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Fulltext Fat-Soluble Vitamins and the Current Global Pandemic of COVID-19: Evidence-Based Efficacy from Literature Review

Samad N, Dutta S, Sodunke TE, Fairuz A, Sapkota A, Miftah ZF, et al.

J Inflamm Res, 2021;14:2091-2110.
PMID: 34045883 DOI: 10.2147/JIR.S307333

The outbreak of pneumonia caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), later named COVID-19 by the World Health Organization (WHO), was initiated at Wuhan, Hubei, China, and there was a rapid spread of novel SARS-CoV-2 and the disease COVID-19 in late 2019. The entire world is now experiencing the challenge of COVID-19 infection. However, still very few evidence-based treatment options are available for the prevention and treatment of COVID-19 disease. The present review aims to summarize the publicly available information to give a comprehensive yet balanced scientific overview of all the fat-soluble vitamins concerning their role in SARS-CoV-2 virus infection. The roles of different fat-soluble vitamins and micronutrients in combating SARS-CoV-2 infection have been recently explored in several studies. There are various hypotheses to suggest their use to minimize the severity of COVID-19 infection. These vitamins are pivotal in the maintenance and modulation of innate and cell-mediated, and antibody-mediated immune responses. The data reported in recent literature demonstrate that deficiency in one or more of these vitamins compromises the patients' immune response and makes them more vulnerable to viral infections and perhaps worse disease prognosis. Vitamins A, D, E, and K boost the body's defense mechanism against COVID-19 infection and specifically prevent its complications such as cytokine storm and other inflammatory processes, leading to increased morbidity and mortality overemphasis. However, more detailed randomized double-blind clinical pieces of evidence are required to define the use of these supplements in preventing or reducing the severity of the COVID-19 infection.

Matched MeSH terms: Disease Outbreaks
Fulltext Study Protocol for a Global Survey: Awareness and Preparedness of Hospital Staff Against Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) Outbreak

Qarawi ATA, Ng SJ, Gad A, Luu MN, Al-Ahdal TMA, Sharma A, et al.

Front Public Health, 2021;9:580427.
PMID: 34277529 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2021.580427

Background: The outbreak of Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) caused by a novel coronavirus (named SARS-CoV-2) has gained attention globally and has been recognized as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) by the World Health Organization (WHO) due to the rapidly increasing number of deaths and confirmed cases. Health care workers (HCWs) are vulnerable to this crisis as they are the first frontline to receive and manage COVID-19 patients. In this multicenter multinational survey, we aim to assess the level of awareness and preparedness of hospital staff regarding COVID-19 all over the world. Methods: From February to March 2020, the web-based or paper-based survey to gather information about the hospital staff's awareness and preparedness in the participants' countries will be carried out using a structured questionnaire based on the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) checklist and delivered to participants by the local collaborators for each hospital. As of March 2020, we recruited 374 hospitals from 58 countries that could adhere to this protocol as approved by their Institutional Review Boards (IRB) or Ethics Committees (EC). Discussion: The awareness and preparedness of HCWs against COVID-19 are of utmost importance not only to protect themselves from infection, but also to control the virus transmission in healthcare facilities and to manage the disease, especially in the context of manpower lacking and hospital overload during the pandemic. The results of this survey can be used to inform hospitals about the awareness and preparedness of their health staff regarding COVID-19, so appropriate policies and practice guidelines can be implemented to improve their capabilities of facing this crisis and other future pandemic-prone diseases.

