Characterization and intraspecific variation of Fusarium semitectum (Berkeley and Ravenel) associated with red-fleshed dragon fruit (Hylocereus polyrhizus [Weber] Britton and Rose) in Malaysia

A total of 79 isolates of Fusarium semitectum were characterized by morphological and IGS-RFLP analysis to assess its intraspecific variation. Based on morphological characteristics, the isolates of F. semitectum were classified into 2 distinct groups, morphotypes I and II. Morphotype I was characterized by longer macroconidia (3 - septate: 31.03 ± 2.57 ìm; 5 - septate: 40.17 ± 1.85 ìm), 0 - 7 septate with 5 - septate was the most common, absence of chlamydospores, presence of sporodochia, abundantfloccose mycelium, peach colony appearance, peach to orange pigmentations and fast growing. While isolates of morphotype II produced shorter macroconidia (3 - septate: 24.98 ± 1.87 ìm; 5 - septate: 35.24± 2.07 ìm), 0 - 5 septate with 3 - septate was the most common, with (56%) or without chlamydospores (44%), without sporodochia, abundant-floccose and abundant-powdery mycelium, beige to brown colonies, brown to dark brown pigmentations and slow growing. Corresponding to the morphological characterization, IGS-RFLP analysis indicated that the 79 isolates could be divided into 2 different clusters assigned as RFLP groups I and II. 49 IGS haplotypes were produced by 8 restriction enzymes(AluI, Bsu15I, BsuRI, Eco881, Hin6I, MspI, PstI and TaqI) which indicated a high level of intraspecific variation and polymorphism among the 79 isolates. This is the first report of F. semitectum associated with H. polyrhizus

Fatal melioidosis in a captive elephant trunk snake (Acrochordus javanicus) in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

An adult female Elephant Trunk Snake (Acrochordus javanicus) was reported to have been weak and inappetent for five days. The following morning the snake found dead, while in the process of shedding its skin. On post mortem examination, there were multiple circumscribed caseous nodules of various sizes distributed all over the liver, along the respiratory tract and on the lungs. Bacteriological analysis of the lungs and liver swab samples yielded Burkholderia pseudomallei, which was confirmed by PCR amplification of specific 16S rRNA. The condition was diagnosed as melioidosis and the organism was genotypically characterized as sequence type 51, a genotype that has been previously characterized in humans in Malaysia. Antibiotic susceptibility by both Disc diffusion or Kirby Bauer and E-test minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) showed that the organism exhibited susceptibility to meropenem, imipenem, ceftazidime, cotrimoxazole and co-amoxyclav; the antibiotics recommended in the treatment of melioidosis

Tobacco teens: cigarette smoking among adolescents at a rural settlement, Jempol

Introduction: Smoking has become among the important current public health issues in Malaysia, as about one in four adult Malaysians currently smoke, and about one in ten adolescents smoke. The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of cigarette smoking among adolescents and its associated factors in a rural community of Jempol, Malaysia. Methodology: A cross-sectional study was conducted in 2013, involving rural settlements in Jempol, a district in the state of Negeri Sembilan, 147km south of Kuala Lumpur. Two rural settlements were randomly selected. The sampling unit was an adolescent (aged between 10- 19 years) who fulfilled the inclusion criteria. The instrument used in this study was a self- administered questionnaire adapted from the National Youth Tobacco Survey (NYTS) 2011. Questions on religiosity were included. Results: A total of 167 respondents participated in this study. Among them, 31.1% (n=52) were identified as smokers; while 68.9% (n=115) were non-smokers. Mean age of smoking initiation was 14 years old. Being male, being employed, having large number of smokers in the family and among friends, having home smoking policy, being offered cigarettes, academic achievement, religiosity and perception of smoking being normal, cool and relaxing are factors significantly associated with smoking habits among adolescents (P=.05). Most preferred location to smoke was friend‘s house (44.2%) compared to own home (28.8%). Premises most visited to purchase cigarettes was the grocery store (59.9%), and majority of the adolescent smokers buy their own cigarettes (57.7%). Conclusion: Suitable anti-smoking programs should be tailored to and focus on factors most significantly associated with smoking in this age group. Enforcement efforts should be focused on grocery stores to prevent the sale of cigarettes to minors. Future studies need to be carried out to detect a trend of the age of initiation, where or not it is becoming younger

