Asymptomatic and sub-microscopic malaria infection in Kayah State, eastern Myanmar

Myanmar has the heaviest burden of malaria in the Greater Mekong Sub-region. Asymptomatic Plasmodium spp. infections are common in this region and may represent an important reservoir of transmission that must be targeted for malaria elimination.; A mass blood survey was conducted among 485 individuals from six villages in Kayah State, an area of endemic but low transmission malaria in eastern Myanmar. Malaria infection was screened by rapid diagnostic test (RDT), light microscopy and real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and its association with demographic factors was explored.; The prevalence of asymptomatic Plasmodium spp. infection was 2.3% (11/485) by real-time PCR. Plasmodium vivax accounted for 72.7% (8/11) and Plasmodium falciparum for 27.3% (3/11) of infections. Men were at greater risk of infection by Plasmodium spp. than women. Individuals who worked as farmers or wood and bamboo cutters had an increased risk of infection.; A combination of RDT, light microscopy and PCR diagnostics were used to identify asymptomatic malaria infection, providing additional information on asymptomatic cases in addition to the routine statistics on symptomatic cases, so as to determine the true burden of disease in the area. Such information and risk factors can improve malaria risk stratification and guide decision-makers towards better design and delivery of targeted interventions in small villages, representative of Kayah State

OFF-FARM EMPLOYMENT IN SOUTHERN SHAN STATE

This research highlight presents key features of off-farm employment in Myanmar’s Southern Shan State. Analysis is based on the Shan Household Agriculture and Rural Economy Survey (SHARES), which collected detailed information on livelihoods and agriculture from 1562 households in nine townships. In this study, off-farm employment is defined as any income generating activity that does not take place on the household’s farm. Off-farm employment can therefore include both agriculture and non-agriculture related activities. We distinguish four main categories of off-farm employment: casual wage employment, salaried employment, non-farm enterprises, and natural resource extraction. Findings related to migration are presented in a separate research highlight. Below, we present the research findings in five sub-sections. The first provides a general overview of off-farm employment, and is followed by subsections presenting results on each of the four main categories of off-farm employment listed above

A Rare Thermophilic Bug In Complicated Diverticular Abscess

Actinomycosis is a form of painful abscess in the gastrointestinal tract or in deep tissue caused by actinomyces species. They are one of the commensal bacteria in the oral cavity and gastrointestinal tract of humans but can opportunistically cause infection in immunosuppressive hosts through invasion of breached mucosa or necrotic tissue while mimicking malignancy, gastrointestinal tuberculosis, and inflammatory bowel disease. Actinomyces israelii is, by far, the major and most common human pathogen throughout literatures. By virtue of rarity and diagnostic confusion with masquerading malignancies, only 10% of the cases have been diagnosed preoperatively, so as to be able to verge patients from undergoing unnecessary surgical intervention. Herein, we present a rare case of complicated diverticular abscess manifested by Actinomyces meyeri after postoperative tissue diagnosis

A Rare Thermophilic Bug in Complicated Diverticular Abscess

Actinomycosis is a form of painful abscess in the gastrointestinal tract or in deep tissue caused by actinomyces species. They are one of the commensal bacteria in the oral cavity and gastrointestinal tract of humans but can opportunistically cause infection in immunosuppressive hosts through invasion of breached mucosa or necrotic tissue while mimicking malignancy, gastrointestinal tuberculosis, and inflammatory bowel disease. Actinomyces israelii is, by far, the major and most common human pathogen throughout literatures. By virtue of rarity and diagnostic confusion with masquerading malignancies, only 10% of the cases have been diagnosed preoperatively, so as to be able to verge patients from undergoing unnecessary surgical intervention. Herein, we present a rare case of complicated diverticular abscess manifested by Actinomyces meyeri after postoperative tissue diagnosis

A Rare Concurrence of Leiomyomatosis Peritonealis Disseminata, Leiomyosarcoma of the Pelvis and Leiomyomatous Nodule of the Liver

Leiomyomatosis peritonealis disseminata (LPD) is a rare entity that is characterized by the presence of multiple subperitoneal or peritoneal smooth muscle nodules throughout the peritoneal surface mimicking a malignant process. LPD follows a benign course in general, and it is often found incidentally during abdominal surgery. There have been reported cases of LPD with malignant degeneration although the association is uncertain. Concurrent finding of LPD and leiomyosarcoma of the pelvis is very rare that could be coincidental, malignant transformation of LPD to leiomyosarcoma, or progression of undetected primary leiomyosarcoma. There are only a few previously reported cases in the literature. Herein, we report a case of 56-year-old woman with a history of leiomyoma of uterus who presented with progressive abdominal swelling secondary to mass lesions in the pelvis. The patient underwent exploratory laparotomy and debulking of the tumors, and the histologic examination of the tumors revealed coexistence of LPD and leiomyosarcoma. After recovery from the operation, core needle biopsy of the superficial, residual liver mass was obtained to investigate potential liver metastasis, and the histopathologic findings are consistent with leiomyoma which represents the first simultaneous occurrence of LPD, leiomyosarcoma, and leiomyomatous nodule of the liver

Active deformation of the Central Myanmar Forearc Basin : insight from post-Pleistocene inversion of the Pyay Fault

Pyay sub-basin is located in the southern part of the Central Myanmar Forearc Basin, an elongate belt of en-echelon folds and thrust faults formed as a result of the hyper-oblique convergence of the India and Asia plates. Limited neotectonic studies suggest that the Pyay Fault is a major Pliocene inverted structure that trapped the hydrocarbons in Pyay sub-basin, where only sparse field-based observations are available to address the nature of very recent neotectonic processes. This study focuses on structural deformation related to active inversion of the Pyay Fault using field-based geological observations and interpretations of industrial seismic data. We map the ∼105 km long Pyay Fault, an east- dipping high-angle reverse fault with a significant dextral strike-slip component. The fault underlies the western limb of the major NNW-SSE- striking anticlinal ridge that forms the western margin of Pyay sub- basin. Growth strata within the Pliocene-Pleistocene Irrawaddy Formation, imaged in the shallow part (<1 km) of 2D seismic profiles, reflects the deposition of Pliocene-Pleistocene sediments synchronously with the inversion of the underlying Pyay Fault. In addition, uplifted fluvial terraces of the Ayeyarwady River on the hanging wall of Pyay Fault reflect the post-Pleistocene inversion of the Pyay sub-basin. This study suggests that the Pyay Fault is a prime example of active deformation of the Central Myanmar Forearc Basin which plays an important role in the basin evolution and an earthquake source potential of the Myanmar territory.Ministry of Education (MOE)National Research Foundation (NRF)Published versionThis work is a part of the first author’s Ph.D. dissertation at the University of Yangon, Myanmar. The first author would like to thank to U Thit Lwin, Pyay University and his graduate students for their help in various ways during the field work. The authors would like to express sincere appreciation to Prof. Punya Charusiri, Chulalongkon University and Dr. Jonathan R. Weiss, University of Potsdam for their reviews that greatly improved the quality of this manuscript. Our thanks are also extended to Prof. Khin Zaw, University of Tasmania for handling the manuscript and editorial input. We also thank Dr. Kyaw Linn Oo, Petronas Myanmar Exploration and Dr. Wang Yu, National Taiwan University for their comments on an earlier draft. Field surveys for this work were partially supported by Resource and Environment Myanmar Ltd. and Myanmar Earthquake Committee. This research was supported by the Earth Observatory of Singapore via its funding from the National Research Foundation Singapore and the Singapore Ministry of Education under the Research Centres of Excellence initiative. This work comprises EOS contribution number 343