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Fulltext Diabetes epidemic in Malaysia

Mustaffa BE

Med J Malaysia, 2004 Aug;59(3):295-6.
PMID: 15727372 MyJurnal
Matched MeSH terms: Disease Outbreaks*
Recent progress in henipavirus research

Halpin K, Mungall BA

Comp Immunol Microbiol Infect Dis, 2007 Sep;30(5-6):287-307.
PMID: 17629946

Following the discovery of two new paramyxoviruses in the 1990s, much effort has been placed on rapidly finding the reservoir hosts, characterising the genomes, identifying the viral receptors and formulating potential vaccines and therapeutic options for these viruses, Hendra and Nipah viruses caused zoonotic disease on a scale not seen before with other paramyxoviruses. Nipah virus particularly caused high morbidity and mortality in humans and high morbidity in pig populations in the first outbreak in Malaysia. Both viruses continue to pose a threat with sporadic outbreaks continuing into the 21st century. Experimental and surveillance studies identified that pteropus bats are the reservoir hosts. Research continues in an attempt to understand events that precipitated spillover of these viruses. Discovered on the cusp of the molecular technology revolution, much progress has been made in understanding these new viruses. This review endeavours to capture the depth and breadth of these recent advances.

Matched MeSH terms: Disease Outbreaks*
[Chikungunya, La Réunion and Mayotte, 2005-2006: an epidemic without a story?]

Flahault A, Aumont G, Boisson V, de Lamballerile X, Favier F, Fontenille D, et al.

Sante Publique, 2007 May-Jun;19 Suppl 3:S165-95.
PMID: 17929405

Many triggering factors for onset of emerging infectious diseases are now recognised, such as: globalisation, demographic increase, population movements, international trade, urbanisation, forest destruction, climate changes, loss in biodiversity, and extreme life conditions such as poverty, famine and war. Epidemic burden is often leading to disasters, in terms of human losses, as well as economic, political or social consequences. These outbreaks may jeopardize within a few weeks or months, industry, trade, or tourism. While dengue and its most severe forms (hemorrhagic and shock syndrome) is spreading all over the tropical world, another arbovirosis, chikungunya disease dramatically spread in Indian Ocean islands where 30 to 75% of population were infected in 2005 and 2006, and then extended its progression towards India, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Malaysia, Maldives islands with more than a million people infected with the East-African strain, replacing the former Asian strain which was known to prevail more than 30 years ago in India. Patients experience sequelae with disability, work loss, and rarely severe outcome recently identified in La Réunion and Mayotte (French overseas territories). No country, no part of the world may consider itself as protected against such events. However, consequences of emerging or re-emerging diseases are more and more unacceptable when they impact the poorest countries of the world. Viruses, bacteria, as well as wild animals, birds, or arthropods are not stopped by borders. It is time now to promote barriers against infectious diseases, including prevention, anticipation, disease surveillance and research. This is not only for humanitarian reasons, but also for contributing to a sustainable development with equity for worldwide population. This report presents comprehensive actions taken in 2006 for tracing the epidemic and mobilise research, as requested to the task force set up by the Prime Minister by March 20, 2006.

Matched MeSH terms: Disease Outbreaks*
Fulltext Epidemiology of dengue reported in the World Health Organization's Western Pacific Region, 2013-2019

Togami E, Chiew M, Lowbridge C, Biaukula V, Bell L, Yajima A, et al.

Western Pac Surveill Response J, 2023;14(1):1-16.
PMID: 37064541 DOI: 10.5365/wpsar.2023.14.1.973

The global burden of dengue, an emerging and re-emerging mosquito-borne disease, increased during the 20-year period ending in 2019, with approximately 70% of cases estimated to have been in Asia. This report describes the epidemiology of dengue in the World Health Organization's Western Pacific Region during 2013-2019 using regional surveillance data reported from indicator-based surveillance systems from countries and areas in the Region, supplemented by publicly available dengue outbreak situation reports. The total reported annual number of dengue cases in the Region increased from 430 023 in 2013 to 1 050 285 in 2019, surpassing 1 million cases for the first time in 2019. The reported case-fatality ratio ranged from 0.19% (724/376 972 in 2014 and 2030/1 050 285 in 2019) to 0.30% (1380/458 843 in 2016). The introduction or reintroduction of serotypes to specific areas caused several outbreaks and rare occurrences of local transmission in places where dengue was not previously reported. This report reinforces the increased importance of dengue surveillance systems in monitoring dengue across the Region.

