Displaying publications 641 - 660 of 1489 in total

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  1. Neurologic manifestations and complications of pandemic influenza A H1N1 in Malaysian children: what have we learnt from the ordeal?
    Muhammad Ismail HI, Teh CM, Lee YL, National Paediatric H1N1 Study Group
    Brain Dev, 2015 Jan;37(1):120-9.
    PMID: 24746706 DOI: 10.1016/j.braindev.2014.03.008
    In 2009, pandemic influenza A H1N1 emerged in Mexico and subsequently spread worldwide. In Malaysia, there were more than a thousand of confirmed cases among children. The general clinical characteristics of these children have been well-published. However, the description of neurologic complications is scarce.
    Matched MeSH terms: Brain Diseases/virology*
  2. Sensing strategies for influenza surveillance
    Gopinath SC, Tang TH, Chen Y, Citartan M, Tominaga J, Lakshmipriya T
    Biosens Bioelectron, 2014 Nov 15;61:357-69.
    PMID: 24912036 DOI: 10.1016/j.bios.2014.05.024
    Influenza viruses, which are RNA viruses belonging to the family Orthomyxoviridae, cause respiratory diseases in birds and mammals. With seasonal epidemics, influenza spreads all over the world, resulting in pandemics that cause millions of deaths. Emergence of various types and subtypes of influenza, such as H1N1 and H7N9, requires effective surveillance to prevent their spread and to develop appropriate anti-influenza vaccines. Diagnostic probes such as glycans, aptamers, and antibodies now allow discrimination among the influenza strains, including new subtypes. Several sensors have been developed based on these probes, efforts made to augment influenza detection. Herein, we review the currently available sensing strategies to detect influenza viruses.
    Matched MeSH terms: Influenza, Human/virology
  3. Fulltext Lack of clinical manifestations in asymptomatic dengue infection is attributed to broad down-regulation and selective up-regulation of host defence response genes
    Yeo AS, Azhar NA, Yeow W, Talbot CC, Khan MA, Shankar EM, et al.
    PLoS One, 2014;9(4):e92240.
    PMID: 24727912 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0092240
    Dengue represents one of the most serious life-threatening vector-borne infectious diseases that afflicts approximately 50 million people across the globe annually. Whilst symptomatic infections are frequently reported, asymptomatic dengue remains largely unnoticed. Therefore, we sought to investigate the immune correlates conferring protection to individuals that remain clinically asymptomatic.
    Matched MeSH terms: Dengue/virology*
  4. The survival of influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 virus on 4 household surfaces
    Oxford J, Berezin EN, Courvalin P, Dwyer DE, Exner M, Jana LA, et al.
    Am J Infect Control, 2014 Apr;42(4):423-5.
    PMID: 24679569 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajic.2013.10.016
    We investigated the survival of a pandemic strain of influenza A H1N1 on a variety of common household surfaces where multiple samples were taken from 4 types of common household fomite at 7 time points. Results showed that influenza A H1N1sw virus particles remained infectious for 48 hours on a wooden surface, for 24 hours on stainless steel and plastic surfaces, and for 8 hours on a cloth surface, although virus recovery from the cloth may have been suboptimal. Our results suggest that pandemic influenza A H1N1 can survive on common household fomites for extended periods of time, and that good hand hygiene and regular disinfection of commonly touched surfaces should be practiced during the influenza season to help reduce transmission.
    Matched MeSH terms: Fomites/virology*
  5. Fulltext Spatio-temporal analysis on enterovirus cases through integrated surveillance in Taiwan
    Chan TC, Hwang JS, Chen RH, King CC, Chiang PH
    BMC Public Health, 2014 Jan 08;14:11.
    PMID: 24400725 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2458-14-11
    BACKGROUND: Severe epidemics of enterovirus have occurred frequently in Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan, Cambodia, and China, involving cases of pulmonary edema, hemorrhage and encephalitis, and an effective vaccine has not been available. The specific aim of this study was to understand the epidemiological characteristics of mild and severe enterovirus cases through integrated surveillance data.

    METHODS: All enterovirus cases in Taiwan over almost ten years from three main databases, including national notifiable diseases surveillance, sentinel physician surveillance and laboratory surveillance programs from July 1, 1999 to December 31, 2008 were analyzed. The Pearson's correlation coefficient was applied for measuring the consistency of the trends in the cases between different surveillance systems. Cross correlation analysis in a time series model was applied for examining the capability to predict severe enterovirus infections. Poisson temporal, spatial and space-time scan statistics were used for identifying the most likely clusters of severe enterovirus outbreaks. The directional distribution method with two standard deviations of ellipse was applied to measure the size and the movement of the epidemic.

