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  1. Fulltext The prevalence of cryptosporidiosis in children and adults at University Hospital, Kuala Lumpur
    Ng KP, Shekhar KC
    Med J Malaysia, 1993 Sep;48(3):293-6.
    PMID: 8183141
    A total of 320 faecal specimens obtained from 295 patients (192 children and 103 adults) with diarrhoea and 47 faecal specimens from healthy adults were screened for Cryptosporidium oocysts. Faecal specimens were first screened by modified Ziehl Neelsen stain and specimens with oocysts were confirmed by direct immunofluorescence technique. Cryptosporidium oocysts were detected in 4 children but not in normal healthy adults or in diarrhoeic adults.
    Matched MeSH terms: Cryptosporidiosis/etiology; Cryptosporidiosis/epidemiology*
  2. First genetic classification of Cryptosporidium and Giardia from HIV/AIDS patients in Malaysia
    Lim YA, Iqbal A, Surin J, Sim BL, Jex AR, Nolan MJ, et al.
    Infect Genet Evol, 2011 Jul;11(5):968-74.
    PMID: 21439404 DOI: 10.1016/j.meegid.2011.03.007
    Given the HIV epidemic in Malaysia, genetic information on opportunistic pathogens, such as Cryptosporidium and Giardia, in HIV/AIDS patients is pivotal to enhance our understanding of epidemiology, patient care, management and disease surveillance. In the present study, 122 faecal samples from HIV/AIDS patients were examined for the presence of Cryptosporidium oocysts and Giardia cysts using a conventional coproscopic approach. Such oocysts and cysts were detected in 22.1% and 5.7% of the 122 faecal samples, respectively. Genomic DNAs from selected samples were tested in a nested-PCR, targeting regions of the small subunit (SSU) of nuclear ribosomal RNA and the 60kDa glycoprotein (gp60) genes (for Cryptosporidium), and the triose-phosphate isomerase (tpi) gene (for Giardia), followed by direct sequencing. The sequencing of amplicons derived from SSU revealed that Cryptosporidium parvum was the most frequently detected species (64% of 25 samples tested), followed by C. hominis (24%), C. meleagridis (8%) and C. felis (4%). Sequencing of a region of gp60 identified C. parvum subgenotype IIdA15G2R1 and C. hominis subgenotypes IaA14R1, IbA10G2R2, IdA15R2, IeA11G2T3R1 and IfA11G1R2. Sequencing of amplicons derived from tpi revealed G. duodenalis assemblage A, which is of zoonotic importance. This is the first report of C. hominis, C. meleagridis and C. felis from Malaysian HIV/AIDS patients. Future work should focus on an extensive analysis of Cryptosporidium and Giardia in such patients as well as in domestic and wild animals, in order to improve the understanding of transmission patterns and dynamics in Malaysia. It would also be particularly interesting to establish the relationship among clinical manifestation, CD4 cell counts and genotypes/subgenotypes of Cryptosporidium and Giardia in HIV/AIDS patients. Such insights would assist in a better management of clinical disease in immuno-deficient patients as well as improved preventive and control strategies.
    Matched MeSH terms: Cryptosporidiosis/complications; Cryptosporidiosis/epidemiology; Cryptosporidiosis/parasitology*
  3. Prevalence of cryptosporidiosis in HIV-infected patients in Kajang Hospital, Selangor
    Lim YA, Rohela M, Sim BL, Jamaiah I, Nurbayah M
    Southeast Asian J. Trop. Med. Public Health, 2005;36 Suppl 4:30-3.
    PMID: 16438176
    A total of 66 fecal specimens obtained from patients infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) from Kajang Hospital were screened for Cryptosporidium oocysts. The fecal specimens were concentrated using the formalin ethyl acetate concentration technique, stained with modified Ziehl-Neelsen and confirmed with immunofluorescence stain. It was established that 2 (3.0%) were positive for Cryptosporidium. The two cases involved a Chinese local man (with diarrhea) and an Indonesian foreigner (without diarrhea). A higher index of suspicion for clinical cryptosporidiosis in HIV patients, including those with chronic weight loss with or without diarrhea, is recommended. In addition, laboratory testing for Cryptosporidium in HIV-infected patients is highly recommended in order to have a better understanding of the epidemiology and management of the disease in Malaysia.