Matched MeSH terms: Disease Outbreaks*
Fulltext 2013 dengue outbreaks in Singapore and Malaysia caused by different viral strains

Ng LC, Chem YK, Koo C, Mudin RNB, Amin FM, Lee KS, et al.

Am J Trop Med Hyg, 2015 Jun;92(6):1150-1155.
PMID: 25846296 DOI: 10.4269/ajtmh.14-0588

Characterization of 14,079 circulating dengue viruses in a cross-border surveillance program, UNITEDengue, revealed that the 2013 outbreaks in Singapore and Malaysia were associated with replacement of predominant serotype. While the predominant virus in Singapore switched from DENV2 to DENV1, DENV2 became predominant in neighboring Malaysia. Dominance of DENV2 was most evident on the southern states where higher fatality rates were observed.

Matched MeSH terms: Disease Outbreaks*
Progress in public health in the Year of the Goat

Binns C, Low WY

Asia Pac J Public Health, 2015 Mar;27(2):121-2.
PMID: 25834268 DOI: 10.1177/1010539515576167
Matched MeSH terms: Disease Outbreaks/prevention & control
Fulltext Infectious diseases and their outbreaks in Asia-Pacific: biodiversity and its regulation loss matter

Morand S, Jittapalapong S, Suputtamongkol Y, Abdullah MT, Huan TB

PLoS One, 2014;9(2):e90032.
PMID: 24587201 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0090032

Despite increasing control measures, numerous parasitic and infectious diseases are emerging, re-emerging or causing recurrent outbreaks particularly in Asia and the Pacific region, a hot spot of both infectious disease emergence and biodiversity at risk. We investigate how biodiversity affects the distribution of infectious diseases and their outbreaks in this region, taking into account socio-economics (population size, GDP, public health expenditure), geography (latitude and nation size), climate (precipitation, temperature) and biodiversity (bird and mammal species richness, forest cover, mammal and bird species at threat). We show, among countries, that the overall richness of infectious diseases is positively correlated with the richness of birds and mammals, but the number of zoonotic disease outbreaks is positively correlated with the number of threatened mammal and bird species and the number of vector-borne disease outbreaks is negatively correlated with forest cover. These results suggest that, among countries, biodiversity is a source of pathogens, but also that the loss of biodiversity or its regulation, as measured by forest cover or threatened species, seems to be associated with an increase in zoonotic and vector-borne disease outbreaks.

Matched MeSH terms: Disease Outbreaks*
Fulltext Nipah virus, an emerging zoonotic disease causing fatal encephalitis

Alam AM

Clin Med (Lond), 2022 Jul;22(4):348-352.
PMID: 35760448 DOI: 10.7861/clinmed.2022-0166

Nipah virus is an acute febrile illness that can cause fatal encephalitis. It is an emerging zoonotic paramyxovirus endemic to south-east Asia and the western Pacific, and can be transmitted by its primary reservoir of fruit bats, through intermediate animal vectors and by human-to-human spread. Outbreaks of Nipah virus encephalitis have occurred in Malaysia, Singapore, Philippines, India and Bangladesh, with the most recent outbreak occurring in Kerala, India in late 2021. Extremely high case fatality rates have been reported from these outbreaks, and to date no vaccines or therapeutic management options are available. Combining this with its propensity to present non-specifically, Nipah virus encephalitis presents a challenging diagnosis that should not be missed in patients returning from endemic regions. Raising awareness of the epidemiology, clinical presentation and risk factors of contracting Nipah virus is vital to recognise and manage potential outbreaks of this disease in the UK.

Matched MeSH terms: Disease Outbreaks/prevention & control
Fulltext Concurrent outbreaks of circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus types 1 and 2 affecting the Republic of the Philippines and Malaysia, 2019-2021

Snider CJ, Boualam L, Tallis G, Takashima Y, Abeyasinghe R, Lo YR, et al.

