Displaying publications 21 - 35 of 35 in total

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  1. Shimizu H, Utama A, Yoshii K, Yoshida H, Yoneyama T, Sinniah M, et al.
    Jpn J Infect Dis, 1999 Feb;52(1):12-5.
    PMID: 10808253
    Enterovirus 71 (EV71), one of the major causative agents for hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD), is sometimes associated with severe central nervous system diseases. In 1997, in Malaysia and Japan, and in 1998 in Taiwan, there were HFMD epidemics involving sudden deaths among young children, and EV71 was isolated from the HFMD patients, including the fatal cases. The nucleotide sequences of each EV71 isolate were determined and compared by phylogenetical analysis. EV71 strains from previously reported epidemics belonged to genotype A-1, while those from recent epidemics could be divided into two genotypes, A-2 and B. In Malaysia, genotype A-2 was more prevalent, while in Japan and Taiwan, B genotype was more prevalent. Two isolates from fatal cases in Malaysia and one isolate from a fatal case in Japan were genotype A-2. However, all isolates from three fatal cases in Taiwan belonged to genotype B. The severity of the HFMD did not link directly to certain genotypes of EV71.
  2. Matsumoto T, Nanayakkara S, Perera D, Ushijima S, Wimalaratne O, Nishizono A, et al.
    Jpn J Infect Dis, 2017 Nov 22;70(6):693-695.
    PMID: 29093322 DOI: 10.7883/yoken.JJID.2017.249
  3. Niek WK, Teh CSJ, Idris N, Thong KL, Ponnampalavanar S
    Jpn J Infect Dis, 2019 Jul 24;72(4):228-236.
    PMID: 30814457 DOI: 10.7883/yoken.JJID.2018.289
    Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is one of the most common nosocomial pathogens, causing mild to severe infections. This study aimed to determine the genotypic and phenotypic characteristics of clinical MRSA isolates collected from a teaching hospital from 2014 - 2015. These isolates were genotyped by multilocus sequence typing, staphylococcal cassette chromosomal mec (SCCmec) typing, virulence genes detection, and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis; they were phenotyped based on their antibiotics susceptibility profiles. The most prevalent sequence type was ST22. ST3547 was identified from a blood isolate from 2015. Three SCCmec types (III in 26.26%, IV in 70.71%, and V in 3.03% isolates) were detected. Agr type I, II, and III were also detected among the isolates. The most prevalent virulence genes found were hemolysin (100%) and intracellular adhesion (91.9%). At least one staphylococcal enterotoxin was detected in 83 (83.8%) isolates. All the isolates were susceptible to vancomycin (minimum inhibitory concentration ≤ 2 μg/mL). Statistical analysis revealed a significant increase in hypertension (p = 0.035), dyslipidemia and obesity (p = 0.046), and previous exposure to any quinolone (p = 0.010) cases over the two-year period. The emergence and circulation of community-associated MRSA variants were observed in our hospital.
  4. Puah SM, Puthucheary SD, Chua KH
    Jpn J Infect Dis, 2019 Jul 24;72(4):266-269.
    PMID: 30918144 DOI: 10.7883/yoken.JJID.2018.031
    There is an alarming increase in the prevalence of extended-spectrum β-lactamases (ESBLs) present mainly in Enterobacteriaceae and other nonfermenting gram-negative bacteria, such as Alcaligenes faecalis, which is the only species in that genus that is clinically relevant. We investigated Alcaligenes species from 7 cases (6 inpatients and one outpatient) at our tertiary-care hospital. Four patients had urinary tract infections, and one each had systemic lupus erythematosus, pulmonary stenosis, and diabetic ulcer. All 7 isolates were identified as Alcaligenes spp. based on their 16S rRNA gene sequences, and antibiotic susceptibility was determined using a Vitek 2 system with AST-GN87 cards. All the strains were resistant to cefazolin; 6 were resistant to trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole; 5 manifested resistance to ampicillin/sulbactam, cefepime, tobramycin, ciprofloxacin, and nitrofurantoin; whereas 5 had multidrug resistance profiles. All the strains (7/7) expressed ESBL activity; PCR screening and sequencing showed evidence of genes blaTEM-116 (7/7) and blaOXA-10 (4/7), and we believe that this is the first report on the presence of TEM-116 and OXA-10 in an Alcaligenes spp. A combination of the 2 genes was present in 4 strains. All 7 strains were found to harbor at least one ESBL gene probably contributing to the drug resistance.