    Matched MeSH terms: Cryptosporidiosis/complications; Cryptosporidiosis/diagnosis; Cryptosporidiosis/epidemiology*
  4. An improved stool concentration procedure for the detection of Cryptosporidium oocysts in Orang Asli stool samples
    Salleh FM, Moktar N, Yasin AM, Al-Mekhlafi HM, Anuar TS
    J Microbiol Methods, 2014 Nov;106:143-145.
    PMID: 25193442 DOI: 10.1016/j.mimet.2014.08.019
    To improve the stool concentration procedure, we modified different steps of the standard formalin-ether concentration technique and evaluated these modifications by examining stool samples collected in the field. Seven samples were found positive by the modified formalin-ether concentration technique (M-FECT). Therefore, the M-FECT procedure provides enhanced detection of Cryptosporidium oocysts.
    Matched MeSH terms: Cryptosporidiosis/diagnosis*; Cryptosporidiosis/microbiology
  5. Occurrence of Cryptosporidium oocysts in Wrinkled Hornbill and other birds in the Kuala Lumpur National Zoo
    Rohela M, Lim YA, Jamaiah I, Khadijah PY, Laang ST, Nazri MH, et al.
    Southeast Asian J. Trop. Med. Public Health, 2005;36 Suppl 4:34-40.
    PMID: 16438177
    The occurrence of a coccidian parasite, Cryptosporidium, among birds in the Kuala Lumpur National Zoo was investigated in this study. A hundred bird fecal samples were taken from various locations of the zoo. Fecal smears prepared using direct smear and formalin ethyl acetate concentration technique were stained with modified Ziehl-Neelsen stain. Samples positive for Cryptosporidium with Ziehl-Neelsen stain were later confirmed using the immunofluorescence technique and viewed under the epifluorescence microscope. Six species of bird feces were confirmed positive with Cryptosporidium oocysts. They included Wrinkled Hornbill (Aceros corrugatus), Great Argus Pheasant (Argusianus argus), Black Swan (Cygnus atratus), Swan Goose (Anser cygnoides), Marabou Stork (Leptoptilos crumeniferus), and Moluccan Cockatoo (Cacatua moluccencis). These birds were located in the aviary and lake, with the Moluccan Cockatoo routinely used as a show bird. Results obtained in this study indicated that animal sanctuaries like zoos and bird parks are important sources of Cryptosporidium infection to humans, especially children and other animals.
    Matched MeSH terms: Cryptosporidiosis/epidemiology*; Cryptosporidiosis/parasitology
  6. Fulltext Identification of Cryptosporidium from Dairy Cattle in Pahang, Malaysia
    Hisamuddin NH, Hashim N, Soffian SN, Amin MH, Wahab RA, Mohammad M, et al.
    Korean J Parasitol, 2016 Apr;54(2):197-200.
    PMID: 27180579 DOI: 10.3347/kjp.2016.54.2.197
    Cryptosporidium, a protozoan parasite, can cause cryptosporidiosis which is a gastrointestinal disease that can infect humans and livestock. Cattle are the most common livestock that can be infected with this protozoan. This study was carried out to determine the prevalence of Cryptosporidium infection in cattle in Kuantan, Pahang, Malaysia and to find out the association between the occurrence of infection and 3 different ages of cattle (calves less than 1 year, yearling, and adult cattle). The samples were processed by using formol-ether concentration technique and stained by modified Ziehl Neelsen. The results showed that 15.9% (24/151) of cattle were positive for Cryptosporidium oocysts. The occurrence of Cryptosporidium in calves less than 1 year was the highest with the percentage of 20.0% (11/55) followed by yearling and adult cattle, with the percentage occurrence of 15.6 % (7/45) and 11.8% (6/51), respectively. There was no significant association between the occurrence and age of cattle and presence of diarrhea. Good management practices and proper hygiene management must be taken in order to reduce the infection. It is highly important to control the infection since infected cattle may serve as potential reservoirs of the infection to other animals and humans, especially animal handlers.
    Matched MeSH terms: Cryptosporidiosis/epidemiology*; Cryptosporidiosis/parasitology
  7. Prevalence of Cryptosporidium spp. infection among children admitted to Hospital Tengku Ampuan Afzan
    Asady A, Ismail S, Marsitah AJ, Pakeer O
    Med J Malaysia, 2019 12;74(6):468-471.