    RESULTS: The secular trend showed that the number of severe EV cases peaked in 2008, and the number of mild EV cases was significantly correlated with that of severe ones occurring in the same week [r = 0.553, p 

    Matched MeSH terms: Enterovirus Infections/virology
  6. Fulltext Dengue and other common causes of acute febrile illness in Asia: an active surveillance study in children
    Capeding MR, Chua MN, Hadinegoro SR, Hussain II, Nallusamy R, Pitisuttithum P, et al.
    PLoS Negl Trop Dis, 2013;7(7):e2331.
    PMID: 23936565 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0002331
    Common causes of acute febrile illness in tropical countries have similar symptoms, which often mimic those of dengue. Accurate clinical diagnosis can be difficult without laboratory confirmation and disease burden is generally under-reported. Accurate, population-based, laboratory-confirmed incidence data on dengue and other causes of acute fever in dengue-endemic Asian countries are needed.
    Matched MeSH terms: Virus Diseases/virology
  7. Fulltext Evolutionary history of HIV-1 subtype B and CRF01_AE transmission clusters among men who have sex with men (MSM) in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
    Ng KT, Ong LY, Lim SH, Takebe Y, Kamarulzaman A, Tee KK
    PLoS One, 2013;8(6):e67286.
    PMID: 23840653 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0067286
    HIV-1 epidemics among men who have sex with men (MSM) continue to expand in developed and developing countries. Although HIV infection in MSM is amongst the highest of the key affected populations in many countries in Southeast Asia, comprehensive molecular epidemiological study of HIV-1 among MSM remains inadequate in the region including in Malaysia. Here, we reported the phylodynamic profiles of HIV-1 genotypes circulating among MSM population in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. A total of n = 459 newly-diagnosed treatment-naïve consenting subjects were recruited between March 2006 and August 2012, of whom 87 (18.9%) were self-reported MSM. Transmitted drug resistance mutations were absent in these isolates. Cumulatively, phylogenetic reconstructions of the pro-rt gene (HXB2∶2253-3275) showed that HIV-1 subtype B and CRF01_AE were predominant and contributed to approximately 80% of the total HIV-1 infection among MSM. In addition to numerous unique transmission lineages within these genotypes, twelve monophyletic transmission clusters of different sizes (2-7 MSM sequences, supported by posterior probability value of 1) were identified in Malaysia. Bayesian coalescent analysis estimated that the divergence times for these clusters were mainly dated between 1995 and 2005 with four major transmission clusters radiating at least 12 years ago suggesting that active spread of multiple sub-epidemic clusters occurred during this period. The changes in effective population size of subtype B showed an exponential growth within 5 years between 1988 and 1993, while CRF01_AE lineage exhibited similar expansion between 1993 and 2003. Our study provides the first insight of the phylodynamic profile of HIV-1 subtype B and CRF01_AE circulating among MSM population in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, unravelling the importance of understanding transmission behaviours as well as evolutionary history of HIV-1 in assessing the risk of outbreak or epidemic expansion.
    Matched MeSH terms: HIV Infections/virology*
  8. Fulltext Assessing the threat of chikungunya virus emergence in Australia
    Viennet E, Knope K, Faddy HM, Williams CR, Harley D
    Commun Dis Intell Q Rep, 2013 Jun;37(2):E136-43.
    PMID: 24168087
    Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) is a major threat to Australia given the distribution of competent vectors, and the large number of travellers returning from endemic regions. We describe current knowledge of CHIKV importations into Australia, and quantify reported viraemic cases, with the aim of facilitating the formulation of public health policy and ensuring maintenance of blood safety.
    Matched MeSH terms: Chikungunya Fever/virology
  9. Fulltext Detection of dengue viruses using reverse transcription-loop-mediated isothermal amplification
    Teoh BT, Sam SS, Tan KK, Johari J, Danlami MB, Hooi PS, et al.
    BMC Infect Dis, 2013;13:387.
    PMID: 23964963 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2334-13-387
    BACKGROUND: Early and rapid detection of dengue virus (DENV) infection during the febrile period is crucial for proper patient management and prevention of disease spread. An easy to perform and highly sensitive method is needed for routine implementation especially in the resource-limited rural healthcare settings where dengue is endemic.