Vaccine, 2023 Apr 06;41 Suppl 1:A58-A69.
PMID: 35337673 DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2022.02.022

Concurrent outbreaks of circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus serotypes 1 and 2 (cVDPV1, cVDPV2) were confirmed in the Republic of the Philippines in September 2019 and were subsequently confirmed in Malaysia by early 2020. There is continuous population subgroup movement in specific geographies between the two countries. Outbreak response efforts focused on sequential supplemental immunization activities with monovalent Sabin strain oral poliovirus vaccine type 2 (mOPV2) and bivalent oral poliovirus vaccines (bOPV, containing Sabin strain types 1 and 3) as well as activities to enhance poliovirus surveillance sensitivity to detect virus circulation. A total of six cVDPV1 cases, 13 cVDPV2 cases, and one immunodeficiency-associated vaccine-derived poliovirus type 2 case were detected, and there were 35 cVDPV1 and 31 cVDPV2 isolates from environmental surveillance sewage collection sites. No further cVDPV1 or cVDPV2 have been detected in either country since March 2020. Response efforts in both countries encountered challenges, particularly those caused by the global COVID-19 pandemic. Important lessons were identified and could be useful for other countries that experience outbreaks of concurrent cVDPV serotypes.

Matched MeSH terms: Disease Outbreaks/prevention & control
Identification of Newcastle Disease Virus sub-genotype VII 1.1 isolated from chickens in Sabah, Malaysia

Syamsiah Aini S, Leow BL, Faizul Fikri MY, Muhammad Redzwan S, Faizah Hanim MS

Trop Biomed, 2022 Dec 01;39(4):579-586.
PMID: 36602219 DOI: 10.47665/tb.39.4.015

Newcastle disease (ND) is an extremely contagious and fatal viral disease causing huge economic losses to the poultry industry. Following recent ND outbreaks in Sabah in commercial poultry and backyard farms, it was speculated that this could be due to a new introduction of Newcastle Disease Virus (NDV) genotype/sub-genotype. Here we report the genetic characterization of NDVs isolated from Sabah during early 2021. All isolates were amplified and sequenced with primers specific to the viral fusion (F) gene using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Nucleotide sequence analysis of the F gene showed that all isolates shared similar homology of 99.4% with NDV strain from Iran isolated in 2018. Amino acid sequences of the F protein cleavage site revealed the motif of 112RRQKRF117 indicating all isolates were of virulent strain. Phylogenetic analysis demonstrated that all isolates were clustered under sub-genotype VII 1.1 and clustered together with isolates from Iran (previously known as subgenotype VIIl). The present findings suggested that there is an emerging of a new sub-genotype into the poultry population in Sabah and this sub-genotype has never been reported before in Malaysia. Therefore, transboundary monitoring and continuous surveillance should be implemented for proper control and prevention of the disease. A further molecular epidemiological analysis of NDV is needed to well understand the circulatory patterns of virulent strains of NDV in the country to prevent future outbreaks.

Matched MeSH terms: Disease Outbreaks/veterinary
Fulltext Epidemiology of foot-and-mouth disease outbreaks in Thailand from 2011 to 2018

Chanchaidechachai T, Saatkamp H, de Jong M, Inchaisri C, Hogeveen H, Premashthira S, et al.

Transbound Emerg Dis, 2022 Nov;69(6):3823-3836.
PMID: 36321258 DOI: 10.1111/tbed.14754

Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) is one of the most important animal diseases hindering livestock production in Thailand. In this study, a temporal and spatial analysis at the subdistrict level was performed on FMD outbreak reports in Thailand from 2011 to 2018. Risk factors associated with FMD outbreaks were furthermore investigated using generalized estimating equations. The results showed that the incidence of FMD outbreaks was the highest in 2016 and was affected by season, with a peak in FMD outbreaks occurring in the rainy-winter season, during October to December. FMD outbreaks were mostly distributed in small clusters within a few subdistricts. Some high-risk areas with repeated outbreaks were detected in the central regions. Risk factors, including the increase of subdistrict's size of the dairy population, beef population or pig population, the low percentage of forest area, subdistricts in the provinces adjacent to Malaysia, the presence of a livestock market and the occurrence of an FMD outbreak in a neighbouring subdistrict in the previous month significantly increased the odds of having an FMD outbreak. The increase in proximity to the nearest subdistrict with an FMD outbreak in the previous month decreased the odds of having FMD outbreaks. This study helped to identify high-risk areas and periods of FMD outbreaks in Thailand. Together with the identified risk factors, its results can be used to optimize the FMD control programme in Thailand and in other countries having a similar livestock industry and FMD situation.