    PMID: 31929470
    INTRODUCTION: Cryptosporidium spp. is identified as an important cause of diarrhoeal morbidity and mortality worldwide particularly in children below five years of age and immunocompromised individuals. Infections are present among cattle and humans. Until now, there is no report on its prevalence in humans in Kuantan. The aim of this study is to record the prevalence and associated risk factors of Cryptosporidium spp. infection among children admitted to Hospital Tengku Ampuan Afzan (HTAA), Kuantan.

    METHODS: This is a cross-sectional study conducted among children admitted to the Paediatrics ward in HTAA between December 2017 and May 2018. Faecal samples were examined using wet smear and Modified Ziehl-Neelsen (MZN) staining techniques. Data on demography and hygiene practices was collected using a pretested questionnaire, and analysed using SPSS version 22.

    RESULTS: One hundred thirty five children (95.6% were of Malay ethnicity) were included in the study. The overall prevalence of Cryptosporidium spp. infection was 25.2%. The prevalence was slightly higher in females (28.1%) than males (23.1%). The prevalence was higher than expected. This study showed that some risk factors namely children's age and trash disposal methods were significantly associated with Cryptosporidium spp. infection (p<0.05).

    CONCLUSION: Higher prevalence could possibly be due to an outbreak of this infection or until now undetected.

    Matched MeSH terms: Cryptosporidiosis/microbiology; Cryptosporidiosis/epidemiology*
  8. Fulltext Detection of Cryptosporidium and Cyclospora Oocysts from Environmental Water for Drinking and Recreational Activities in Sarawak, Malaysia
    Bilung LM, Tahar AS, Yunos NE, Apun K, Lim YA, Nillian E, et al.
    Biomed Res Int, 2017;2017:4636420.
    PMID: 29234679 DOI: 10.1155/2017/4636420
    Cryptosporidiosis and cyclosporiasis are caused by waterborne coccidian protozoan parasites of the genera Cryptosporidium and Cyclospora, respectively. This study was conducted to detect Cryptosporidium and Cyclospora oocysts from environmental water abstracted by drinking water treatment plants and recreational activities in Sarawak, Malaysia. Water samples (12 each) were collected from Sungai Sarawak Kanan in Bau and Sungai Sarawak Kiri in Batu Kitang, respectively. In addition, 6 water samples each were collected from Ranchan Recreational Park and UNIMAS Lake at Universiti Malaysia Sarawak, Kota Samarahan, respectively. Water physicochemical parameters were also recorded. All samples were concentrated by the iron sulfate flocculation method followed by the sucrose floatation technique. Cryptosporidium and Cyclospora were detected by modified Ziehl-Neelsen technique. Correlation of the parasites distribution with water physicochemical parameters was analysed using bivariate Pearson correlation. Based on the 24 total samples of environmental water abstracted by drinking water treatment plants, all the samples (24/24; 100%) were positive with Cryptosporidium, and only 2 samples (2/24; 8.33%) were positive with Cyclospora. Based on the 12 total samples of water for recreational activities, 4 samples (4/12; 33%) were positive with Cryptosporidium, while 2 samples (2/12; 17%) were positive with Cyclospora. Cryptosporidium oocysts were negatively correlated with dissolved oxygen (DO).
    Matched MeSH terms: Cryptosporidiosis/parasitology; Cryptosporidiosis/transmission
  9. Molecular analysis of Cryptosporidium from cattle from five states of Peninsular Malaysia
    Yap NJ, Koehler AV, Ebner J, Tan TK, Lim YA, Gasser RB
    Mol Cell Probes, 2016 Feb;30(1):39-43.
    PMID: 26775614 DOI: 10.1016/j.mcp.2016.01.002
    Despite the importance of the cattle industry in Malaysia, there are very few studies of the diversity and public health significance of bovine cryptosporidiosis in this country. In the present study, we used a PCR-based approach to detect and genetically characterize Cryptosporidium DNA in faecal samples from a cohort of 215 asymptomatic cattle (of different ages) from six farms from five states of Peninsular Malaysia. Cattle on four of the six farms were test-positive for Cryptosporidium, with an overall prevalence of 3.2%. Cryptosporidium bovis and Cryptosporidium ryanae were detected in two (0.9%) and five (2.3%) samples tested; this low prevalence likely relates to the age of the cattle tested, as most (73%) of the samples tested originated from cattle that were ≥2 years of age. Future studies should investigate the zoonotic potential of Cryptosporidium in pre-weaned and weaned calves in rural communities of Malaysia.
