The overhunting of wildlife for food and commercial gain presents a major threat to biodiversity in tropical forests and poses health risks to humans from contact with wild animals. Using a recent survey of wildlife offered at wild meat markets in Malaysia as a basis, we review the literature to determine the potential zoonotic infection risks from hunting, butchering and consuming the species offered. We also determine which taxa potentially host the highest number of pathogens and discuss the significant disease risks from traded wildlife, considering how cultural practices influence zoonotic transmission. We identify 51 zoonotic pathogens (16 viruses, 19 bacteria and 16 parasites) potentially hosted by wildlife and describe the human health risks. The Suidae and the Cervidae families potentially host the highest number of pathogens. We conclude that there are substantial gaps in our knowledge of zoonotic pathogens and recommend performing microbial food safety risk assessments to assess the hazards of wild meat consumption. Overall, there may be considerable zoonotic risks to people involved in the hunting, butchering or consumption of wild meat in Southeast Asia, and these should be considered in public health strategies.
The genus Trichinella has a worldwide distribution, infecting people, domestic animals, and wildlife. It includes 13 genotypes, which are geographically delimited; Trichinella is transmitted to people through the ingestion of undercooked meat. Historically, it has been associated with pigs, but most Trichinella species affect wildlife, and cases of trichinellosis due to the consumption of game meat have been emerging. Therefore, it is important to monitor the sources of transmission to domestic animals and humans. The objective of this work was to analyse reports of Trichinella spp. in wild/feral animals around the world to identify the needs of future research in the epidemiology of the sylvatic cycle. A search of studies published until 2021 was conducted using Web of Science and SciELO. In the Palearctic, the most commonly studied hosts were wild boars and red foxes, and hosts with the highest prevalence rates were polar bears and martens. In the Nearctic, red foxes and black bears were the most frequently studied hosts, and the highest prevalence was found for wolverines and brown bears. In the Neotropics, positive reports were only identified in two countries, with wild boars being the most commonly studied species, and armadillos featuring the highest prevalence. In the Afrotropics, Trichinella limits its presence to Sub-Saharan Africa, where lions are the most studied hosts, and spotted hyenas have the highest prevalence. In the Indo-Malaya and Australasia ecozones, information on wildlife is scarce; the Norwegian rat is the most frequently studied host, and the Tasmanian devil has the highest prevalence of infection. In the last decade, research on world wildlife has increased which is associated with more frequent trichinellosis outbreaks caused by the consumption of wild meat. The results suggest the need to increase research in developing countries, particularly where more diverse sources of meat are available for human consumption.
Leptospirosis is a bacterial disease transmitted to humans and animals by direct or indirect contact with urine or body fluids from infected animals especially rodents. Infection can be associated with wide clinical spectrum varying from asymptomatic to severe multi-organ syndrome with life-threatening consequences. We conducted a review of published studies on incidences, case reports, sero-epidemiological surveys from year 2000 to 2015 using different electronic data bases. Our study revealed that majority of the studies were conducted in Peninsular Malaysia and predominantly among high-risk human groups. Most of the studies on domestic animals were conducted in the 1980s; hence, the current status of leptospirosis among domestic animal population remains largely unknown. There tend to be a sharp rise in incidence rate among human population in the year 2014 which was attributed to flooding and heavy rainfall experienced as well as recreational activities. Several gaps in epidemiological knowledge were also disclosed.
There has been progress towards malaria elimination in the last decade. In response, WHO launched the Global Technical Strategy (GTS), in which vector surveillance and control play important roles. Country experiences in the Eliminating Malaria Case Study Series were reviewed to identify success factors on the road to elimination using a cross-case study analytic approach.
The Scirtothrips genus-group is here considered to comprise 11 genera, and an identification key to these is presented. These genera are Ajothrips Bhatti, Anascirtothrips Bhatti, Biltothrips Bhatti, Cercyothrips Morgan, Drepanothrips Uzel, Ephedrothrips zur Strassen, Kenyattathrips Mound, Parascirtothrips Masumoto & Okajima, Scirtidothrips Hood, Scirtothrips Shull and Siamothrips Okajima. One genus, Sericopsothrips Hood, is considered a new synonym of Scirtothrips, with the only species now referred to as Scirtothrips palloris (Hood) comb.n. A second species in the genus Siamothrips is described from Malaysia as Siamothrips initium sp.n.
The nematode Pseudoplatycoma malaysianis n. gen. n. sp. is described from the Sulu Sea (Malaysia). The new genus is classified in the subfamily Platycominae Platonova 1976. Revision of the new genus and four other genera in Platycominae, resulted in four species from the genus Platycomopsis being transferred to other genera: P. dimorphica and P. mazjatzavi to the genus Platycoma; P. effilata to the genus Micoletzkyia; and P. gibbonensis to the genus Anticoma. Pilosinema is regarded as a asynonym of Platycomopsis and Platycomopsis paracobbi is regarded as a synonym for P. cobbi. A key for identification of the genera and species of Platycominae is presented.