    METHODS: A single-tube reverse transcription-loop-mediated isothermal amplification (RT-LAMP) assay with a set of nine primers was developed for the detection of all four DENV serotypes and their different genotypes. The sensitivity and specificity of the RT-LAMP were evaluated. The clinical applicability of RT-LAMP assay for detection of DENV RNA was assessed in a total of 305 sera of clinically-suspected dengue patients. The test results of RT-LAMP were statistically compared to those of quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR), IgM- and IgG-capture enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA).
    RESULTS: Acute DENV infection was confirmed in 171 samples (n = 305); 43.3% (74/171) and 46.8% (80/171) of the samples were positive for DENV using RT-LAMP and qRT-PCR, respectively. The combination of RT-LAMP with the dengue IgM and IgG ELISA increased detection of acute DENV infection to 97.7% (167/171), in comparison to only 70.8% (121/171) when dengue IgM and IgG ELISA alone were used. The RT-LAMP assays showed high concordance (κ = 0.939) with the qRT-PCR. The RT-LAMP assay detected up to 10 copies of virus RNA within an hour but 100% reproducibility (12/12) was achieved with 100 copies. There was no cross reactivity of RT-LAMP with other closely related arboviruses.
    CONCLUSION: The RT-LAMP assay developed in this study is sensitive, specific and simple to perform. The assay improved the detection of dengue when used in combination with serological methods.
    Matched MeSH terms: Dengue/virology*
  10. Fulltext Oral ingestion of transgenic RIDL Ae. aegypti larvae has no negative effect on two predator Toxorhynchites species
    Nordin O, Donald W, Ming WH, Ney TG, Mohamed KA, Halim NA, et al.
    PLoS One, 2013;8(3):e58805.
    PMID: 23527029 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0058805
    Dengue is the most important mosquito-borne viral disease. No specific treatment or vaccine is currently available; traditional vector control methods can rarely achieve adequate control. Recently, the RIDL (Release of Insect carrying Dominant Lethality) approach has been developed, based on the sterile insect technique, in which genetically engineered 'sterile' homozygous RIDL male insects are released to mate wild females; the offspring inherit a copy of the RIDL construct and die. A RIDL strain of the dengue mosquito, Aedes aegypti, OX513A, expresses a fluorescent marker gene for identification (DsRed2) and a protein (tTAV) that causes the offspring to die. We examined whether these proteins could adversely affect predators that may feed on the insect. Aedes aegypti is a peri-domestic mosquito that typically breeds in small, rain-water-filled containers and has no specific predators. Toxorhynchites larvae feed on small aquatic organisms and are easily reared in the laboratory where they can be fed exclusively on mosquito larvae. To evaluate the effect of a predator feeding on a diet of RIDL insects, OX513A Ae. aegypti larvae were fed to two different species of Toxorhynchites (Tx. splendens and Tx. amboinensis) and effects on life table parameters of all life stages were compared to being fed on wild type larvae. No significant negative effect was observed on any life table parameter studied; this outcome and the benign nature of the expressed proteins (tTAV and DsRed2) indicate that Ae. aegypti OX513A RIDL strain is unlikely to have any adverse effects on predators in the environment.
    Matched MeSH terms: Insect Vectors/virology
  11. Fulltext Potential anti-dengue medicinal plants: a review
    Abd Kadir SL, Yaakob H, Mohamed Zulkifli R
    J Nat Med, 2013 Oct;67(4):677-89.
    PMID: 23591999 DOI: 10.1007/s11418-013-0767-y
    Dengue fever causes mortality and morbidity around the world, specifically in the Tropics and subtropic regions, which has been of major concern to governments and the World Health Organization (WHO). As a consequence, the search for new anti-dengue agents from medicinal plants has assumed more urgency than in the past. Medicinal plants have been used widely to treat a variety of vector ailments such as malaria. The demand for plant-based medicines is growing as they are generally considered to be safer, non-toxic and less harmful than synthetic drugs. This article reviews potential anti-dengue activities from plants distributed around the world. Sixty-nine studies from 1997 to 2012 describe 31 different species from 24 families that are known for their anti-dengue activities. About ten phytochemicals have been isolated from 11 species, among which are compounds with the potential for development of dengue treatment. Crude extracts and essential oils obtained from 31 species showed a broad activity against Flavivirus. Current studies show that natural products represent a rich potential source of new anti-dengue compounds. Further ethnobotanical surveys and laboratory investigations are needed established the potential of identified species in contributing to dengue control.