Matched MeSH terms: Disease Outbreaks/veterinary
Fulltext Malaysia outbreak survivors retain detectable Nipah antibodies and memory B cells after 25 years

Ong HM, Ibrahim PAS, Chong CN, Tan CT, Schee JP, Avumegah MS, et al.

J Infect, 2025 Feb;90(2):106398.
PMID: 39755279 DOI: 10.1016/j.jinf.2024.106398

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the long-term humoral immune response to Nipah virus (NiV) in a cohort of 25 survivors after 25 years of post-infection.
METHODS: A total of 25 survivors of NiV infection from the 1998 outbreak were recruited for sample collection. The serum IgG antibody response to NiV antigens, specifically nucleocapsid (N), fusion glycoprotein (F) and attachment glycoprotein (G) was evaluated using ELISA. Additionally, the samples were tested for neutralizing antibodies and memory B cell responses.
RESULTS: Detection rates of anti-NiV-F and anti-NiV-G were 56% and 60%, respectively, among the survivors at a 1:100 dilution, whereas only 20% were specifically reactive to rNiV-N. Notably, all samples that tested positive for NiV-F and NiV-G at this dilution also exhibited neutralizing antibodies, highlighting the specificity of these assays. Live virus neutralization assay showed that 72% of survivors had detectable neutralizing antibodies, with varying titers, indicating long-lasting immune memory. Furthermore, memory B cell responses specific to NiV-F and NiV-G were observed in six randomly selected survivors, suggesting the presence of enduring immunological memory.
CONCLUSIONS: These findings highlight the potential of NiV-F and NiV-G as reliable markers for NiV exposure and underscore the need for continuous surveillance and research. Such efforts are crucial for advancing vaccine development and improving preparedness for future NiV outbreaks.

Matched MeSH terms: Disease Outbreaks*
Nipah Virus (NiV) in Focus: Molecular Insights Into Pathogenesis, Transmission Dynamics, and Evolving Epidemiology From Malaysia to Recent Indian Outbreaks

Joon N, Rawat HK, Kaushik V, Lohan K, Mohan H

Rev Med Virol, 2026 Nov;36(6).
PMID: 42947410 DOI: 10.1002/rmv.70221

Since the emergence of the Nipah virus (NiV) in Malaysia in 1998, it has returned multiple times and continues to pose a significant threat to global public health. It is characterised by high mortality and fatality rates and increasing evidence of human-to-human transmission. The epidemiological pattern of NiV has shifted considerably over the past 2 decades, from transmission primarily associated with infected pigs to repeated spillover events linked to Pteropus fruit bats, contaminated food sources, and close human contact. NiV infection is marked by severe respiratory involvement, immune dysregulation, acute encephalitis and widespread endothelial damage contributing to rapid clinical deterioration and poor outcomes. The World Health Organisation classified the Nipah virus as a priority pathogen with high mortality and pandemic potential, with recognised outbreaks showing case fatalities ranging from 40% to 100%. The virus has been detected in the Indian subcontinent and is carried by fruit bats. Recent outbreaks reported in India through 2026 have further highlighted the ongoing threat posed by the virus and the challenges of outbreak containment in densely populated regions. Current advances in serological and Molecular diagnostics have improved early detection; however, therapeutic options remain limited, and no licenced vaccine is currently available for human use. Ongoing therapeutics research involving monoclonal antibodies, recombinant vaccines, and antiviral agent platforms continues to expand the prospects for future prevention and disease control. Outbreaks must be prevented by prompt diagnosis and the application of infection control measures. However, the lack of knowledge regarding the pathophysiology, clinical features, and current treatment of Nipah virus disease makes it difficult to design such trials. The current advances summarised herein strengthen the scientific foundation for improved diagnostic platforms, antiviral interventions, vaccine development, and integrated One Health surveillance approaches targeting Nipah Virus.

