensitive.
Fulltext Absence of Plasmodium inui and Plasmodium cynomolgi, but detection of Plasmodium knowlesi and Plasmodium vivax infections in asymptomatic humans in the Betong division of Sarawak, Malaysian Borneo

Siner A, Liew ST, Kadir KA, Mohamad DSA, Thomas FK, Zulkarnaen M, et al.

Malar J, 2017 Oct 17;16(1):417.
PMID: 29041929 DOI: 10.1186/s12936-017-2064-9

BACKGROUND: Plasmodium knowlesi, a simian malaria parasite, has become the main cause of malaria in Sarawak, Malaysian Borneo. Epidemiological data on malaria for Sarawak has been derived solely from hospitalized patients, and more accurate epidemiological data on malaria is necessary. Therefore, a longitudinal study of communities affected by knowlesi malaria was undertaken.
METHODS: A total of 3002 blood samples on filter paper were collected from 555 inhabitants of 8 longhouses with recently reported knowlesi malaria cases in the Betong Division of Sarawak, Malaysian Borneo. Each longhouse was visited bimonthly for a total of 10 times during a 21-month study period (Jan 2014-Oct 2015). DNA extracted from blood spots were examined by a nested PCR assay for Plasmodium and positive samples were then examined by nested PCR assays for Plasmodium falciparum, Plasmodium vivax, Plasmodium malariae, Plasmodium ovale, Plasmodium knowlesi, Plasmodium cynomolgi and Plasmodium inui. Blood films of samples positive by PCR were also examined by microscopy.
RESULTS: Genus-specific PCR assay detected Plasmodium DNA in 9 out of 3002 samples. Species-specific PCR identified 7 P. knowlesi and one P. vivax. Malaria parasites were observed in 5 thick blood films of the PCR positive samples. No parasites were observed in blood films from one knowlesi-, one vivax- and the genus-positive samples. Only one of 7 P. knowlesi-infected individual was febrile and had sought medical treatment at Betong Hospital the day after sampling. The 6 knowlesi-, one vivax- and one Plasmodium-infected individuals were afebrile and did not seek any medical treatment.
CONCLUSIONS: Asymptomatic human P. knowlesi and P. vivax malaria infections, but not P. cynomolgi and P. inui infections, are occurring within communities affected with malaria.
Fulltext Correction to: Absence of Plasmodium inui and Plasmodium cynomolgi, but detection of Plasmodium knowlesi and Plasmodium vivax infections in asymptomatic humans in the Betong division of Sarawak, Malaysian Borneo

Siner A, Liew ST, Kadir KA, Mohamad DSA, Thomas FK, Zulkarnaen M, et al.

Malar J, 2017 11 06;16(1):445.
PMID: 29110664 DOI: 10.1186/s12936-017-2093-4

After publication of the article [1], it has been brought to our attention that two of the labels on Figure 4 have transposed. The labels "S-type SSU rRNA" and "A-type SSU rRNA" should be in opposite places.
Evaluating the physicochemical properties and efficacy of recently expired and aged antivenom products from Thailand and Taiwan

Tan KY, Liew ST, Tan QY, Abdul-Rahman FN, Azmi NI, Sim SM, et al.

Toxicon, 2019 Mar 15;160:55-58.
PMID: 30797900 DOI: 10.1016/j.toxicon.2019.02.010

Gel filtration chromatography and gel electrophoresis revealed minimal protein degradation in lyophilized antivenoms which were 2-year expired (Hemato Polyvalent, Neuro Polyvalent; Thailand) and 18-year expired (Hemato Bivalent, Neuro Bivalent; Taiwan). All expired antivenoms retained immunological binding activity, and were able to neutralize the hemotoxic or neurotoxic as well as lethal effects of the homologous snake venoms. The findings show that antivenoms under proper storage conditions may remain relatively stable beyond the indicated shelf life.