Matched MeSH terms: Disease Outbreaks/prevention & control
Fulltext Modelling monthly influenza cases in Malaysia

Norrulashikin MA, Yusof F, Hanafiah NHM, Norrulashikin SM

PLoS One, 2021;16(7):e0254137.
PMID: 34288925 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0254137

The increasing trend in the number new cases of influenza every year as reported by WHO is concerning, especially in Malaysia. To date, there is no local research under healthcare sector that implements the time series forecasting methods to predict future disease outbreak in Malaysia, specifically influenza. Addressing the problem could increase awareness of the disease and could help healthcare workers to be more prepared in preventing the widespread of the disease. This paper intends to perform a hybrid ARIMA-SVR approach in forecasting monthly influenza cases in Malaysia. Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average (ARIMA) model (using Box-Jenkins method) and Support Vector Regression (SVR) model were used to capture the linear and nonlinear components in the monthly influenza cases, respectively. It was forecasted that the performance of the hybrid model would improve. The data from World Health Organization (WHO) websites consisting of weekly Influenza Serology A cases in Malaysia from the year 2006 until 2019 have been used for this study. The data were recategorized into monthly data. The findings of the study showed that the monthly influenza cases could be efficiently forecasted using three comparator models as all models outperformed the benchmark model (Naïve model). However, SVR with linear kernel produced the lowest values of RMSE and MAE for the test dataset suggesting the best performance out of the other comparators. This suggested that SVR has the potential to produce more consistent results in forecasting future values when compared with ARIMA and the ARIMA-SVR hybrid model.

Matched MeSH terms: Disease Outbreaks*
[Evidence based guidelines. Diagnosis and management of Guillain-Barré syndrome in ten steps]

Leonhard SE, Mandarakas MR, de Assis Aquino Gondim F, Bateman K, Brito Ferreira ML, Cornblath DR, et al.

Medicina (B Aires), 2021;81(5):817-836.
PMID: 34633957

Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) is a rare, but potentially fatal, immune-mediated disease of the peripheral nerves and nerve roots that is usually triggered by infections. The incidence of GBS can therefore increase during outbreaks of infectious diseases, as was seen during the Zika virus epidemics in 2013 in French Polynesia and in 2015 in Latin America. Diagnosis and management of GBS can be complicated as its clinical presentation and disease course are heterogeneous, and no international clinical guidelines are currently available. To support clinicians, especially in the context of an outbreak, we have developed a globally applicable guideline for the diagnosis and management of GBS. The guideline is based on current literature and expert consensus, and has a ten-step structure to facilitate its use in clinical practice. We first provide an introduction to the diagnostic criteria, clinical variants and differential diagnoses of GBS. The ten steps then cover early recognition and diagnosis of GBS, admission to the intensive care unit, treatment indication and selection, monitoring and treatment of disease progression, prediction of clinical course and outcome, and management of complications and sequelae.

Matched MeSH terms: Disease Outbreaks
Fulltext Trust predicts COVID-19 prescribed and discretionary behavioral intentions in 23 countries

Pagliaro S, Sacchi S, Pacilli MG, Brambilla M, Lionetti F, Bettache K, et al.

PLoS One, 2021;16(3):e0248334.
PMID: 33690672 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0248334

The worldwide spread of a new coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) since December 2019 has posed a severe threat to individuals' well-being. While the world at large is waiting that the released vaccines immunize most citizens, public health experts suggest that, in the meantime, it is only through behavior change that the spread of COVID-19 can be controlled. Importantly, the required behaviors are aimed not only at safeguarding one's own health. Instead, individuals are asked to adapt their behaviors to protect the community at large. This raises the question of which social concerns and moral principles make people willing to do so. We considered in 23 countries (N = 6948) individuals' willingness to engage in prescribed and discretionary behaviors, as well as country-level and individual-level factors that might drive such behavioral intentions. Results from multilevel multiple regressions, with country as the nesting variable, showed that publicized number of infections were not significantly related to individual intentions to comply with the prescribed measures and intentions to engage in discretionary prosocial behaviors. Instead, psychological differences in terms of trust in government, citizens, and in particular toward science predicted individuals' behavioral intentions across countries. The more people endorsed moral principles of fairness and care (vs. loyalty and authority), the more they were inclined to report trust in science, which, in turn, statistically predicted prescribed and discretionary behavioral intentions. Results have implications for the type of intervention and public communication strategies that should be most effective to induce the behavioral changes that are needed to control the COVID-19 outbreak.