Matched MeSH terms: Disease Outbreaks*
Fulltext First chikungunya outbreak in Pakistan: a trail of viral attacks

Mallhi TH, Khan YH, Khan AH, Tanveer N, Qadir MI

New Microbes New Infect, 2017 Sep;19:13-14.
PMID: 28663798 DOI: 10.1016/j.nmni.2017.05.008

Despite explicit warning from the National Institute of Health, Pakistan experienced its first chikungunya outbreak in the metropolis of Karachi. We underscore the attention of health authorities and healthcare professionals towards contributing factors associated with this outbreak and the measures required to combat this viral disease.

Matched MeSH terms: Disease Outbreaks
Fulltext Tuberculosis bacteria counting using Watershed segmentation technique

Hassan, M.K., Eko, N.F.H., Shafie, S.

Pertanika Journal of Science & Technology, 2017;25(102):275-282.
MyJurnal

Tuberculosis (TB) is the second biggest killer disease after HIV. Therefore, early detection is vital to
prevent its outbreak. This paper looked at an automated TB bacteria counting using Image Processing technique and Matlab Graphical User Interface (GUI) for analysing the results. The image processing algorithms used in this project involved Image Acquisition, Image Pre-processing and Image Segmentation. In order to separate any overlap between the TB bacteria, Watershed Segmentation techniques was proposed and implemented. There are two techniques in Watershed Segmentation which is Watershed Distance Transform Segmentation and Marker Based Watershed Segmentation. Marker Based Watershed Segmentation had 81.08 % accuracy compared with Distance Transform with an accuracy of 59.06%. These accuracies were benchmarked with manual inspection. It was observed that Distance Transform Watershed Segmentation has disadvantages over segmentation and produce inaccurate results. Automatic counting of TB bacteria algorithms have also been proven to be less time consuming, contains less human error and consumes less man-power.

Matched MeSH terms: Disease Outbreaks
Fulltext Pond sludge and increased pH cause early mortality syndrome/acute hepatopancreatic necrosis disease (EMS/AHPND) in cultured white shrimp

Akazawa, Noriaki, Eguchi, Mitsuru

Borneo Journal of Marine Science and Aquaculture, 2017;1(1):92-96.
MyJurnal

Microcosm experiments simulating the occurrence of early mortality syndrome/acute hepatopancreatic necrosis disease (EMS/AHPND) in white shrimp production ponds were performed in 30-L aquariums. Healthy white shrimp, Litopenaeus vannamei, were reared in aquariums containing EMS/AHPND-free hatchery or pond water. Raw pond sludge, collected from shrimp ponds where EMS/AHPND had occurred, was added to some test aquariums, while others were treated with sterilized pond sludge. In some aquariums, water pH was increased from 7.5 to 8.8. Microcosms with stable pH (around 7.5) and/or autoclaved sludge served as controls. The combination of raw sludge and increased pH induced EMS/AHPND and killed white shrimp, whereas raw sludge/stable pH and autoclaved sludge/increased pH combinations did not affect healthy shrimp. Thus, EMS/AHPND outbreaks are due not only to the causative agent but also to environmental stresses such as pH fluctuation. These findings contribute to improved management in shrimp production farms.

Matched MeSH terms: Disease Outbreaks
A review of potential factors contributing to epidemic cholera in Yemen

Al-Gheethi A, Noman E, Jeremiah David B, Mohamed R, Abdullah AH, Nagapan S, et al.

J Water Health, 2018 Oct;16(5):667-680.
PMID: 30285950 DOI: 10.2166/wh.2018.113

The menace of cholera epidemic occurrence in Yemen was reported in early 2017. Recent reports revealed that an estimated 500,000 people are infected with cholera whereas 2,000 deaths have been reported in Yemen. Cholera is transmitted through contaminated water and food. Yemen is the least developed country among the Middle East countries in terms of wastewater and solid waste management. The population of Yemen is about 24.5 million and generates about 70-100 million m3 of sewage. An estimated 7% of the population has sewerage systems. It has been revealed that 31.2 million m3 of untreated sewage is used for irrigation purposes especially for vegetables and Khat trees. In addition, more than 70% of the population in Yemen has no potable water. They depend on water wells as a water source which are located close to sewage disposal sites. The present review focuses on the current status of water, wastewater as well as solid waste management in Yemen and their roles in the outbreak of cholera. Future prospects for waste management have been proposed.