  5. Lim KT, Hanifah YA, Mohd Yusof MY, Thong KL
    Jpn J Infect Dis, 2010 Jul;63(4):286-9.
    PMID: 20657072
    Mupirocin is used topically to treat skin infection caused by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). One hundred eighty-eight strains (isolated in 2003, 2004, 2007, and 2008) were tested for mupirocin susceptibility using disk diffusion method and minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC). Mupirocin resistance was detected in 10 (5%) strains with 2 of them showing MIC of 256 mg/l. PCR detection using gene-specific primers showed that all 10 mupirocin-resistant strains harbored ileS2 gene whereas mupA gene was detected in 2 mupirocin-resistant strains with MIC of 256 mg/l. Amplification of agr grouping and SCCmec typing showed that all 10 strains were agr group I and SCCmec type III. Sequence analysis of region X of the spa gene yielded 4 distinct spa types (t037, t363, t421, and t6405) which were clonally related. In conclusion, the rate of mupirocin resistance in Malaysia is still low but is much higher than previous reports in Malaysia.
  6. Karunakaran R, Raja NS, Hafeez A, Puthucheary SD
    Jpn J Infect Dis, 2009 May;62(3):192-4.
    PMID: 19468178
    Group B Streptococcus (GBS) infection was studied in 49 patients collected at convenience (convenience sampling), excluding infants and women with genital tract- and pregnancy-related isolates, according to the availability of stocked isolates and easy accessibility to epidemiological data. The data were examined both prospectively and retrospectively from 2003-2005 at a tertiary-level multidisciplinary hospital in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Skin and soft-tissue infections in 35 patients (71.4%) were the most common clinical presentation, while diabetes mellitus was the most common underlying condition (35 patients, 71.4%). All GBS isolates were sensitive to penicillin, and most isolates tested were sensitive to erythromycin (97.7%). Serotyping of 45 GBS isolates using a commercial serotyping kit revealed that the most common serotype was Ia (22.2%), followed by VI (17.8%), III and V (13.3% each). Others included Ib, II, IV, VIII, and VII; 13.3% were nontypeable. The findings of this pilot study are limited by the small sample size, the sampling method and the possibility that the cases are not wholly representative of the University Malaya Medical Centre population. Further studies from our hospital with larger numbers and using probabilistic sampling techniques are required to confirm the relatively high occurrence of serotype VI (the second most common serotype) in the population studied.
  7. Waicharoen S, Thawatsupha P, Chittaganpitch M, Maneewong P, Thanadachakul T, Sawanpanyalert P
    Jpn J Infect Dis, 2008 Jul;61(4):321-3.
    PMID: 18653981
    Determining the local circulating strain of influenza is essential to prevent and control epidemics. In the years 2004 and 2005, the National Influenza Center of Thailand received 3,854 and 3,834 specimens, respectively, from patients throughout the country, including submissions from 4 established influenza surveillance sentinel sites. In 2004, of 539 influenza-positive specimens, 461 were positive for influenza A and 78 were positive for influenza B by isolation. Influenza A subtyping revealed that 249, 197, and 15 isolates were H1N1, H3N2, and H5N1, respectively. In 2005, of 748 influenza-positive specimens, 492 were influenza A and the remaining 256 were influenza B. The results of influenza A subtyping indicated that 55, 437, and 5 isolates were H1N1, H3N2, and H5N1. All isolated strains of subtype H1N1 were A/New Caledonia/20/99-like. The isolated strains of H3N2 were A/Fujian/411/2002-like in the first half of the year 2004, while those in the latter half of 2004 gradually drifted to a mixture of A/Wellington/1/2004-like, A/California/7/2004-like, and A/Wisconsin/67/2005-like, and this mixture continued through the end of 2005. The influenza B strains were B/Sichuan/379/99-like, B/Hong Kong/330/2001-like, B/Shanghai/361/2002-like and B/Malaysia/2506/2004-like. The strains circulating in the years 2004 and 2005 were antigenically similar to the vaccine formulas recommended in the same period by WHO. Our results underscore that local influenza surveillance plays an important role in responding to epidemics and potential pandemics.
  8. Teh CS, Chua KH, Puthucheary SD, Thong KL
    Jpn J Infect Dis, 2008 Jul;61(4):313-4.
