Plasmodium knowlesi was initially identified in the 30s as a natural Plasmodium of Macaca fascicularis monkey also capable of experimentally infecting humans. It gained a relative notoriety in the mid-30s as an alternative to Plasmodium vivax in the treatment of the general paralysis of the insane (neurosyphilis). In 1965 the first natural human infection was described in a US military surveyor coming back from the Pahang jungle of the Malaysian peninsula. P. knowlesi was again brought to the attention of the medical community when in 2004, Balbir Singh and his co-workers reported that about 58% of malaria cases observed in the Kapit district of the Malaysian Borneo were actually caused by P. knowlesi. In the following years several reports showed that P. knowlesi is much more widespread than initially thought with cases reported across Southeast Asia. This infection should also be considered in the differential diagnosis of any febrile travellers coming back from a recent travel to forested areas of Southeast Asia. P. knowlesi can cause severe malaria with a rate of 6-9% and with a case fatality rate of 3%. Respiratory distress, acute renal failure, shock and hyperbilirubinemia are the most frequently observed complications of severe P. knowlesi malaria. Chloroquine is considered the treatment of choice of uncomplicated malaria caused by P. knowlesi.
Anopheles (Cellia) sundaicus (Rodenwaldt) is an important malaria vector in the Andaman and Nicobar islands of India where it breeds in freshwater as well as in brackish water. To establish the molecular identity of An. sundaicus on these islands we analyzed samples from four geographically isolated areas-Teressa, Nancowry, Car Nicobar and Katchal islands. PCR-amplification and nucleotide sequence analysis were performed for internal transcribed spacer 2 (ITS2) and domain-3 (D3) of 28S rRNA. The ITS2 region of An. sundaicus from all four islands was identical but different from An. sundaicus A of Vietnam and An. sundaicus s.s of Malaysia. Furthermore, freshwater and brackish water forms of An. sundaicus did not reveal any sequence variation. Similarly, the D3 sequences were identical among all An. sundaicus samples from the four islands. D3 sequences for a species of the Sundaicus Complex are reported here for the first time and thus could not be compared with other regional isolates of this species. In conclusion, probably only one member of the Sundaicus Complex exists on the Andaman and Nicobar islands, which breeds in freshwater as well as in brackish water and is different from the An. sundaicus A and Malaysian An. sundaicus s.s. The identification of a new sibling species of the Sundaicus Complex in these islands is significant from the viewpoint of vector control strategies.
Wolbachia are maternally transmitted bacteria found in most arthropods and nematodes, but little is known about their distribution and reproductive dynamics in the Malaysian dengue vector Aedes albopictus. In this study, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was used to determine the presence of Wolbachia from field collected Ae. albopictus from various parts of the country using wsp specific primers. Ae. albopictus had Wolbachia infection ranging from 60 to 100%. No sequence diversity of wsp gene was found within all wAlbA and wAlbB sequences. Our findings suggest that Wolbachia infection amongst the Malaysian Ae. albopictus were not homogenously distributed in all districts in Malaysia. The presence of Wolbachia in different organs of Ae. albopictus was also determined. Wolbachia were only found in the ovaries and midguts of the mosquitoes, while absent in the salivary glands. The effects of Wolbachia on Ae. albopictus fecundity, longevity and egg viability were studied using infected and uninfected colonies. The removal of Wolbachia from Ae. albopictus resulted in reduced fecundity, longevity and egg viability, thus. Wolbachia seem to play a vital role in Ae. albopictus reproductive system.
Blood from most of the residents of a remote village in northern peninsular Malaysia, bordering Thailand, was examined for malaria parasites monthly for 1 year. Plasmodium vivax was the commonest infection, but P. falciparum and mixed infections also occurred. Monthly collections of the malaria vector, Anopheles maculatus showed a positive correlation between mosquito densities and malaria positivity in the human population and a negative correlation with rainfall.