Matched MeSH terms: Disease Outbreaks
Fulltext Descriptive epidemiology of the first wave of COVID-19 in Petaling District, Malaysia: Focus on asymptomatic transmission

Supramanian RK, Sivaratnam L, Rahim AA, Abidin NDIZ, Richai O, Zakiman Z, et al.

Western Pac Surveill Response J, 2021;12(2):82-88.
PMID: 34540316 DOI: 10.5365/wpsar.2020.11.4.001

BACKGROUND: COVID-19 was first detected in Malaysia on 25 January 2020. Multiple clusters were detected in Petaling District, with the first locally transmitted case reported on 8 February. Descriptive analyses of the epidemiology of the COVID-19 outbreak in Petaling are presented, from the first case to the end of the first wave.
METHODS: All laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 cases reported to the Petaling District Health Office between 1 February and 26 June 2020 were analysed. Socio-demographic characteristics, symptoms, date of onset, date of exposure, travel history and history of comorbidities were obtained by phone interviews using one of two investigation forms. The descriptive analysis was conducted according to time, place and person.
RESULTS: There were 437 COVID-19 cases, for an incidence rate of 24/100 000 population. Ten (2.3%) deaths and 427 recovered cases were recorded. Of the 437 cases, 35.5% remained asymptomatic and 64.5% were symptomatic. Common symptoms included fever (43.8%), cough (31.6%) and sore throat (16.2%); 67.3% had no comorbidities, 62.5% reported close contact with a confirmed case, and 76.7% were local infections. Transmission occurred in four main groups: religious gatherings (20.4%), corporations (15.1%), health facilities (10.3%) and a wholesale wet market (6.4%). In 31.9% of confirmed cases, an epidemiological link to an asymptomatic case was found.
CONCLUSION: Transmission of the disease by asymptomatic cases should be emphasized to ensure continuous wearing of face masks, hand hygiene and social distancing. Further research should be conducted to better understand the transmission of SARS-CoV-2 from asymptomatic cases.

Matched MeSH terms: Disease Outbreaks
A review of historical and recent locust outbreaks: Links to global warming, food security and mitigation strategies

Peng W, Ma NL, Zhang D, Zhou Q, Yue X, Khoo SC, et al.

Environ Res, 2020 12;191:110046.
PMID: 32841638 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2020.110046

Locusts differ from ordinary grasshoppers in their ability to swarm over long distances and are among the oldest migratory pests. The ecology and biology of locusts make them among the most devastating pests worldwide and hence the calls for actions to prevent the next outbreaks. The most destructive of all locust species is the desert locust (Schistocerca gregaria). Here, we review the current locust epidemic 2020 outbreak and its causes and prevention including the green technologies that may provide a reference for future directions of locust control and food security. Massive locust outbreaks threaten the terrestrial environments and crop production in around 100 countries of which Ethiopia, Somalia and Kenya are the most affected. Six large locust outbreaks are reported for the period from 1912 to 1989 all being closely related to long-term droughts and warm winters coupled with occurrence of high precipitation in spring and summer. The outbreaks in East Africa, India and Pakistan are the most pronounced with locusts migrating more than 150 km/day during which the locusts consume food equivalent to their own body weight on a daily basis. The plague heavily affects the agricultural sectors, which is the foundation of national economies and social stability. Global warming is likely the main cause of locust plague outbreak in recent decades driving egg spawning of up to 2-400,000 eggs per square meter. Biological control techniques such as microorganisms, insects and birds help to reduce the outbreaks while reducing ecosystem and agricultural impacts. In addition, green technologies such as light and sound stimulation seem to work, however, these are challenging and need further technological development incorporating remote sensing and modelling before they are applicable on large-scales. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations, the 2020 locust outbreak is the worst in 70 years probably triggered by climate change, hurricanes and heavy rain and has affected a total of 70,000 ha in Somalia and Ethiopia. There is a need for shifting towards soybean, rape, and watermelon which seems to help to prevent locust outbreaks and obtain food security. Furthermore, locusts have a very high protein content and is an excellent protein source for meat production and as an alternative human protein source, which should be used to mitigate food security. In addition, forestation of arable land improves local climate conditions towards less precipitation and lower temperatures while simultaneously attracting a larger number of birds thereby increasing the locust predation rates.

