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Fulltext How parents in a rural area of Pekan district, Pahang perceive immunisation

Amal MN

Med J Malaysia, 1995 Jun;50(2):198-200.
PMID: 7565200
Pathological changes in red tilapias (Oreochromis spp.) naturally infected by Streptococcus agalactiae

Zamri-Saad M, Amal MN, Siti-Zahrah A

J Comp Pathol, 2010 Aug-Oct;143(2-3):227-9.
PMID: 20334871 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcpa.2010.01.020

The pathological changes present in 300 red tilapias (Oreochromis spp.) naturally infected by Streptococcus agalactiae are described. The most consistent gross findings were marked congestion of internal organs, particularly the liver, spleen and kidneys. Other features included exophthalmos, softening of the brain and the occasional accumulation of fluid within the abdominal cavity. Microscopical examination confirmed the presence of marked congestion of the liver, spleen and kidneys. The endothelial cells lining major blood vessels of the liver and occasionally the spleen were swollen and vacuolated. There was evidence of vascular thrombosis with infarction of surrounding tissue. Bacterial colonies were noted within and immediately surrounding the affected blood vessels. The meninges were thickened by the infiltration of numerous heterophils. Similar infiltrates of heterophils and lymphocytes were observed in the lamina propria of the intestine. The kidneys were severely congested and haemorrhagic, with extensive interstitial nephritis.
Fulltext Molecular characterization of Streptococcus agalactiae strains isolated from fishes in Malaysia

Amal MN, Zamri-Saad M, Siti-Zahrah A, Zulkafli AR, Nur-Nazifah M

J Appl Microbiol, 2013 Jul;115(1):20-9.
PMID: 23557382 DOI: 10.1111/jam.12210

AIMS: The aim of this study was to characterize Streptococcus agalactiae strains that were isolated from fishes in Malaysia using random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) and repetitive extragenic palindromic PCR (REP-PCR) techniques.
METHODS AND RESULTS: A total of 181 strains of Strep. agalactiae isolated from red hybrid tilapia (Oreochromis sp.) and golden pompano (Trachinotus blochii) were characterized using RAPD and REP-PCR techniques. Both the fingerprinting techniques generated reproducible band patterns, differing in the number and molecular mass amplicons. The RAPD technique displayed greater discriminatory power by its production of more complex binding pattern and divided all the strains into 13 groups, compared to 9 by REP-PCR technique. Both techniques showed the availability to differentiate the genetic profiles of the strains according to their geographical location of origin. Three strains of Strep. agalactiae that were recovered from golden pompano showed a genetic dissimilarity from the strains isolated from red hybrid tilapia, while the strain of ATCC 27956 that recovered from bovine displayed a unique profile for both methods.
CONCLUSIONS: Both techniques possess excellent discriminative capabilities and can be used as a rapid means of comparing Strep. agalactiae strains for future epidemiological investigation.
SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: Framework as the guideline in traceability of this disease and in the search for potential local vaccine candidates for streptococcosis in this country.
An outbreak of Streptococcus agalactiae infection in cage-cultured golden pompano, Trachinotus blochii (Lacépède), in Malaysia

Amal MN, Zamri-Saad M, Iftikhar AR, Siti-Zahrah A, Aziel S, Fahmi S

J Fish Dis, 2012 Nov;35(11):849-52.
PMID: 22913387 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2761.2012.01443.x
Transmission of Streptococcus agalactiae from a hatchery into a newly established red hybrid tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus (L.) × Oreochromis mossambicus (Peters), farm

Amal MN, Zamri-Saad M, Siti-Zahrah A, Zulkafli AR

J Fish Dis, 2013 Aug;36(8):735-9.
PMID: 23347250 DOI: 10.1111/jfd.12056
Streptococcus agalactiae isolates from cultured fishes in Malaysia manifesting low resistance pattern towards selected antibiotics

Aisyhah MA, Amal MN, Zamri-Saad M, Siti-Zahrah A, Shaqinah NN

J Fish Dis, 2015 Dec;38(12):1093-8.
PMID: 25704397 DOI: 10.1111/jfd.12351
Fulltext Survey on Heavy Metals Contamination and Health Risk Assessment in Commercially Valuable Asian Swamp Eel, Monopterus albus from Kelantan, Malaysia

Sow AY, Ismail A, Zulkifli SZ, Amal MN, Hambali KA

Sci Rep, 2019 04 23;9(1):6391.
PMID: 31015502 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-42753-2

This work investigates the metals concentration in the tissues of Asian swamp eel, Monopterus albus. Five selected tissues, including liver, gill, bone, skin, and muscle were examined for the concentration of Zn, Cu, Cd, Pb, and Ni. The concentrations of Cd and Pb were found high in the muscle tissues of the eels. Additionally, high amounts of Zn and Cu metals were observed in the liver, whereas the Cd, Pb, and Ni metals were highly detected in gill. The accumulation of Zn, Cu, Cd, Pb, and Ni in both skin and bone of the eel seems to vary between seasons. Low levels of Zn, Cu, and Ni were identified in the muscle tissues of the eels. This study revealed that the concentration of Cd and Pb in the muscle tissues of Asian swamp eels exceeded the permissible limits by the US EPA, suggesting the consumption of the muscle may be hazardous and can severely affect one's health.
Feed-based vaccination regime against streptococcosis in red tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus x Oreochromis mossambicus