    PMID: 18653978
    Salmonella enterica serovar Paratyphi A is a causative agent of paratyphoid fever. The clinical syndrome caused by paratyphoid fever overlaps with other febrile illnesses and cannot be distinguished from typhoid fever. Conventional methods used for diagnosis are time consuming, costly, and labor-intensive. We evaluated the specificity, sensitivity, and application of a multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) previously developed by the method (Ou, H.Y., Teh, C.S.J., Thong, K.L., et al., J. Mol. Diagn., 9, 624-630, 2007) using 6 S. Paratyphi A, 22 S. Typhi, and 85 other Salmonella serovars as well as 36 non-Salmonella strains. The detection limit of the multiplex PCR was 4 x 10(4) cfu ml(-1). In a blind test of the other 50 strains, this multiplex PCR correctly identified the only S. Paratyphi A in the panel of strains. The sensitivity of this PCR using spiked blood and stool samples was 1 x 10(5) cfu ml(-1) and 2 x 10(5) cfu ml(-1), respectively, but increased to 1 x 10(4) cfu ml(-1) and 2 x 10(3) cfu ml(-1) after 5-h enrichment. We believe that this multiplex PCR is a promising technique for the specific and sensitive detection of S. Paratyphi A in clinical, environmental, and food samples.
  9. Suwanprinya L, Morales NP, Sanvarinda P, Dieng H, Okabayashi T, Morales Vargas RE
    Jpn J Infect Dis, 2017 07 24;70(4):383-387.
    PMID: 28003593 DOI: 10.7883/yoken.JJID.2016.236
    Encephalitis has been described worldwide as a severe complication in patients infected by dengue virus. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) production is a key mechanism involved in the neuronal damage caused by viral encephalitis. In the present study, the capability of dengue virus serotypes 2 (DENV2) and DENV4 to induce ROS production was investigated in a rat microglial cell line, HAPI cells. The cells were infected with DENV2 and DENV4 at a multiplicity of infection of 0.1 for a 2-h adsorption period. Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) was used as the reference. DENV2- and DENV4-induced microglial activation and significantly increased ROS production corresponded to decreased cell viability. The activity of DENV4 was significantly higher than the activities of DENV2 and JEV at 48 and 72 h post infection. DENV4 partly induced ROS production via an iron-induced Fenton reaction, as demonstrated by the treatment with an iron chelator, deferiprone. Despite the induction of increased inducible nitric oxide synthase expression and nitric oxide (NO) production by JEV, DENV2, and DENV4 did not induce NO production, suggesting the activation of different pathways in response to infections by different viruses. In conclusion, DENV2 and DENV4 have the capability to induce ROS production and activate microglia, which have been reported as the key components of neuronal damage.
  10. Osman O, Fong MY, Devi S
    Jpn J Infect Dis, 2007 Jul;60(4):205-8.
    PMID: 17642533
    The purpose of this study was to examine the extent of dengue infection in Brunei and to determine the predominant serotype circulating in the country. The study generated useful epidemiological data on dengue infection in Brunei. A total of 271 samples from patients suspected of having dengue infections were selected and analyzed. All patients were seen in clinics and hospitals in Brunei. The samples were collected from April 2005 to April 2006 and transported to the WHO Collaborating Centre for Arbovirus Reference and Research, University of Malaya, Malaysia. The following tests were used to achieve the objectives: in-house IgM-capture enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, virus isolation in mosquito albopictus cell line (C6/36), and viral RNA detection and serotyping by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). The results show that 45 people were positive for dengue-specific IgM (27 males and 18 females), while RT-PCR detected dengue viral RNA in 12 patients, 3 identified as DEN-1 and 9 as DEN-2. Dengue virus was isolated from 6 patients using the C6/36 cell line; 3 were DEN-2 isolates and 3 were DEN-1 isolates. These data show that dengue virus is circulating in Brunei and the predominant infecting serotype for that period was DEN-2 followed by DEN-1. This study is the first to report the detection and isolation of dengue virus from Brunei using RT-PCR and culture in the C6/36 albopictus mosquito cell line.
  11. Khairul MF, Min TH, Low JH, Nasriyyah CH, A'shikin AN, Norazmi MN, et al.
    Jpn J Infect Dis, 2006 Oct;59(5):329-31.