    Matched MeSH terms: Cryptosporidiosis/diagnosis; Cryptosporidiosis/parasitology*
  10. Low prevalence of Cryptosporidium parvum in hospitalized children in Kota Bharu, Malaysia
    Menon BS, Abdullah S, Mahamud F, Morgan UM, Malik AS, Choo KE, et al.
    Southeast Asian J. Trop. Med. Public Health, 2001 Jun;32(2):319-22.
    PMID: 11556583
    The aim of this prospective study was to determine the prevalence of Cryptosporidium parvum in hospitalized children in Kota Bharu, Malaysia. Over a 19 month study period, 258 stool samples were examined from 159 children; 109 with diarrhea and 50 controls without diarrhea. Modified Ziehl-Neelsen staining method and a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay were used to detect C. parvum and the samples were also examined for the presence of other intestinal parasites. Only 1 of the 109 (0.9%) children with acute diarrhea was positive for C. parvum by microscopy and PCR. Thirty-one percent of children were infested with other intestinal parasites, the most common being Ascaris lumbricoides and Trichuris trichiura. In conclusion, we found C. parvum to be an uncommon infective agent in hospitalized children with or without diarrhea in Kota Bharu, Malaysia.
    Matched MeSH terms: Cryptosporidiosis/complications; Cryptosporidiosis/epidemiology*
  11. Fulltext Cryptosporidiosis among HIV positive intravenous drug users in Malaysia
    Kamel AG, Maning N, Arulmainathan S, Murad S, Nasuruddin A, Lai KP
    Southeast Asian J. Trop. Med. Public Health, 1994 Dec;25(4):650-3.
    PMID: 7667707
    A study conducted at the Tampin Drug Rehabilitation Center in Malaysia established a high prevalence (23%) of asymptomatic carriers of Cryptosporidium among exposed HIV positive intravenous drug users (IVDUs). A majority of them were young adults and among the ethnic groups, the Malay HIV positive inmates had the highest prevalence of Cryptosporidium infection.
    Matched MeSH terms: Cryptosporidiosis/epidemiology*; Cryptosporidiosis/transmission
  12. Fulltext Contribution of cattle farms towards river contamination with Giardia cysts and Cryptosporidium oocysts in Sungai Langat Basin
    Farizawati S, Lim YA, Ahmad RA, Fatimah CT, Siti-Nor Y
    Trop Biomed, 2005 Dec;22(2):89-98.
    PMID: 16883273 MyJurnal
    A study to determine the contribution of Giardia cysts and Cryptosporidium oocysts from cattle farms was carried out at the Langat Basin. This study investigated the contribution of cattle farms, located near Sungai Langat and Sungai Semenyih, towards river contamination with these cysts and oocysts. The findings showed that out of 24 samples of water taken from Sungai Semenyih, 4.2% was positive for Giardia cysts with a concentration of 1.3 cysts/L and 20.8% were positive with Cryptosporidium oocysts with a range of 0.7 - 2.7 oocysts/L. At Sungai Langat, from the 43 samples taken, 23.3% were positive for Giardia cysts with a range of 1.5 - 9 cysts/L whereas 11.6% were positive with Cryptosporidium oocysts with a range of 2.5 - 240 oocysts/L. Isolation of cysts and oocysts in bovine faecal materials revealed that 14.6% of faecal samples were positive for Giardia cysts which had a range of 75 - 1.3x104 cysts/g and 25% were positive for Cryptosporidium oocysts with a range of 50 - 3.9x105 oocysts/g. From the cattle wastewater, 98% were positive with oocysts and 6.7% with cysts. The concentrations were between 20 - 3.1x103 oocysts/mL for Cryptosporidium and 4 - 75 cysts/mL for Giardia. Given that the prevalence of Cryptosporidium and Giardia are high amongst the cattle and the positive findings of the (oo)cysts in the river samples, it could be deduced that there is a very high possibility of the cattle farms contaminating the river with Giardia cysts and Cryptosporidium oocysts. Viability study of Cryptosporidium oocysts in the surrounding soil and pond within the cattle farm showed that the viability of Cryptosporidium oocysts decreased with time. It was estimated that it will take 52 days for all the oocysts from both environment to be non-viable. With a viability rate of approximately 2 months in a cattle farm setup, river water contaminated with Cryptosporidium oocysts has a high chance of acting as an agent of transmission. As cattle farms are also inhabited by the owners and their families, this problem may pose a threat to humans (e.g. children) especially if they are dependent on the river water as their source of water for their daily activities.