Ismail MS, Siti-Zahrah A, Syafiq MR, Amal MN, Firdaus-Nawi M, Zamri-Saad M

BMC Vet Res, 2016;12(1):194.
PMID: 27608936 DOI: 10.1186/s12917-016-0834-1

Streptococcosis is an important disease of tilapia throughout the world. In Malaysia, streptococcosis outbreak was commonly reported during the 3-month period of high water temperature between April and July. This study describes the duration of protection following single and double booster dose regimes against streptococcosis in tilapia using a feed-based vaccine containing formalin-killed Streptococcus agalactiae. A total of 510 tilapias of 120 ± 10 g were selected and divided into 3 groups. Fish of Group 1 were vaccinated at weeks 0 and 2 (single booster group) while fish of Group 2 were vaccinated at weeks 0, 2 and 6 (double booster group) with a feed-based vaccine against streptococcosis. Fish of Group 3 was not vaccinated. Serum samples were collected weekly to determine the antibody level while samples of eye, brain and kidney were collected for bacterial isolation. At week 10, all fish were challenged with live S. agalactiae and the survival rate was determined.
Fulltext Seasonal variation of heavy metals and metallothionein contents in Asian swamp eels, Monopterus albus (Zuiew, 1793) from Tumpat, Kelantan, Malaysia

Sow AY, Ismail A, Zulkifli SZ, Amal MN, Hambali K

BMC Pharmacol Toxicol, 2019 Jan 29;20(1):8.
PMID: 30696486 DOI: 10.1186/s40360-019-0286-x

BACKGROUND: Levels of toxic metal exposure in indigenous inhabitants are key bioindicators of the severity of environmental contamination. This study measured the seasonal variation of heavy metals and metallothionein (MT) contents in Asian swamp eels (Monopterus albus) from a paddy field situated in Tumpat, Kelantan, Malaysia, to identify prevalence, patterns and associations and togain insight on the suitability of MT as a biomarker for metal exposure.
METHODS: Gill, muscle and liver tissues of M. albus (n = 50) sampled during the ploughing, seedling, growing and harvesting phases of rice growing were collected. The concentrations of copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), lead (Pb), nickel (Ni), and cadmium (Cd) in these tissues were determined by flame atomic absorption spectrometry. MT from each sample was isolated and purified, and subsequently quantitated using UV spectrophotometry. Associations between metal and MT concentrations, season and tissue type were evaluated using Pearson correlation and ANOVA with post-hoc Tukey HSD analysis.
RESULTS: Zn was present in higher quantities in gill and liver tissues, while Cu levels were elevated solely in liver. Patterns of non-essential metal accumulation were varied: Cd was detected in low concentrations in all tissues, while Pb and Ni were abundant in gill tissues across all seasons. MT concentration in liver tissue was consistently higher than that found in muscle or gill tissue, except during the growing phase. Moreover, significant correlations (P
Evaluation of the neurotoxic effects of chronic embryonic exposure with inorganic mercury on motor and anxiety-like responses in zebrafish (Danio rerio) larvae

Abu Bakar N, Mohd Sata NS, Ramlan NF, Wan Ibrahim WN, Zulkifli SZ, Che Abdullah CA, et al.

Neurotoxicol Teratol, 2017 Jan-Feb;59:53-61.
PMID: 27919701 DOI: 10.1016/j.ntt.2016.11.008

Chronic exposure to mercury (Hg) can lead to cumulative impairments in motor and cognitive functions including alteration in anxiety responses. Although several risk factors have been identified in recent year, little is known about the environmental factors that either due exposure toward low level of inorganic mercury that may led to the developmental disorders. The present study investigated the effects of embryonic exposure of mercury chloride on motor function and anxiety-like behavior. The embryo exposed to 6 different concentrations of HgCl2 (7.5, 15, 30, 100, 125, 250nM) at 5hpf until hatching (72hpf) in a semi-static condition. The mortality rate increased in a dose dependent manner where the chronic embryonic exposure to 100nM decreased the number of tail coiling, heartbeat, and swimming activity. Aversive stimulus was used to examine the effects of 100nM interferes with the development of anxiety-related behavior. No elevation in both thigmotaxis and avoidance response of 6dpf larvae exposed with 100nM were found. Biochemical analysis showed HgCl2 exposure affects proteins, lipids, carbohydrates and nucleic acids of the zebrafish larvae. These results showed that implication of HgCl2 on locomotor and biochemical defects affects motor performance and anxiety-like responses. Yet, the potential underlying mechanisms these responses need to be further investigated which is crucial to prevent potential hazards on the developing organism due to neurotoxicant exposure.
Maternal and neonatal group B streptococcus colonisation: A systematic review and the meta-analysis of matched-pair studies

Lee KW, Yap SF, Murdan S, Zainudin Z, Abdul Hamid H, Emamjomeh M, et al.

Acta Paediatr, 2024 May;113(5):892-911.
PMID: 38351491 DOI: 10.1111/apa.17152

AIM: To determine the prevalence of group B Streptococcus (GBS) carriage among parturient women and neonates, and the relative risk of vertical transmission, the relative risk of early and late-onset GBS and the pooled incidence of early-late-onset GBS infection.
METHODS: A systematic search of relevant cohort studies from three electronic databases to identify all relevant studies published up to 7 November 2022. The review was conducted in accordance with PRISMA guidelines. Estimates were pooled using random-effects meta-analyses.
RESULTS: A total of 54 articles with 355 787 matched pairs of parturient women and neonates from 30 countries were included in the analysis. The pooled prevalence of GBS colonisation was 17.1% among the pregnant women and 1.0% among neonates. The pooled prevalence of vertical transmission of GBS was 4.5% and the pooled relative risk of GBS colonisation of neonates born to mothers with GBS was 9.9.
CONCLUSION: We support the implementation of targeted intrapartum antibiotic prophylaxis for all women who are positive for GBS as well as women with risks factors for early onset GBS in their infants regardless of their GBS colonisation status.