    Matched MeSH terms: Dengue/virology
  12. Fulltext Continuing challenges in haemodialysis treatment
    Morad Z
    Med J Malaysia, 2012 Apr;67(2):145-6.
    PMID: 22822631
    Matched MeSH terms: Hepatitis C, Chronic/virology*
  13. Characteristics of a phage effective for colibacillosis control in poultry
    Lau GL, Sieo CC, Tan WS, Ho YW
    J Sci Food Agric, 2012 Oct;92(13):2657-63.
    PMID: 22505020 DOI: 10.1002/jsfa.5683
    Colibacillosis is one of the main causes of economic loss in the poultry industry worldwide. Although antibiotics have been used to control this infection, the emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria poses a threat to animal and human health. Phage therapy has been reported as one of the potential alternative methods to control bacterial infections. However, efficient phage therapy is highly dependent on the characteristics of the phage isolated. In the present study the characteristics of a lytic phage, ØEC1, which was found to be effective against the causative agent of colibacillosis in chickens in a previous in vivo study, are reported.
    Matched MeSH terms: Escherichia coli/virology*
  14. Fulltext People living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) and HIV/AIDS associated oral lesions; a study in Malaysia
    Khan SA, Moorthy J, Omar H, Hasan SS
    BMC Public Health, 2012;12:850.
    PMID: 23043358 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2458-12-850
    The continuous increase in number of people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) represents a serious health and economic burden. HIV positive individuals with oral lesions have significantly lower oral health-related quality of life than HIV positive individuals without oral lesions. The objective of this study was to assess the knowledge, attitude and practices (KAP) within a cohort of HIV/AIDS positive patients towards HIV/AIDS associated oral lesions.
    Matched MeSH terms: Mouth Diseases/virology*
  15. [Analysis of genetic features of influenza B virus in Hunan province from 2007 to 2010]
    Liu YZ, Zhao X, Huang YW, Chen Z, Li FC, Gao LD, et al.
    Zhonghua Yu Fang Yi Xue Za Zhi, 2012 Mar;46(3):258-63.
    PMID: 22800599
    To investigate the gene variations of influenza B virus isolated in Hunan province from 2007 to 2010.
    Matched MeSH terms: Influenza, Human/virology*
  16. Fulltext Mixed-genotypes infections with hepatitis C virus in hemodialysis subjects
    Hairul Aini H, Mustafa MIA, Seman MR, Nasuruddin BA
    Med J Malaysia, 2012 Apr;67(2):199-203.
    PMID: 22822643 MyJurnal
    Mixed-genotypes hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections are normally ignored in chronic hemodialysis patients. The aim of this study is to investigate the prevalence of mixed-genotypes infections among hemodialysis patients in Pahang province, Malaysia. Reverse-transcription and polymerase chain reaction methods were performed using two different sets of primers, targeting the 5' untranslated region and nonstructural 5B region. Target region base sequences were obtained by direct sequencing. Discrepancy in outcomes from phylogenetic analysis of both regions suggests double infections. Of 40 subjects in eight hemodialysis centres, evidence of mixed-genotypes infections was found in 5 subjects (12.5%) from three different centres. Four patients were infected with mixed genotypes 3 and 1 and one with genotypes 3 and 4. Cases of mixed HCV genotypes infection were considered high among hemodialysis patients in Pahang. However, further investigation is needed to confirm whether they are true mixed infections or perhaps infection with recombinant virus and also to assess the clinicopathologic characteristics of the infection.
    Matched MeSH terms: Hepatitis C, Chronic/virology*
  17. Genome sequences of a novel HIV-1 CRF53_01B identified in Malaysia
    Chow WZ, Al-Darraji H, Lee YM, Takebe Y, Kamarulzaman A, Tee KK
    J Virol, 2012 Oct;86(20):11398-9.
    PMID: 22997419
    A novel HIV-1 genotype designated CRF53_01B was recently characterized from three epidemiologically unrelated persons in Malaysia. Here we announced three recently isolated full-length genomes of CRF53_01B, which is likely to be phylogenetically linked to CRF33_01B, circulating widely in Southeast Asia. The genome sequences may contribute to HIV-1 molecular surveillance and future vaccine development in the region.