An unusual new species of green lacewing (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae: Semachrysa jadesp. n.) is described from Selangor (Malaysia) as a joint discovery by citizen scientist and professional taxonomists. The incidental nature of this discovery is underscored by the fact that the species was initially photographed and then released, with images subsequently posted to an online image database. It was not until the images in the database were randomly examined by the professional taxonomists that it was determined that the species was in fact new. A subsequent specimen was collected at the same locality and is described herein along with another specimen identified from nearby Sabah.
The genus Subergorgia (coelenterata, Gorgonacea, Subergorgiidae) is distributed in the Indo-pacific region. Previous investigations on the various species of the genus have revealed the presence of a number of new compounds including alkaloids, sesquiterpenes, diterpenes, and steroids. Certain biological activities particularly cytotoxic activity have been observed for the isolated constituents and compositions derived from the coral. This review covers the secondary metabolites reported from the genus Subergorgia and their biological properties.
Tapeworms of Gangesia Woodland, 1924 (Cestoda: Proteocephalidea) parasitic in freshwater fishes in the Indomalayan Region were critically reviewed. Evaluation of type specimens and newly collected materials from Bangladesh, Cambodia and India, as well as critical examination of extensive literature have shown that only the following four species, instead of 48 nominal species of Gangesia and Silurotaenia Nybelin, 1942 reported from this region (36 new synonymies proposed), are valid: Gangesia bengalensis (Southwell, 1913), type-species of the genus and most common parasite of Wallago attu (Siluridae), G. macrones Woodland, 1924 typical of Sperata seenghala (Bagridae), both species characterized by the possession of two circles of hooks on the rostellum-like organ and several rows of hooklets on the anterior margins of suckers; G. agraensis Verma, 1928 from W. attu (typical host), which has the scolex with only one circle of hooks and 1-3 incomplete rows of tiny hooklets on the suckers; and G. vachai (Gupta and Parmar, 1988) n. comb. from several catfishes, which possesses 4-6 circles of hooks and 5-11 rows of hooklets on the anterior half of suckers. Scolex morphology, including surface ultrastructure (microtriches), of all but one species (G. vachai) is described for the first time using scanning electron microscopy. A phylogenetic analysis based on the partial sequences encoding the large nuclear ribosomal subunit RNA gene has shown that three Indomalayan species, namely G. bengalensis, G. macrones and G. vachai, form a monophyletic group within Gangesia, whereas G. agraensis tends to form a clade with the Palaearctic species of the genus. A table with differential characters of all species from the Indomalayan Region is also provided together with a key to identification of genera of the subfamily Gangesiinae. The present study demonstrates that species of Silurotaenia do not occur in the Indomalayan region.
A simple yet useful criterion based on external markings and/or number of dorsal spines is currently used to differentiate two congeneric archer fish species Toxotes chatareus and Toxotes jaculatrix. Here we investigate other morphometric and meristic characters that can also be used to differentiate these two species. Principal component and/or discriminant functions revealed that meristic characters were highly correlated with pectoral fin ray count, number of lateral line scales, as well as number of anal fin rays. The results indicate that T. chatareus can be distinguished from T. jaculatrix by having a greater number of lateral line scales, a lower number of pectoral fin rays, and a higher number of anal fin rays. In contrast, morphometric discriminant analyses gave relatively low distinction: 76.1% of fish were ascribed to the correct species cluster. The observed morphometric differences came from the dorsal and anal spines lengths, with T. chatareus having shorter dorsal and longer anal spines than T. jaculatrix. Overall, meristic traits were more useful than morphometrics in differentiating the two species; nevertheless, meristics and morphometrics together provide information about the morphological differentiation between these two closely related archer fishes.
The genetic population structure of red snapper Lutjanus malabaricus and orange-spotted grouper Epinephelus coiodes in Brunei and Sabah was investigated using allozyme electrophoresis. Samples were collected from three sites in Brunei for E. coiodes and from three sites in Brunei and Sabah for L. malabaricus. A total of 22 loci and 16 loci were scored, respectively. The index of fixation (F(ST) ) for the E. coiodes population was 0.176 but, in general, it lacked within-population structuring. The F(ST) was particularly high between Brunei Bay/Jerudong and Brunei Bay/ Kuala Belait, suggesting genetic subdivision on a small spatial scale. Isolation of Brunei Bay from the South China Sea may constrain the movement of adult fishes and larval dispersal, thereby reducing homogeneity among subpopulations. All variable loci for E. coiodes were in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium except for MDH* and GTDHP* (P < 0.01), in which two subpopulations showed an excess of heterozygotes (P < 0.01). The study on the L. malabaricus population showed a heterozygote deficit of approximately 60% in variable loci (F(ST) genetic variation within population = 0.45; P < 0.05); however, the mean observed heterozygosity for the population far exceeded L. malabaricus populations in Australia and Indonesia. A F(ST) value of 0.076 revealed moderate genetic differentiation among subpopulations of L. malabaricus. The genotypes were likely to be drawn from the same distribution in Jerudong and Kuala Belait. This study infers that sustainable management of snapper and grouper resources in Brunei waters must take into account the presence of a single stock and two stocks, respectively.