Matched MeSH terms: Disease Outbreaks
Fulltext The psychological impact of coronavirus outbreak in Pakistan

Um Min Allah N, Arshad S, Mahmood H, Abbas H

Asia Pac Psychiatry, 2020 Dec;12(4):e12409.
PMID: 32767510 DOI: 10.1111/appy.12409
Matched MeSH terms: Disease Outbreaks*
Fulltext COVID-19 outbreak and sectoral performance of the Australian stock market: An event study analysis

Alam MM, Wei H, Wahid ANM

Aust Econ Pap, 2020 Nov 27.
PMID: 33349733 DOI: 10.1111/1467-8454.12215

The outbreak of COVID-19 has weakened the economy of Australia and its capital market since early 2020. The overall stock market has declined. However, some sectors become highly vulnerable while others continue to perform well even in the crisis period. Given this new reality, we seek to investigate the initial volatility and the sectoral return. In this study, we analyse data for eight sectors such as, transportation, pharmaceuticals, healthcare, energy, food, real estate, telecommunications and technology of the Australian stock market. In doing so, we obtain data from Australian Securities Exchange (ASX) and analysed them based on 'Event Study' method. Here, we use the 10-days window for the event of official announcement of the COVID-19 outbreak in Australia on 27 February 2020. The findings of the study show that on the day of announcement, the indices for food, pharmaceuticals and healthcare exhibit impressive positive returns. Following the announcement, the telecommunications, pharmaceuticals and healthcare sectors exhibit good performance, while poor performance is demonstrated by the transportation industry. The findings are vital for investors, market participants, companies, private and public policymakers and governments to develop recovery action plans for vulnerable sectors and enable investors to regain their confidence to make better investment decisions.

Matched MeSH terms: Disease Outbreaks
Fulltext Nipah virus dynamics in bats and implications for spillover to humans

Epstein JH, Anthony SJ, Islam A, Kilpatrick AM, Ali Khan S, Balkey MD, et al.

Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A, 2020 11 17;117(46):29190-29201.
PMID: 33139552 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2000429117

Nipah virus (NiV) is an emerging bat-borne zoonotic virus that causes near-annual outbreaks of fatal encephalitis in South Asia-one of the most populous regions on Earth. In Bangladesh, infection occurs when people drink date-palm sap contaminated with bat excreta. Outbreaks are sporadic, and the influence of viral dynamics in bats on their temporal and spatial distribution is poorly understood. We analyzed data on host ecology, molecular epidemiology, serological dynamics, and viral genetics to characterize spatiotemporal patterns of NiV dynamics in its wildlife reservoir, Pteropus medius bats, in Bangladesh. We found that NiV transmission occurred throughout the country and throughout the year. Model results indicated that local transmission dynamics were modulated by density-dependent transmission, acquired immunity that is lost over time, and recrudescence. Increased transmission followed multiyear periods of declining seroprevalence due to bat-population turnover and individual loss of humoral immunity. Individual bats had smaller host ranges than other Pteropus species (spp.), although movement data and the discovery of a Malaysia-clade NiV strain in eastern Bangladesh suggest connectivity with bats east of Bangladesh. These data suggest that discrete multiannual local epizootics in bat populations contribute to the sporadic nature of NiV outbreaks in South Asia. At the same time, the broad spatial and temporal extent of NiV transmission, including the recent outbreak in Kerala, India, highlights the continued risk of spillover to humans wherever they may interact with pteropid bats and the importance of limiting opportunities for spillover throughout Pteropus's range.