    Matched MeSH terms: Cryptosporidiosis/epidemiology; Cryptosporidiosis/parasitology
  13. Fulltext Childhood Cryptosporidium infection among aboriginal communities in Peninsular Malaysia
    Al-Mekhlafi HM, Mahdy MA, 'Azlin MY, Fatmah MS, Norhayati M
    Ann Trop Med Parasitol, 2011 Mar;105(2):135-43.
    PMID: 21396250 DOI: 10.1179/136485911X12899838683368
    Cryptosporidium is a coccidian parasite that is prevalent worldwide, some species of which cause morbidity in both immunocompromised and immunocompetent individuals. The prevalence and predictors of Cryptosporidium infection, and its effect on nutritional status, have recently been explored among 276 children (141 boys and 135 girls, aged 2-15 years) in aboriginal (Orang Asli) villages in the Malaysian state of Selangor. Faecal smears were examined by the modified Ziehl-Neelsen staining technique while socio-economic data were collected using a standardized questionnaire. Nutritional status was assessed by anthropometric measurements. Cryptosporidium infection, which was detected in 7.2% of the aboriginal children, was found to be significantly associated with low birthweight (≤2.5 kg), being part of a large household (with more than seven members) and prolonged breast feeding (>2 years). The output of a binary logistic regression confirmed that large household size was a significant predictor of Cryptosporidium infection (giving an odds ratio of 2.15, with a 95% confidence interval of 1.25-5.02). Cryptosporidium infection is clearly a public-health problem among the aboriginal children of Selangor, with person-to-person the most likely mode of transmission.
    Matched MeSH terms: Cryptosporidiosis/ethnology*; Cryptosporidiosis/etiology; Cryptosporidiosis/physiopathology
  14. Parasitic infections in Malaysia: changing and challenges
    Nissapatorn V, Lim YA, Jamaiah I, Agnes LS, Amyliana K, Wen CC, et al.
    Southeast Asian J. Trop. Med. Public Health, 2005;36 Suppl 4:50-9.
    PMID: 16438180
    A total of 1,885 blood and stool samples of four main protozoan parasitic infections were retrospectively reviewed from January, 2000 to April, 2004. Eleven of the 1,350 stool samples were shown positive for Cryptosporidium and Giardia infections; one of the 5 cases was clinically diagnosed as gastrointestinal cryptosporidiosis, while 6 cases were giardiasis. In patients with giardiasis, children were among the high-risk groups, making up 66.7% of these patients. The common presenting signs and symptoms were: diarrhea (83.3%), loss of appetite (83.3%), lethargy (83.3%), fever (66.7%), nausea/vomiting (50.0%), abdominal pain (16.7%), dehydration (16.7%) and rigor and chills (16.7%). Metronidazole was the drug of choice and was given to all symptomatic patients (83.3%). For the blood samples, 28 of the 92 peripheral smears for Plasmodium spp infection were diagnosed as malaria. The age range was from 4 to 57, with a median of 32.5 years. The sex ratio (M:F) was 3.6:1, while the age group of 30-44 years was the most commonly affected in both sexes. The majority of patients were foreigners (60.7%) and non-professional (39%). Plasmodium vivax (71%) infection was the most common pathogen found in these patients, along with a history of traveling to an endemic area of malaria (31%). The predominant presenting signs and symptoms were: fever (27%), rigor and chills (24%), nausea/vomiting (15%) and headache (8%). Chloroquine and primaquine was the most common anti-malarial regimen used (78.6%) in these patients. The seroprevalence of toxoplasmosis in different groups was 258/443 (58%): seropositive for IgG 143 (32.3%); IgM 67 (15%); and IgG + IgM 48 (10.8%). The age range was from 1 to 85, with a mean of 34 (+/- SD 16.6) years. The predominant age group was 21 to 40 years (126; 28.4%). The sex ratio (M:F) was 1.2:1. Subjects were predominantly male (142; 32%) and the Malay (117; 26.4%). Of these, 32 cases were clinically diagnosed with ocular toxoplasmosis. The range of age was from 10 to 56 years with a mean of 30.5 (+/- SD 12.05) years. The sex ratio (M:F) was 1:1.7. The majority were in the age group of 21 to 40 years, female (20; 62.5%), and Malay (17; 53%). They were also single (16; 50%), unemployed (12; 37%), and resided outside Kuala Lumpur (21; 65.6%). The more common clinical presentations were blurring of vision (25; 78%), floaters (10; 31%) and pain in the eye (7; 22%). We found that funduscopic examination (100%) and seropositivity for anti-Toxoplasma antibodies (93.7%) were the main reasons for investigation. Choroidoretinitis was the most common clinical diagnosis (69%), while clindamycin was the most frequently used antimicrobial in all cases. Among HIV-infected patients, 10 cases were diagnosed as AIDS-related toxoplasmic encephalitis (TE) (9 were active and 1 had relapse TE). In addition, 1 case was confirmed as congenital toxoplasmosis.
