METHODS: This paper covers detailed explanation on the various developmental and validation process stages of the CAB zoonotic disease questionnaire development. The development phase comprised thorough literature search, focus group discussion, expert panel assessment and review. The validation process included pre-test and pilot testing, data analysis of results, analysis of internal consistency and the development of the final version of the questionnaire. Participants selected represented main ethnicities, gender, levels of education and population type (urban/rural) in the Klang Valley area.
RESULTS: The items in the questionnaire has undergone various changes in structurally and linguistically. The final refined CAB questionnaire consists of 14 items cognitive (no items removed at pilot phase), nine items affective (one item removed at pilot phase) and five items behaviour (no items removed from pre-test phase), respectively. Reliability analysis revealed Cronbach's alpha values were 0.700 (cognitive) and 0.606 (affective) which indicated good internal consistency after item reduction.
CONCLUSIONS: The developed questionnaire has proved its feasibility in assessing the Malaysian general population cognitive, affective and behavior regarding the household pets' zoonotic diseases.
OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to determine the seroprevalence of IBV and to characterise the circulating IBV in poultry farms in Sabah Province, Malaysia.
METHODS: To determine IBV antibodies, a total of 138 blood samples and 50 organ samples were collected from 10 commercial broiler flocks in 3 different farms by using the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) (IDEXX Kit) and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) followed by sequencing.
RESULTS: A total of 94.2% (130/138) of the samples were seropositive for IBV in the vaccinated flock, and 38% (52/138) of the birds was the IBV titre for infection. The selected seropositive samples for IBV were confirmed by RT-PCR, with 22% (11/50) being IBV positive amplified and sequenced by targeted highly conserved partial nucleocapsid (N) genes. Subsequently, phylogenetic analysis constructed using amplified sequences again exposed the presence of Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Chinese QX variants circulating in poultry farms in Sabah, Malaysia.
CONCLUSIONS: The unexpectedly increasing mean titres in serology indicated that post infection of IBV and highly prevalent IBV in selected farms in this study. The sequencing and phylogenetic analysis revealed the presence of multiple IBV variants circulating in Malaysian chicken farms in Sabah, which further monitoring of genetic variation are needed to better understand the genetic diversity.
METHODS: A total of 40 rodent blood samples were analysed for blood parasite infection and a combined approach using polymerase chain reaction-based technique, and traditional microscopic examination (blood smear test) was conducted. 18s rRNA (Plasmodium spp.) and cytochrome b (Hepatocystis spp.) gene marker were used to identify the blood parasites.
RESULTS: Note that 67.5% (n = 27) blood samples were tested negative for blood parasites, while 32.5% (n = 13) blood samples collected were infected with at least one protozoan parasite. Out of 13 samples, 69.2% (n = 9) were detected with Hepatocystis sp., while 15.4% (n = 2) were positive with Hepatozoon ophisauri. Two individuals had multiple infections from both species. No Plasmodium spp. have been detected throughout this study using universal primer (targeted Plasmodium spp.); however, different parasite species which were H. ophisauri were detected.
CONCLUSION: Although there is no evidence of human infection from H. ophisauri and Hepatocystis sp. detected from the study, the data show the host species are heavily infected, and the information is essential for future prevention of zoonotic outbreaks and surveillance programmes. Therefore, it is suggested that the surveillance programmes should be incorporated in targeted areas with a high risk of disease emergence.
OBJECTIVES: Our study focuses on determining the presence of bat CoVs in dusky fruit bat (Penthetor lucasi).
METHODS: Guano samples belonging to P. lucasi were collected from Wind Cave Nature Reserve. The samples were screened for the presence of CoVs using validated hemi-nested consensus RNA-dependent RNA polymerase consensus primers.
RESULTS: The bat CoV positivity rate was 38.5% (n = 15/39), with the viruses belonging to two subgenera: Alphacoronavirus (α-CoV) and Betacoronavirus (β-CoV). Phylogenetic analysis revealed that CoVs from 14 samples of P. lucasi belong to the genus α-CoV and may represent previously described genetic lineages in insectivorous bats in Wind Cave. However, only one sample of P. lucasi was detected with β-CoV which is closely related to subgenus Nobecovirus, which is commonly seen in frugivorous bats.
CONCLUSIONS: This study provides the first available data on CoVs circulating in P. lucasi.