Traditionally, engineering and environment-based interventions have contributed to the prevention of malaria in Asia. However, with the introduction of DDT and other potent insecticides, chemical control became the dominating strategy. The renewed interest in environmental-management-based approaches for the control of malaria vectors follows the rapid development of resistance by mosquitoes to the widely used insecticides, the increasing cost of developing new chemicals, logistical constraints involved in the implementation of residual-spraying programs and the environmental concerns linked to the use of persistent organic pollutants. To guide future research and operational agendas focusing on environmental-control interventions, it is necessary to learn from the successes and failures from the time before the introduction of insecticides. The objective of this paper is to describe the experiences gained in Asia with early vector control interventions focusing on cases from the former Indian Punjab, Malaysia and Sri Lanka. The paper deals primarily with the agricultural engineering and land and water management vector control interventions implemented in the period 1900-1950. The selected cases are discussed in the wider context of environment-based approaches for the control of malaria vectors, including current relevance. Clearly, some of the interventions piloted and implemented early in the last century still have relevance today but generally in a very site-specific manner and in combination with other preventive and curative activities. Some of the approaches followed earlier on to support implementation would not be acceptable or feasible today, from a social or environmental point of view.
Most female black flies in the genus Simulium are blood-sucking flies and they can cause various parasitic diseases in human and animal. A total of 94 species of black flies have been reported in Malaysia, however, their biting behavior and role as vector of infectious agents remain understudied. To fill in this knowledge gap, we attempted to survey adult black flies from field populations in Peninsular Malaysia. In a survey carried out in 2017 at Tasik Kenyir, Terengganu, three females were caught while attracted and landed on human skin. Further morphological and molecular analyses showed that the specimens were identical to Simulium (Gomphostilbia) aziruni Takaoka, Hashim & Chen of the Simulium gombakense species-group. This is the first report on a black fly species attracted to human in Malaysia which serves as a steppingstone towards in-depth studies for black flies in this region.
Holoendemic malaria transmission in two small isolated forest communities and a coastal village was studied by (1) all night human bait collections of Anopheles species from inside and outside houses and (2) buffalo-biting and CDC light-trapping catches during March and November 1984. During the same period thick and thin blood films were collected from the human population, and spleen rates were determined in children from two to nine years of age. Using both the immunoradiometric assay (IRMA) and the dissection technique, more sporozoite-positive infections were detected in An. balabacensis and An. flavirostris in November than in March. IRMA confirmed the presence of Plasmodium falciparum sporozoites. An average of 76.2% of the An. balabacensis population lived long enough to have reached a point where infectivity with P. falciparum was possible in November. Although fewer than five adult females bit humans per night at any time, a resident could theoretically have received more than 160 infective bites in one year. A high frequency of feeding on humans, coupled with increased anopheline life expectancy, contributed to high estimates of falciparum malaria vectorial capacity (number of infections distributed per case per day); for An. balabacensis (1.44-7.44 in March and 9.97-19.7 in November) and for An. flavirostris (0.19-5.14 in March and 6.27-15.8 in November). These high values may explain the increased malaria parasite rates obtained from at least two forest communities. Correlation between actual and calculated rates of gametocytaemia was poorest in Kapitangan due to inadequate sampling of the human population. In Banggi island, malaria is stable and holoendemic, and the population enjoys a high degree of immunity.
Surveillance methods for Coquillettidia crassipes were studied in an open housing estate near Kuala Lumpur using three types of traps Trinidad 10 trap, modified Lard can trap and IMR trap, each baited with chicken or pigeon. All traps attracted Cq. crassipes. There was no significant difference in the catches in the three traps. There was also no significant difference between chicken and pigeon as bait. Catches at heights of 1.5, 3, 4.5 and 6 m did not show any significant difference in density. Cq. crassipes was active at night with an early peak during the first hour of the night and a minor peak between 0100 and 0200 hours. The activity of the parous and nulliparous sections of the population was similar, except that a higher proportion of the parous females was active during the second peak compared with the nulliparous females. The parous rate was 22.3%, and the probability of survival through one day for two gonotrophic cycles was 0.711 and 0.650. The infection rate for Cardiofilaria was 29 out of 1052 (2.76%) and the infective rate (L3 larvae) was 13 out of 1052 (1.24%). 48.3% of the infected Cq. crassipes had a worm burden of more than ten larvae. One of the chickens in the traps was positive for microfilariae of Cardiofilaria four weeks after exposure as bait. Laboratory bred Cq. crassipes fed on this chicken produced infective larvae in ten days, and these were inoculated into clean chickens and pigeons. Microfilariae appeared in the chickens but not in pigeons. The adult worms recovered await identification.