Response to foot and mouth disease (FMD) vaccination among local Malaysian cattle of various vaccination backgrounds from endemic and non-endemic FMD areas

A longitudinal study assessed the response to foot and mouth disease virus (FMDV) vaccination on sequential sera of local Malaysian Kedah-Kelantan cattle in two states of Peninsular Malaysia; Perlis, a foot and mouth (FMD) disease non-endemic state, and Kelantan, an endemic state for FMD. These cattle were from various vaccination backgrounds and some with unknown vaccination status. For the cattle in both states, the antibody against FMDV type O effectively increased to a strong protective level in the first week following vaccination, regardless of the vaccination background of the animals. In the endemic state, where vaccination was performed more routinely than the non-endemic state, the response had better magnitude and duration. In the non-endemic state, the antibody response level was good but appeared to last for a shorter period of time before it significantly declined. For naïve cattle with no evidence of infection or vaccination, the response was rapid and reached a strong level immediately by the first week. However, the level was not sustained and significantly declined thereafter. All the cattle stayed healthy and clinically FMD- free throughout the study, even when there was a transient evidence of natural field infection detected among the cattle. A marked difference was observed in the patterns of antibody response between cattle in the FMD endemic and non-endemic areas. However, the level of antibodies generally rose to a strong protective level within the stipulated 7-14 days post-vaccination. The vaccine used was effective in eliciting immune response when naturally challenged by the local field FMD virus

Occurrence and molecular characterization of Aspergillus species in beach sand

A total of 103 Aspergillus isolates were obtained from beach sand samples collected along Batu Ferringhi beach, Penang Island. Ten species of Aspergillus were identified and the most common species was A. tubingensis (33%) followed by A. aculeatus (21.4%), A. flavus (20.4%), A. niger (9.7%), A. terreus (6.80%), A. fumigatus (2.91%), A. ibericus (1.94%), A. sydowii (1.94%), A. carbonarius (0.98%) and A. tamarii (0.98%). Maximum likelihood tree of combined dataset of ITS regions and β-tubulin sequences showed that the same species were grouped in the same clade. The present study indicated that beach sand harbor a variety of Aspergillus species and the occurrence of Aspergillus in the sand might pose health concern in case of long term exposure as some species such as A. fumigatus, A. flavus, A. niger and A. terreus are potentially pathogenic especially to immune compromised individual. The present study also contribute to the knowledge on the diversity of Aspergillus species in the beach environment as well as contribute knowledge on the taxonomic relationship of Aspergillus species in Malaysia

Characterization of fusarium semitectum isolates from vegetable fruits

Fusarium semitectum is a widespread species occurring in various types of substrate. Fifteen F. semitectum isolates were recovered from several types of vegetable fruits showing fruit rot symptoms, namely long bean (Vigna sesquilpedalis), okra (Abelmoschus esculentus), loofa (Luffa acutangula), bitter gourd (Momordica charantia), cucumber (Cucumis sativus) and green chilli (Capsicum annum). The identification of the F. semitectum isolates was based on morphological characteristics of macroconidia and microconidia, presence of mesoconidia and colony pigmentation. The isolates were then characterized using vegetative compatibility group (VCG) and sequencing of translation elongation factor-1α gene (TEF-1α). From VCG analysis, 11 isolates were assigned to six VCGs and another four isolates were self-incompatible. The results of the phylogenetic analysis using TEF-1α sequences showed that the isolates were phyogenetically distinct although the morphological characteristics were very similar and generally the grouping of the isolates was not according to the host. Both VCG and phylogenetic analyses indicated that F. semitectum isolates from vegetable fruits were highly variable which suggested that the isolates belong to a species complex

Morphological Characteristics and Somatic Incompatibility of Ganoderma from Infected Oil Palm from Three Inland Estates

The morphological characteristics of Ganoderma basidiomata from infected oil palms from three inland estates showed some variations, but all fall within the description of G. boninense, based on Steyaert s classification system (1967, 1975). Pairings of G. boninense isolates from the same estate showed that there was somatic incompatibility among the isolates which indicated that the isolates were distinct individuals and not clones of single genotypes