Matched MeSH terms: Disease Outbreaks
Fulltext COVID-19 exit strategy: Transitioning towards a new normal

Jamaludin S, Azmir NA, Mohamad Ayob AF, Zainal N

Ann Med Surg (Lond), 2020 Nov;59:165-170.
PMID: 33024558 DOI: 10.1016/j.amsu.2020.09.046

The COVID-19 outbreak from the SARS-CoV-2 virus has shocking us with its fast transmission and deadly complication. Due to that, the movement restriction has been enforced to contain this pandemic. Recently, there is an increasing pressure to restart and resurrect social and economic sectors, and to allow people to get back to work. This must be well planned before the movement restriction is lifted. Because of that, this paper aims to review and make recommendations on the new normal for our daily activities and works. Firstly, the social and economic sectors must be opening in phases by emphasizing safety and health than an economic recovery. In the meantime, the WHO recommendations on social distancing and personal hygiene must be adapted and become a new normal. Because of that, the government and local authorities should develop a soft landing approach based on the WHO recommendations. Next, the community must be engaged and empowered to do their parts in preventing the spread of COVID-19. From the new normal recommendations, the people can continue their daily routines, and at the same time can reduce COVID-19 transmission. However, medical possibilities are not considered while compiling these new normals and procedures. The population must adapt and embrace the new normal to control, reduce and prevent the spreading of COVID-19, as it could be with us for a long time.

Matched MeSH terms: Disease Outbreaks
Fulltext Roadmap Out of COVID-19

Thor J, Pagkaliwagan E, Yeo A, Loh J, Kon C

Malays Orthop J, 2020 Nov;14(3):4-9.
PMID: 33403056 DOI: 10.5704/MOJ.2011.002

The recent coronavirus disease (COVID-19) was declared as a public health emergency by the World Health Organisation on 30th January 2020, and has now affected more than 100 countries. Healthcare institutions and governments worldwide have raced to contain the disease, albeit to varying degrees of success. Containment strategies adopted range from complete lockdowns to remaining open with public advisories regarding social distancing. However, general principles adopted by most countries remain the same, mainly to avoid gatherings in large numbers and limit social interactions to curb the spread of disease. In Singapore, this disease had a very different progression. The first wave of the disease started with the confirmation of the first COVID-19 positive patient in Singapore on 23rd January 2020. Initially, the daily number of confirmed cases were low and manageable. With a rise in unlinked cases, the Disease Outbreak Response System Condition (DORSCON) status was raised from yellow to orange. New cluster outbreaks in foreign worker dormitories led to the rampant spread of disease, with daily spikes of COVID-19 cases. As of 7th June 2020, we have a total of 37,910 confirmed cases of COVID-19 infections, the highest in Southeast Asia, 12,999 active cases and a manageable mortality count of 25 deaths. This details our unique method for dealing with a pandemic, including a brief demographic of trauma patients during this period. We were able to conserve sufficient resources to ensure that our essential services can still continue. Moving on, we have to ensure the continued protection of our population, especially the vulnerable groups such as the elderly and the immunocompromised, as we reopen.

Matched MeSH terms: Disease Outbreaks
Fulltext Megalocytiviruses in ornamental fish: A review

Johan CAC, Zainathan SC

Vet World, 2020 Nov;13(11):2565-2577.
PMID: 33363355 DOI: 10.14202/vetworld.2020.2565-2577