Field observations were made on Coquillettidia crassipes during a study of Mansonia in a swamp forest ecotype in Tanjong Karang. There was an increase in abundance in July consistent with the increase in abundance of Mansonia and an increase in rainfall. The biting cycle showed a dramatic early peak during the period 1900-2000 hours. The probability of daily survival through one day for the first three gonotrophic cycles was 0.770, 0.722 and 0.759. Two of the 54 Cq. crassipes dissected were infective, with two and 25 L3 larvae of Brugia. Both subperiodic B. malayi and B. pahangi developed into L3 larvae in laboratory bred Cq. crassipes. The index of experimental infection was higher for B. pahangi. Mansonia bonneae and Ma. uniformis showed higher indices of experimental infection than Cq. crassipes for subperiodic B. malayi. It is concluded that in an endemic area with a high density of Cq. crassipes it could act as a secondary vector of Brugian filariasis.
Thirty isolations of Tembusu virus and four of Sindbis virus were obtained from approximately 280 000 mosquitoes collected between October 1968 and February 1970 in Sarawak, particularly from K. Tijirak, a Land Dyak village 19 miles South of Kuching. Twenty-two isolations of Tembusu virus and two of Sindbis virus were from Culex tritaeniorhynchus; two of Tembusu virus and two of Sindbis virus came from Culex gelidus. Tembusu virus was active throughout the year at K. Tijirak, the highest infection rates in C. tritaeniorhynchus being in January-March and May-August, when the C. tritaeniorhynchus population was declining and ageing. These results confirm that C. tritaeniorhynchus is the principal arthopod host of Tembusu virus in Sarawak. Antibody studies suggest that birds, particularly domestic fowl, are probably vertebrate maintenance hosts of Tembusu and Sindbis viruses in Sarawak.
Currently, nano-formulated mosquito larvicides have been widely proposed to control young instars of malaria vector populations. However, the fate of nanoparticles in the aquatic environment is scarcely known, with special reference to the impact of nanoparticles on enzymatic activity of non-target aquatic invertebrates. In this study, we synthesized CdS nanoparticles using a green protocol relying on the cheap extract of Valoniopsis pachynema algae. CdS nanoparticles showed high toxicity on young instars of the malaria vectors Anopheles stephensi and A. sundaicus. The antimalarial activity of the nano-synthesized product against chloroquine-resistant (CQ-r) Plasmodium falciparum parasites was investigated. From a non-target perspective, we focused on the impact of this novel nano-pesticide on antioxidant enzymes acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and glutathione S-transferase (GST) activities of the mud crab Scylla serrata. The characterization of nanomaterials was carried out by UV-vis and FTIR spectroscopy, as well as SEM and XRD analyses. In mosquitocidal assays, LC50 of V. pachynema-synthesized CdS nanoparticles on A. stephensi ranged from 16.856 (larva I), to 30.301μg/ml (pupa), while for An. sundaicus they ranged from 13.584 to 22.496μg/ml. The antiplasmodial activity of V. pachynema extract and CdS nanoparticles was evaluated against CQ-r and CQ-sensitive (CQ-s) strains of Plasmodium falciparum. IC50 of V. pachynema extract was 58.1μg/ml (CQ-s) and 71.46μg/ml (CQ-r), while nano-CdS IC50 was 76.14μg/ml (CQ-s) and 89.21μg/ml (CQ-r). In enzymatic assays, S. serrata crabs were exposed to sub-lethal concentrations, i.e. 4, 6 and 8μg/ml of CdS nanoparticles, assessing changes in GST and AChE activity after 16days. We observed significantly higher activity of GST, if compared to the control, during the whole experiment period. In addition, a single treatment with CdS nanoparticles led to a significant decrease in AChE activity over time. The toxicity of CdS nanoparticles and Cd ions in aqueous solution was also assessed in mud crabs, showing higher toxicity of aqueous Cd ions if compared to nano-CdS. Overall, our results underlined the efficacy of green-synthesized CdS nanoparticles in malaria vector control, outlining also significant impacts on the enzymatic activity of non-target aquatic organisms, with special reference to mud crabs.