Matched MeSH terms: Disease Outbreaks
Fulltext Explicit characterization of human population connectivity reveals long run persistence of interregional dengue shocks

Jue Tao L, Dickens BSL, Yinan M, Woon Kwak C, Ching NL, Cook AR

J R Soc Interface, 2020 07;17(168):20200340.
PMID: 32693746 DOI: 10.1098/rsif.2020.0340

Dengue is hyper-endemic in Singapore and Malaysia, and daily movement rates between the two countries are consistently high, allowing inference on the role of local transmission and imported dengue cases. This paper describes a custom built sparse space-time autoregressive (SSTAR) model to infer and forecast contemporaneous and future dengue transmission patterns in Singapore and 16 administrative regions within Malaysia, taking into account connectivity and geographical adjacency between regions as well as climatic factors. A modification to forecast impulse responses is developed for the case of the SSTAR and is used to simulate changes in dengue transmission in neighbouring regions following a disturbance. The results indicate that there are long-term responses of the neighbouring regions to shocks in a region. By computation of variable inclusion probabilities, we found that each region's own past counts were important to describe contemporaneous case counts. In 15 out of 16 regions, other regions case counts were important to describe contemporaneous case counts even after controlling for past local dengue transmissions and exogenous factors. Leave-one-region-out analysis using SSTAR showed that dengue transmission counts could be reconstructed for 13 of 16 regions' counts using external dengue transmissions compared to a climate only approach. Lastly, one to four week ahead forecasts from the SSTAR were more accurate than baseline univariate autoregressions.

Matched MeSH terms: Disease Outbreaks
Fulltext Movement control as an effective measure against Covid-19 spread in Malaysia: an overview

Tang KHD

Z Gesundh Wiss, 2020 Jun 13.
PMID: 32837842 DOI: 10.1007/s10389-020-01316-w

Aim: The first Covid-19 cases were reported in Malaysia on 25 January 2019 followed by a quiescent period before an upward swing of the cases at the end of February 2020, partly attributed to mass gathering during a religious event. This short communication aims to provide an overview of the measures taken by the Malaysian Government in response to Covid-19, and of the effectiveness of the Movement Control Order.
Subjects and methods: This short communication reviews articles and government announcements related to containment measures and the Movement Control Order of Malaysia, and graphically presents data pertinent to Covid-19 in Malaysia in order to show the relationship between fluctuations in Covid-19 cases and movement control.
Results: At the onset of the Covid-19 outbreak, Malaysia had initiated travel restrictions and quarantine; but with a persistent increase in new Covid-19 cases, the Movement Control Order was finally rolled out on 18 March 2020, requiring closure of all businesses except those providing essential services and items. Enforcement of the order was tightened progressively, resulting in significant improvement of compliance, while other interventions such as tracking of potential contacts and medical screening were underway, and the media continued to provide updates and general advices. The numbers of new and active Covid-19 cases started showing evident downtrends from mid-April, thus indicating the effectiveness of movement control and its compliance.
Conclusion: The article provides insight into crucial factors contributing to the success of movement control to effectively contain Covid-19, and highlights the need to prevent future upsurge through continuous monitoring and enforcement.

Matched MeSH terms: Disease Outbreaks
A household-based survey of knowledge, attitudes and practices towards dengue fever among local urban communities in Taiz Governorate, Yemen

Alyousefi TA, Abdul-Ghani R, Mahdy MA, Al-Eryani SM, Al-Mekhlafi AM, Raja YA, et al.

BMC Infect Dis, 2016 Oct 7;16(1):543.
PMID: 27717333

Yemen has witnessed several dengue fever outbreaks coincident with the social unrest and war in the country. The aim of the present study was to describe the knowledge, attitudes and practices (KAPs) of at-risk urban populations residing in Taiz, southwest of Yemen. In addition, factors possibly associated with poor preventive practices were investigated.

Matched MeSH terms: Disease Outbreaks

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