Six new species of Agrilus Curtis, 1825 with affinities to the emerald ash borer, Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire, 1888, are described from the Oriental Region: Agrilus crepuscularissp. n. (Malaysia); Agrilus pseudolubopetrisp. n. (Laos); Agrilus sapphirinussp. n.(Laos); Agrilus seramensissp. n.(Indonesia); Agrilus spineussp. n. (Malaysia); and Agrilus tomentipennissp. n. (Laos). The genus Sarawakita Obenberger, 1924 syn. nov. is considered a junior synonym of Agrilus.
In a recent systematic review and meta-analysis report (Nutrients 2016, 8, 57), we critically appraised and summarized current evidence to determine the effects of chicken essence in improving cognitive functions as well as its safety. [...].
Lignosus rhinocerus (L. rhinocerus), which is known locally as Tiger Milk mushroom, is traditionally used in the treatment of asthma by indigenous communities in Malaysia. However, to date, its efficacy on asthma has not been confirmed by scientific studies and there is also sparse information available on its active constituents. In this study, the volatile constituent of L. rhinocerus hot water extract was investigated using gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The potential effects of L. rhinocerus extract for anti-asthmatic activity was further investigated on ovalbumin (OVA)-sensitized asthmatic Sprague Dawley rats.
Mitragyna speciosa Korth, or better known as ketum, has long been used by traditional folk around Southeast Asia to prevent fatigue from working under hot tropical weather and as a replacement of opium, which can then cause addiction. To date, no findings have been reported of the toxic effect of ketum subchronically (28 days). Hence, the aim of this study was to investigate the toxicity of subchronic effect of standardized methanolic extract of ketum (SMEMS) in Sprague-Dawley rats. Rats were orally administered with 100, 200, and 500 mg/kg of SMEMS for 28 days. Body weights were recorded daily. They were terminated at day 28 to obtain data for hematology, biochemistry, and histopathology of the brain, liver, kidney, lung, heart, sciatic nerve, and spinal cord. The SMEMS affected body weight compared to control group. Biochemistry findings showed that liver and kidney were affected with the abnormal values in AST, creatinine, globulin, glucose, total protein, and urea. However, SMEMS produced toxic effect more to liver, kidney, and lung than other organs as observed histopathologically. The results suggested subchronic exposure of ketum is toxic to the physiology of the animals.
The genus Hemitrochostoma Bergroth, 1913 (Hemiptera, Heteroptera, Plataspidae) is redescribed and reviewed. Two species are recognized: the type species Hemitrochostomaaltilabris Bergroth, 1913 (Malaysia: Sarawak), and Hemitrochostomarutabulum sp. n. (Malaysia: Perak). The following new subjective synonymies are proposed: Hemitrochostoma Bergroth, 1913 = Inflatilabrum Tomokuni, 2012, syn. n.; Hemitrochostomaaltilabris Bergroth, 1913 = Inflatilabrumlambirense Tomokuni, 2012, syn. n.
Trischidocera Villeneuve, 1915 includes two species, T. sauteri Villeneuve, 1915 (Taiwan and Malaysia) and T. yunnanensis Chao & Zhou, 1987 (China). The systematic placement of Trischidocera has been controversial. It was originally placed within the "Thryptoceratidae" (= "Actiidae"), then moved to Germariini, then considered an unplaced Tachinidae, and more recently placed in Ormiini. Here, the genus is revised, the type-species is redescribed and illustrated, and its systematic placement is discussed. The genus is removed from Ormiini and considered incertae sedis.
Based on material deposited in museum collections, twelve species within Mansonella sensu lato were examined and their descriptions amended. Based on additional morphological details, the erection of the new monotypic subgenus Filyamagutia Bain & Uni for M. (F.) akitensis (Uni, 1983), and the new combination M. (Pseudolitomosa) musasabi (Yamaguti, 1941) Bain & Uni are proposed. A new subspecies, M. (Tetrapetalonema) atelensis amazonae Bain & Guerrero is described and a key to the seven subgenera of Mansonella is provided. Furthermore, the elevation of Sandnema to full genus rank comprising the two species S. digitatum (Chandler, 1929) n. comb. and S. sunci (Sandground, 1933) n. comb., is proposed. Host and geographic records for the species of Mansonella and Sandnema are included.
Nine species of Thripinae that inhabit bamboo are recorded from Malaysia. Clypeothrips idrisi sp.n. is described as a second species in the genus, and Trichromothrips bruncurrum Reyes is considered a syn.n. of Neocorynothrips asiaticus Ramakrishna & Margabandhu. Six species are newly recorded from Malaysia: N. asiaticus, Okajimaella tubercula, Simulothrips banpoti, Stenchaetothrips bambusicola, S. bambusae and S. spinalis. Seven species of Stenchaetothrips are now known from Malaysia. Illustrations and descriptions of each species are provided.