    Matched MeSH terms: HIV Infections/virology*
  18. Phylogenetic analysis of dengue virus types 1 and 3 isolated in Jakarta, Indonesia in 1988
    Sjatha F, Takizawa Y, Yamanaka A, Konishi E
    Infect Genet Evol, 2012 Dec;12(8):1938-43.
    PMID: 22959957 DOI: 10.1016/j.meegid.2012.08.006
    Dengue viruses are mosquito-borne viruses that cause dengue fever and dengue hemorrhagic fever, both of which are globally important diseases. These viruses have evolved in a transmission cycle between human hosts and mosquito vectors in various tropical and subtropical environments. We previously isolated three strains of dengue type 1 virus (DENV1) and 14 strains of dengue type 3 virus (DENV3) during an outbreak of dengue fever and dengue hemorrhagic fever in Jakarta, Indonesia in 1988. Here, we compared the nucleotide sequences of the entire envelope protein-coding region among these strains. The isolates were 97.6-100% identical for DENV1 and 98.8-100% identical for DENV3. All DENV1 isolates were included in two different clades of genotype IV and all DENV3 isolates were included in a single clade of genotype I. For DENV1, three Yap Island strains isolated in 2004 were the only strains closely related to the present isolates; the recently circulated Indonesian strains were in different clades. Molecular clock analyses estimated that ancestors of the genotype IV strains of DENV1 have been indigenous in Indonesia since 1948. We predict that they diverged frequently around 1967 and that their offspring distributed to Southeast Asia, the Western Pacific, and Africa. For DENV3, the clade containing all the present isolates also contained strains isolated from other Indonesian regions and other countries including Malaysia, Singapore, China, and East Timor from 1985-2010. Molecular clock analyses estimated that the common ancestor of the genotype I strains of DENV3 emerged in Indonesia around 1967 and diverged frequently until 1980, and that their offspring distributed mainly in Southeast Asia. The first dengue outbreak in 1968 and subsequent outbreaks in Indonesia might have influenced the divergence and distribution of the DENV1 genotype IV strains and the DENV3 genotype I strains in many countries.
    Matched MeSH terms: Dengue/virology*
  19. Fulltext Open field release of genetically engineered sterile male Aedes aegypti in Malaysia
    Lacroix R, McKemey AR, Raduan N, Kwee Wee L, Hong Ming W, Guat Ney T, et al.
    PLoS One, 2012;7(8):e42771.
    PMID: 22970102 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0042771
    Dengue is the most important mosquito-borne viral disease. In the absence of specific drugs or vaccines, control focuses on suppressing the principal mosquito vector, Aedes aegypti, yet current methods have not proven adequate to control the disease. New methods are therefore urgently needed, for example genetics-based sterile-male-release methods. However, this requires that lab-reared, modified mosquitoes be able to survive and disperse adequately in the field.
    Matched MeSH terms: Dengue/virology
  20. Fulltext Genotype v Japanese encephalitis virus is emerging
    Li MH, Fu SH, Chen WX, Wang HY, Guo YH, Liu QY, et al.
    PLoS Negl Trop Dis, 2011 Jul;5(7):e1231.
    PMID: 21750744 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0001231
    Japanese encephalitis (JE) is a global public health issue that has spread widely to more than 20 countries in Asia and has extended its geographic range to the south Pacific region including Australia. JE has become the most important cause of viral encephalitis in the world. Japanese encephalitis viruses (JEV) are divided into five genotypes, based on the nucleotide sequence of the envelope (E) gene. The Muar strain, isolated from patient in Malaya in 1952, is the sole example of genotype V JEV. Here, the XZ0934 strain of JEV was isolated from Culex tritaeniorhynchus, collected in China. The complete nucleotide and amino acid sequence of XZ0934 strain have been determined. The nucleotide divergence ranged from 20.3% to 21.4% and amino acid divergence ranged from 8.4% to 10.0% when compared with the 62 known JEV isolates that belong to genotype I-IV. It reveals low similarity between XZ0934 and genotype I-IV JEVs. Phylogenetic analysis using both complete genome and structural gene nucleotide sequences demonstrates that XZ0934 belongs to genotype V. This, in turn, suggests that genotype V JEV is emerging in JEV endemic areas. Thus, increased surveillance and diagnosis of viral encephalitis caused by genotype V JEV is an issue of great concern to nations in which JEV is endemic.
    Matched MeSH terms: Culex/virology*
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