Iridoviruses, especially megalocytiviruses, are related to severe disease resulting in high economic losses in the aquaculture industry worldwide. The ornamental fish industry has been affected severely due to Megalocytivirus infections. Megalocytivirus is a DNA virus that has three genera; including red sea bream iridovirus, infectious spleen and kidney necrosis virus, and turbot reddish body iridovirus. Megalocytivirus causes non-specific clinical signs in ornamental fish. Cell culture, histology, immunofluorescence test, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay, and loop-mediated isothermal amplification assay have been used to diagnose megalocytiviruses. Risk factors such as temperature, transportation (export and import), and life stages of ornamental fish have been reported for the previous cases due to Megalocytivirus infections. In addition, other prevention and control methods also have been practiced in farms to prevent Megalocytivirus outbreaks. This is the first review of megalocytiviruses in ornamental fish since its first detection in 1989. This review discusses the occurrences of Megalocytivirus in ornamental fish, including the history, clinical signs, detection method, risk factors, and prevention measures.

Matched MeSH terms: Disease Outbreaks
Fulltext Extensive Genetic Variation at the Sr22 Wheat Stem Rust Resistance Gene Locus in the Grasses Revealed Through Evolutionary Genomics and Functional Analyses

Md Hatta MA, Ghosh S, Athiyannan N, Richardson T, Steuernagel B, Yu G, et al.

Mol Plant Microbe Interact, 2020 Nov;33(11):1286-1298.
PMID: 32779520 DOI: 10.1094/MPMI-01-20-0018-R

In the last 20 years, severe wheat stem rust outbreaks have been recorded in Africa, Europe, and Central Asia. This previously well controlled disease, caused by the fungus Puccinia graminis f. sp. tritici, has reemerged as a major threat to wheat cultivation. The stem rust (Sr) resistance gene Sr22 encodes a nucleotide-binding and leucine-rich repeat receptor which confers resistance to the highly virulent African stem rust isolate Ug99. Here, we show that the Sr22 gene is conserved among grasses in the Triticeae and Poeae lineages. Triticeae species contain syntenic loci with single-copy orthologs of Sr22 on chromosome 7, except Hordeum vulgare, which has experienced major expansions and rearrangements at the locus. We also describe 14 Sr22 sequence variants obtained from both Triticum boeoticum and the domesticated form of this species, T. monococcum, which have been postulated to encode both functional and nonfunctional Sr22 alleles. The nucleotide sequence analysis of these alleles identified historical sequence exchange resulting from recombination or gene conversion, including breakpoints within codons, which expanded the coding potential at these positions by introduction of nonsynonymous substitutions. Three Sr22 alleles were transformed into wheat cultivar Fielder and two postulated resistant alleles from Schomburgk (hexaploid wheat introgressed with T. boeoticum segment carrying Sr22) and T. monococcum accession PI190945, respectively, conferred resistance to P. graminis f. sp. tritici race TTKSK, thereby unequivocally confirming Sr22 effectiveness against Ug99. The third allele from accession PI573523, previously believed to confer susceptibility, was confirmed as nonfunctional against Australian P. graminis f. sp. tritici race 98-1,2,3,5,6.[Formula: see text] Copyright © 2020 The Author(s). This is an open access article distributed under the CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 International license.

Matched MeSH terms: Disease Outbreaks
Fulltext Gynecological Endoscopic Society of Malaysia Statement and Recommendations on Gynecological Laparoscopic Surgery during COVID-19 Pandemic

Ghazali WAHW, Nallaluthan P, Hasan RZ, Adlan AS, Boon NK

Gynecol Minim Invasive Ther, 2020 10 15;9(4):185-189.
PMID: 33312860 DOI: 10.4103/GMIT.GMIT_109_20