Insects and bacteria are the most widespread groups of organisms found in nearly all habitats on earth, establishing diverse interactions that encompass the entire range of possible symbiotic associations from strict parasitism to obligate mutualism. The complexity of their interactions is instrumental in shaping the roles of insects in the environment, meanwhile ensuring the survival and persistence of the associated bacteria. This review aims to provide detailed insight on the multifaceted symbiosis between one of the most versatile bacterial genera, Pseudomonas (Gammaproteobacteria: Pseudomonadaceae) and a diverse group of insect species. The Pseudomonas engages with varied interactions with insects, being either a pathogen or beneficial endosymbiont, as well as using insects as vectors. In addition, this review also provides updates on existing and potential applications of Pseudomonas and their numerous insecticidal metabolites as biocontrol agents against pest insects for the improvement of integrated pest management strategies. Here, we have summarized several known modes of action and the virulence factors of entomopathogenic Pseudomonas strains essential for their pathogenicity against insects. Meanwhile, the beneficial interactions between pseudomonads and insects are currently limited to a few known insect taxa, despite numerous studies reporting identification of pseudomonads in the guts and haemocoel of various insect species. The vector-symbiont association between pseudomonads and insects can be diverse from strict phoresy to a role switch from commensalism to parasitism following a dose-dependent response. Overall, the pseudomonads appeared to have evolved independently to be either exclusively pathogenic or beneficial towards insects.
This qualitative study aimed to describe field worker perceptions, evaluations of worth, and time costs of routine dengue vector surveillance methods in Cairns (Australia), Kuala Lumpur and Petaling District (Malaysia). In Cairns, the BG-Sentinel trap is a favored method for field workers because of its user-friendliness, but is not as cost-efficient as the sticky ovitrap. In Kuala Lumpur, the Mosquito Larvae Trapping Device is perceived as a solution for the inaccessibility of premises to larval surveys. Nonetheless, the larval survey method is retained in Malaysia for prompt detection of dengue vectors. For dengue vector surveillance to be successful, there needs to be not only technical, quantitative evaluations of method performance but also an appreciation of how amenable field workers are to using particular methods. Here, we report novel field worker perceptions of dengue vector surveillance methods in addition to time analysis for each method.
We examined variations in dengue vector control costs and resource consumption between the District Health Departments (DHDs) and Local Authorities (LAs) to assist informed decision making as to the future roles of these agencies in the delivery of dengue vector control services in Malaysia. Data were collected from the vector control units of DHDs and LAs in 8 selected districts. We captured costs and resource consumption in 2010 for premise inspection for mosquito breeding sites, fogging to destroy adult mosquitoes and larviciding of potential breeding sites. Overall, DHDs spent US$5.62 million or US$679 per case and LAs spent US$2.61 million or US$499 per case. The highest expenditure for both agencies was for fogging, 51.0% and 45.8% of costs for DHDs and LAs, respectively. The DHDs had higher resource costs for human personnel, vehicles, pesticides, and equipment. The findings provide some evidence to rationalize delivery of dengue vector control services in Malaysia.
To evaluate the effectiveness and residual effects of trypsin modulating oostatic factor-Bacillus thuringiensis israeliensis (TMOF-Bti) formulations against Aedes aegypti (Ae. aegypti) (L.) larvae at UKM Campus Kuala Lumpur.