    Matched MeSH terms: Cryptosporidiosis/diagnosis; Cryptosporidiosis/epidemiology; Cryptosporidiosis/parasitology
  15. Occurrence of zoonotic Cryptosporidium and Giardia duodenalis species/genotypes in urban rodents
    Tan TK, Low VL, Ng WH, Ibrahim J, Wang D, Tan CH, et al.
    Parasitol Int, 2019 Apr;69:110-113.
    PMID: 30590124 DOI: 10.1016/j.parint.2018.12.007
    This report describes the detection of zoonotic Cryptosporidium muris, C. parvum subgenotype IIa and Giardia duodenalis genotype B in urban rodents in Malaysia. A rare occurrence of C. meleagridis was also reported suggesting a role of rodents in mechanical transmission of this pathogen. Utilization of DNA sequencing and subtyping analysis confirmed the presence of zoonotic C. parvum subtypes IIaA17G2R1 and IIaA16G3R1 for the first time in rodents.
    Matched MeSH terms: Cryptosporidiosis
  16. Fulltext High diversity of Cryptosporidium subgenotypes identified in Malaysian HIV/AIDS individuals targeting gp60 gene
    Iqbal A, Lim YA, Surin J, Sim BL
    PLoS One, 2012;7(2):e31139.
    PMID: 22347442 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0031139
    Currently, there is a lack of vital information in the genetic makeup of Cryptosporidium especially in developing countries. The present study aimed at determining the genotypes and subgenotypes of Cryptosporidium in hospitalized Malaysian human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) positive patients.
    Matched MeSH terms: Cryptosporidiosis/classification
  17. Intestinal parasites in Malaysian children with cancer
    Menon BS, Abdullah MS, Mahamud F, Singh B
    J Trop Pediatr, 1999 Aug;45(4):241-2.
    PMID: 10467838
    In this prospective study, we examined stool specimens from children with cancer receiving chemotherapy who were admitted for fever to the Universiti Sains Malaysia Hospital in Kota Baru, Kelantan. Stool specimens were examined for ova and cysts of parasites. Over a period of 15 months, there were 129 febrile episodes in 50 children with cancer and, in all, 237 stool specimens were examined. Sixty-six per cent of febrile episodes were associated with neutropenia and 9 per cent were associated with diarrhoea. Stool parasites were found in 42 per cent of children. The most common were helminths, followed by protozoa. Trichuris trichiura was the most common parasite (24 per cent), followed by Ascaris lumbricoides (22 per cent). Hookworm was found in 2 per cent. Giardia lamblia was found in 6 per cent of children, Blastocystis hominis in 4 per cent, and Cryptosporidium parvum in 2 per cent.
    Matched MeSH terms: Cryptosporidiosis/epidemiology*
  18. Fulltext Cryptosporidiosis among children with acute gastroenteritis in the pediatric ward in the General Hospital, Penang
    Ludin CM, Afifi SA, Hasenan N, Maimunah A, Anuar AK
    Southeast Asian J. Trop. Med. Public Health, 1991 Jun;22(2):200-2.