Objectives: While the issue of aerosolization of virus from the blood occurs during usage of energy sources scare practitioners, there have been no reported instances of healthcare workers (HCWs) being infected. COVID-19 virus is primarily transmitted via respiratory droplets and contact routes. Therefore, the ultimate decision for surgery, should be based on which is the safest, quickest route and concurrently ensuring that HCWs are protected during these surgeries. During the time of crisis, HCWs need to concentrate and channel resources to the care of those affected by the coronavirus hence judicious allocation of resources is mandatory. We present the guidelines and recommendations on gynecological laparoscopic surgery during this COVID-19 outbreak in Malaysia.
Materials and Methods: Thorough search of articles and recommendations were done to look into the characteristics of the virus in terms of transmission and risks during surgery. Smoke plume characteristics, composition and risk of viral transmission were also studied. Search includes The WHO Library, Cochrane Library and electronic databases (PubMed, Google scholar and Science Direct).
Conclusion: We concluded that there is no scientific basis of shunning laparoscopic approach in surgical intervention. Ultimately, the guiding principles would be of reducing the anesthetic and surgical duration, the availability of full protective gear for HCWs during the surgery and the status of the patient. It is mandatory for viral swab tests to be done within the shortest window period possible, for all cases planned for surgery.

Matched MeSH terms: Disease Outbreaks
Fulltext Recent perspectives and awareness on transmission, clinical manifestation, quarantine measures, prevention and treatment of COVID-19 among people living in Malaysia in 2020

Alabed AAA, Elengoe A, Anandan ES, Almahdi AY

Z Gesundh Wiss, 2020 Oct 14.
PMID: 33078089 DOI: 10.1007/s10389-020-01395-9

Background: There is a major public health challenge threatening the world with the rapid spread of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), which emerged in December 2019 from Wuhan, China.
Objective: The aim of this study was to assess the knowledge, attitude and practice regarding COVID-19 and its transmission, causes and prevention among people living in Malaysia.
Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among people living in Malaysia by using an online survey in March and April 2020.
Results: Out of 520 respondents, the mean age was 36.9 ± 14.9, between 19 and 67 years with the majority being female. Most respondents had good knowledge, attitude and practice towards COVID-19 with mean ± sd 18.2 ± 1.7, 5.2 ± 1.1 and 4.1 ± 1.4, respectively. In addition, the majority had good knowledge regarding cause, mode of transmission, signs and symptoms, prevention and treatment and quarantine measures after answering 21 questions.
Conclusion: To date, there is no specific treatment or vaccine for COVID-19, thus staying at home is the best preventive measure to curb the further growth of positive cases in the country. These findings could provide an insight in designing effective preparedness for future pandemic outbreaks.

Matched MeSH terms: Disease Outbreaks
Fulltext Sequence and Phylogenetic Analysis of the First Complete Genome of Ricetungro spherical virus in Malaysia

Kannan M, Mohamad Saad M, Zainal Z, Kassim H, Ismail I, Talip N, et al.

Iran J Biotechnol, 2020 Oct;18(4):e2566.
PMID: 34056024 DOI: 10.30498/IJB.2020.2566

Background: Rice tungro disease (RTD) is a viral disease mainly affecting rice in Asia. RTD caused by Rice tungro bacilliform virus and Rice tungro spherical virus. To date, there are only 5 RTSV isolates have been reported.
Objectives: In this study, we aimed to report the complete nucleotide sequence of Malaysian isolate of Rice tungro spherical virus Seberang Perai (RTSV-SP) for the first time. RTSV-SP was characterized and its evolutionary relationship with previously reported Indian and Philippines isolates were elucidated.
Materials and Methods: RTSV-SP isolate was isolated from a recent outbreak in a paddy field in Seberang Perai zone of Malaysia. Its complete genome was amplified by RT-PCR, cloned and sequenced.
Results: Sequence analysis indicated that the genome of RTSV-SP consisted of 12,173 nucleotides (nt). Comparative analysis of 6 complete genome sequences using Clustal Omega showed that Seberang Perai isolate shared the highest nucleotide identity (96.04%) with Philippine-A isolate, except that the sORF-2 of RTSV-SP is shorter than RTSV Philippine-A by 27 amino acid residues. RTSV-SP found to cluster in Southeast Asia (SEA) group based on the whole genome sequence phylogenetic analysis using MEGA X software.
Conclusions: Phylogenetic classification of RTSV isolates based on the complete nucleotide sequences showed more distinctive clustering pattern with the addition of RTSV-SP whole genome to the available isolates. Present study described the isolation and molecular characterization of RTSV-SP.