    PMID: 17060702
    Fluoxetine (FLX), a P-glycoprotein inhibitor with antimalarial activity, is promising candidate for reversing chloroquine/mefloquine (CQ/MQ) resistance. The Dd2 strain of CQ- and MQ-resistant Plasmodium falciparum was synchronized and assayed with various concentrations of CQ/MQ individually and in combination with FLX or verapamil (VPL). Our results indicated the 50% inhibitory concentration values of CQ and MQ were greatly lowered when FLX was used simultaneously. Isobolograms indicated that CQ-FLX combinations are more synergistic (mean fractional inhibitory concentration [FIC] index 0.55) than MQ-FLX (mean FIC index 0.64), and their synergistic effect was better than or at par with CQ-VPL (mean FIC index 0.88) and MQ-VPL (mean FIC index 0.60) combinations. We conclude that the FLX potentiates the CQ and MQ response on multidrug-resistant P. falciparum at clinically achievable concentrations.
  12. Wong LP, Alias H, Hassan J, AbuBakar S
    Jpn J Infect Dis, 2021 Sep 30.
    PMID: 34588365 DOI: 10.7883/yoken.JJID.2021.342
    This study aimed to determine the prevention and control practices of ZIKV infection among pregnant women in Malaysia. A cross-sectional study was conducted among pregnant women who attended antenatal care. Only 7.8% reported that they abstain from sex or use barrier methods during sexual intercourse to prevent ZIKV transmission. The odd of abstaining from sex or using barrier methods was significantly higher among the Chinese ethnic group than the Malay ethnic group (OR=4.569; 95% CI: 2.696-7.743). Having a total ZIKV knowledge score of 12-24 was also significantly associated with higher odds of abstaining from sex or using barrier methods than a score of 0-11 (OR=2.819; 95% CI 1.682-4.725). In total, 38.6% recorded a higher mean total score for all the current mosquito control practices than before hearing of ZIKV. Participants living in bungalows or village houses (OR=2.006; 95% CI 1.023-3.936) and low-rise houses (OR=1.566; 95% CI 1.109-2.212) were more likely to have a higher mean total score of current mosquito control practices than control practices before hearing of ZIKV compared to those in high-rise houses. The deficit in ZIKV knowledge and control practices provides insight for the development of health education for pregnant women during antenatal care visits.
  13. Ngwe Tun MM, Muthugala R, Rajamanthri L, Nabeshima T, Buerano CC, Morita K
    Jpn J Infect Dis, 2021 Sep 22;74(5):443-449.
    PMID: 33642435 DOI: 10.7883/yoken.JJID.2020.854
    During the 2017 outbreak of severe dengue in Sri Lanka, dengue virus (DENV) serotypes 2, 3, and 4 were found to be co-circulating. Our previous study of 295 patients from the National Hospital Kandy in Sri Lanka between March 2017 and January 2018 determined that the dominant infecting serotype was DENV-2. In this study, we aimed to characterize the DENV-3 strains from non-severe and severe dengue patients from our previous study population. Patients' clinical records and previous laboratory tests, including dengue-specific nonstructural protein 1 antigen rapid test and IgM-capture and IgG enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays, were analyzed together with the present results of real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction and next-generation sequencing of DENV-3. Complete genome analysis determined that DENV-3 isolates belonged to 2 different clades of genotype I and were genetically close to strains from Indonesia, China, Singapore, Malaysia, and Australia. There were 16 amino acid changes among DENV-3 isolates, and a greater number of changes were found in nonstructural proteins than in structural proteins. The emergence of DENV-3 genotype I was noted for the first time in Sri Lanka. Continuous monitoring of this newly emerged genotype and other DENV serotypes and genotypes is needed to determine their effects on future outbreaks and understand the molecular epidemiology of dengue.
  14. Puah SM, Puthucheary SDA, Chua KH
    Jpn J Infect Dis, 2022 Jan 31.
    PMID: 35095023 DOI: 10.7883/yoken.JJID.2021.477
    Genus Plesiomonas, represented by a single species, P. shigelloides is a Gram-negative bacillus associated with gastrointestinal and extraintestinal disease in humans. In this study, 44 clinical isolates (gastrointestinal n=41; extraintestinal n=3) were genetically confirmed as P. shigelloides using the hug gene. All 20 virulence genes were detected in gastrointestinal isolates, ranging from 7.7% to 100%, however, only 12 genes were detected in extra-gastrointestinal isolates, ranging from 33.3% to 100%. The phlA gene was significantly (p=0.0216) associated with gastrointestinal isolates. The results of this study suggest that the presence of phlA may play a role in gastrointestinal-related infections. On the other hand, pilF, tolC and fur were detected in both gastrointestinal and extraintestinal clinical isolates and further investigations are warrants to elucidate their role in the pathogenesis of P. shigelloides.
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