    PMID: 1948280
    Stool samples from 836 cases with diarrhea and acute gastroenteritis from the Pediatric ward, Penang General Hospital, were examined for Cryptosporidium oocysts. A dimethyl sulfoxide modified acid fast technique was used for the identification of the parasites. 36 samples or 4.3% were found to be positive for Cryptosporidium. The prevalence of infection was higher (2.39%) in children with diarrhea and vomiting than in children with acute gastroenteritis alone (0.8%). Stool examination and cultures from the Cryptosporidium positive samples revealed no other parasites, rotavirus or enteropathogenic bacteria. This suggests that Cryptosporidium may be an important agent in the causation of diarrhea in young children. A routine laboratory examination for the detection of Cryptosporidium in the search for causal agents of childhood diarrhea in our environment may, therefore, be significant.
    Matched MeSH terms: Cryptosporidiosis/epidemiology*
  19. Intestinal parasitic infections and risk analysis among urban refugees in the Klang Valley, Malaysia
    Mohd Hanapi IR, Behnke JM, Sahimin N, Saifulazmi NF, Golam Mohammad Khan ASJ, Abdul Mutalib RNS, et al.
    Trans R Soc Trop Med Hyg, 2024 Jan 02;118(1):18-32.
    PMID: 37497742 DOI: 10.1093/trstmh/trad047
    BACKGROUND: Global studies show intestinal parasitic infections (IPIs) have been introduced and spread with refugee inflows from low to high socio-economic countries. However, there is relatively limited information on the prevalence of infections among the community.

    METHODS: A 2-year cross-sectional study was conducted to determine the prevalence and associated risk factors for infections among urban refugees in the Klang Valley, Malaysia. A total of 418 faecal samples were collected and examined by microscopy.

    RESULTS: Faecal screening revealed moderate levels (32.3%) of infections in the community. Three nematode (Ascaris lumbricoides, Trichuris trichiura and hookworm) and three protozoan species (Entamoeba, Giardia and Cryptosporidium) were recorded, with the highest prevalence being A. lumbricoides (20.6%) followed by T. trichiura (10.3%), while other infections were <5%. Statistical analysis found that young males with less education were more likely to be infected with helminths. Additionally, living near waste disposal sites, the presence of stray animals, eating with bare hands, bare footedness, poor handwashing practices and no anthelmintic treatment constituted significant risk factors for helminth infections. Protozoan infections were linked to drinking tap water or from water dispensers and poor handwashing practices.

    CONCLUSIONS: These findings emphasize the importance of health education in addition to introduction of biannual anthelmintic treatment to promote community health and well-being.

    Matched MeSH terms: Cryptosporidiosis*
  20. Fulltext Elongation factor-1α is a novel protein associated with host cell invasion and a potential protective antigen of Cryptosporidium parvum
    Matsubayashi M, Teramoto-Kimata I, Uni S, Lillehoj HS, Matsuda H, Furuya M, et al.
    J Biol Chem, 2013 Nov 22;288(47):34111-34120.
    PMID: 24085304 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.M113.515544
    The phylum Apicomplexa comprises obligate intracellular parasites that infect vertebrates. All invasive forms of Apicomplexa possess an apical complex, a unique assembly of organelles localized to the anterior end of the cell and involved in host cell invasion. Previously, we generated a chicken monoclonal antibody (mAb), 6D-12-G10, with specificity for an antigen located in the apical cytoskeleton of Eimeria acervulina sporozoites. This antigen was highly conserved among Apicomplexan parasites, including other Eimeria spp., Toxoplasma, Neospora, and Cryptosporidium. In the present study, we identified the apical cytoskeletal antigen of Cryptosporidium parvum (C. parvum) and further characterized this antigen in C. parvum to assess its potential as a target molecule against cryptosporidiosis. Indirect immunofluorescence demonstrated that the reactivity of 6D-12-G10 with C. parvum sporozoites was similar to those of anti-β- and anti-γ-tubulins antibodies. Immunoelectron microscopy with the 6D-12-G10 mAb detected the antigen both on the sporozoite surface and underneath the inner membrane at the apical region of zoites. The 6D-12-G10 mAb significantly inhibited in vitro host cell invasion by C. parvum. MALDI-TOF/MS and LC-MS/MS analysis of tryptic peptides revealed that the mAb 6D-12-G10 target antigen was elongation factor-1α (EF-1α). These results indicate that C. parvum EF-1α plays an essential role in mediating host cell entry by the parasite and, as such, could be a candidate vaccine antigen against cryptosporidiosis.
    Matched MeSH terms: Cryptosporidiosis/genetics; Cryptosporidiosis/immunology; Cryptosporidiosis/metabolism; Cryptosporidiosis/prevention & control
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