Matched MeSH terms: Disease Outbreaks
Fulltext Detection and Control of Fungal Outbreaks

Caceres DH, Mohd Tap R, Alastruey-Izquierdo A, Hagen F

Mycopathologia, 2020 10;185(5):741-745.
PMID: 33037965 DOI: 10.1007/s11046-020-00494-1
Matched MeSH terms: Disease Outbreaks/prevention & control*
Fulltext Unravelling the myths of R0 in controlling the dynamics of COVID-19 outbreak: A modelling perspective

Mohd MH, Sulayman F

Chaos Solitons Fractals, 2020 Sep;138:109943.
PMID: 32834577 DOI: 10.1016/j.chaos.2020.109943

COVID-19 is an emerging and rapidly evolving pandemic around the world, which causes severe acute respiratory syndrome and results in substantial morbidity and mortality. To examine the transmission dynamics of COVID-19, we investigate the spread of this pandemic using Malaysia as a case study and scrutinise its interactions with some exogenous factors such as limited medical resources and false detection problems. To do this, we employ a simple epidemiological model and analyse this system using modelling and dynamical systems techniques. We discover some contrasting findings with respect to the observations of basic reproduction number: while it is observed that R0 seems to provide a good description of transmission dynamics in simple outbreak scenarios, this quantity might mislead the assessment on the severity of pandemic when certain complexities such as limited medical resources and false detection problems are incorporated into the model. In particular, we observe the possibility of a COVID-19 outbreak through bistable behaviour, even when the basic reproduction number is less than unity. Based on these findings, we caution policy makers not to make their decisions solely based on the guidance of the basic reproduction number only, which clearly could cause trouble.

Matched MeSH terms: Disease Outbreaks
Fulltext A 'what-if' scenario: Nipah virus attacks pig trade chains in Thailand

Wongnak P, Thanapongtharm W, Kusakunniran W, Karnjanapreechakorn S, Sutassananon K, Kalpravidh W, et al.

BMC Vet Res, 2020 Aug 24;16(1):300.
PMID: 32838786 DOI: 10.1186/s12917-020-02502-4

BACKGROUND: Nipah virus (NiV) is a fatal zoonotic agent that was first identified amongst pig farmers in Malaysia in 1998, in an outbreak that resulted in 105 fatal human cases. That epidemic arose from a chain of infection, initiating from bats to pigs, and which then spilled over from pigs to humans. In Thailand, bat-pig-human communities can be observed across the country, particularly in the central plain. The present study therefore aimed to identify high-risk areas for potential NiV outbreaks and to model how the virus is likely to spread. Multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) and weighted linear combination (WLC) were employed to produce the NiV risk map. The map was then overlaid with the nationwide pig movement network to identify the index subdistricts in which NiV may emerge. Subsequently, susceptible-exposed-infectious-removed (SEIR) modeling was used to simulate NiV spread within each subdistrict, and network modeling was used to illustrate how the virus disperses across subdistricts.
RESULTS: Based on the MCDA and pig movement data, 14 index subdistricts with a high-risk of NiV emergence were identified. We found in our infectious network modeling that the infected subdistricts clustered in, or close to the central plain, within a range of 171 km from the source subdistricts. However, the virus may travel as far as 528.5 km (R0 = 5).
CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion, the risk of NiV dissemination through pig movement networks in Thailand is low but not negligible. The risk areas identified in our study can help the veterinary authority to allocate financial and human resources to where preventive strategies, such as pig farm regionalization, are required and to contain outbreaks in a timely fashion once they occur.

Matched MeSH terms: Disease Outbreaks/prevention & control

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