University students' knowledge, attitude, and practice KAP towards COVID-19 in Malaysia

Covid-19--associated with the human-to-human transmission is recent medical concern which also associated with public health concerns. A cross-sectional online survey was conducted among clinical year veterinary and medical students studying in a university in Malaysia to determine the students' knowledge, attitude, and practice towards COVID-19. The questionnaire consisted of 4 sections, namely, socio-demographic characteristics (6 items), knowledge (14 items), attitude (10 items), and practice (24 items) towards COVID-19. The collected data were subjected to descriptive statistics, Mann-Whitney U, Kruskal-Wallis H, and Spearman's correlation analysis. A total of 219 students participated in this study, and they consisted of 52.1% and 47.9% of veterinary and medical students, respectively. The total scores were categorised into poor (<60%), moderate (60-79%), and high (>80%) based on Bloom's cut off point. Overall, the students acquired high knowledge (80%), moderate attitude (76%) and high practice (86%) against COVID-19. In the attitude section, the veterinary student scored significantly higher than medical students (U=3791, p= .001), and female students scored significantly higher than males (U=3183, p= .001). The analysis revealed a statistically significant association between attitude and practice (P< .05) despite no association between knowledge to attitude and practice variables. Overall, the results indicated that both veterinary and medical students had high knowledge with moderate to high attitudes towards COVID-19. Thus, they were practising good preventive measures in limiting the spread of the disease

West Nile virus infection in human and animals: potential risks in Malaysia

West Nile virus (WNV) is a zoonotic RNA virus maintained in enzootic cycles involving mosquito mainly Culex and Aedes spp. as the vector and birds as the reservoir host. WNV is endemic in Africa, Europe and Western Asia. Human infection results in asymptomatic illness such as fever, headache, tiredness, body aches, nausea, vomiting, skin rash, swollen lymph glands and neuroinvasive disease are seen in less than 1% of infected persons. The spectrum of symptoms in animals includes fever, weakness and paralysis of hind limbs, impaired vision, ataxia, head pressing, aimless wandering, seizures, inability to swallow, walking in circles and coma. Based on the previous study in Malaysia, the antibody and nucleic acid against WNV were detected in Orang Asli, captive birds and horses. In this paper, potential risk factors contributing to WNV occurrence are discussed. How the disease or infection is diagnosed and controlled was also discussed

Molecular investigation of feline coronavirus (FCoV) in local pet cats

Feline coronavirus (FCoV) infection is a very common in cat population. FCoV is further classified into two biotypes namely feline enteric coronavirus (FECV) and mutated feline infectious peritonitis virus (FIPV), in which FIPV causes a fatal immune complex disease by changing the tropism from enterocytes to monocytes. Previous studies on molecular detection of FCoV in cats were carried out in catteries but limited study investigate the presence of FCoV antigen in local pet cats. By considering this fact, this study aims to detect FCoV antigen via RT-PCR assay in local pet cats and to compare the similarity of the identified FCoV strain with previous related virus by phylogenetic analysis. By using convenience sampling, rectal swabs and buffy coat were collected from 16 clinically ill pet cats and 5 healthy pet cats. Viral RNA was extracted and subjected to one-step RT-PCR, targeting polymerase gene. Only one out of 21 fecal samples was positive for FCoV and none from buffy coat samples. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that the identified positive sample was highly homologous, up to 95%, to FCoV strain from Netherlands and South Korea on partial sequence of polymerase gene. In conclusion, this study detected FCoV antigen in local pet cats from fecal samples while negative detection from fecal and buffy coat samples could not completely rule out the possibilities of FCoV infection due to the complexity of the virus diagnosis that require multiple series of analysis

Co-infections of Tilapia Lake Virus, Aeromonas hydrophila and Streptococcus agalactiae in farmed red hybrid tilapia

A high death rate among red hybrid tilapias was observed in a farm in Selangor, Malaysia, in January 2020. The affected fish appeared lethargic, isolated from schooling group, showed loss of appetite, red and haemorrhagic skin, exophthalmia and enlarged gall bladders. Histopathological assessment revealed deformation of kidney tubules, and severe congestion with infiltrations of inflammatory cells in the brains and kidneys. Syncytial cells and intracytoplasmic inclusion bodies were occasionally observed in the liver and brain sections. Tilapia Lake Virus (TiLV), Aeromonas hydrophila and Streptococcus agalactiae were identified in the affected fish, either through isolation or through PCR and sequencing analysis. The phylogenetic tree analysis revealed that the TiLV strain in this study was closely related to the previously reported Malaysian strain that was isolated in 2019. On the other hand, A. hydrophila and S. agalactiae were closer to Algerian and Brazilian strains, respectively. The multiple antibiotic resistance index for A. hydrophila and S. agalactiae was 0.50 and 0.25, respectively. Co-infections of virus and bacteria in cultured tilapia is a new threat for the tilapia industry

Detection of pinworms in conventionally maintained laboratory mice

The laboratory mice (Mus musculus) are commonly utilised for research purposes. Despite strict biosecurity, they potentially harbour parasites which may compromise the experimental study. Parasite intensity differs among strains of mice. This study aims to identify the presence of parasites between two strains of laboratory mice. A total of 48 mice (n= 48) obtained from the UPM Animal Resource Unit (ARU), consisting of 24 animals for each group of inbred strain Bagg Albino (BALB/c) and outbred Institute Cancer Research (ICR) mice were used for detection of helminths, ectoparasites and blood parasites. Based on parasitological distinct characteristics, Syphacia obvelata (S. obvelata) and Aspiculuris tetraptera (A. tetraptera) were detected. Both helminths were seen in 8.33% of BALB/c and 20.83% of ICR mice, respectively. Single infection by S. obvelata was detected in 33.33% of BALB/c mice while 12.5% of ICR mice were manifested merely by A. tetraptera. The findings revealed an optimal method to identify S. obvelata through perianal tape test while A. tetraptera is best detected by the faecal flotation technique. Statistically, the type of helminth was significantly associated with the strains of mice (P=0.043). Overall, there were low amounts of opportunistic helminths and ova with the absence of ectoparasites and blood parasites for both strains of laboratory mice which is suggestive of appropriate management practised

A case report of wet form Feline Infectious Peritonitis (FIP) in a domestic short hair cat

Feline Infectious Peritonitis (FIP), a fatal disease of cat exists in two major forms namely effusive and noneffusive form. FIP is caused by mutated form of Feline Coronavirus (FCoV) classified under the genus of Alphacoronavirus. Despite common prevalence of FIP in Malaysia, further diagnosis remain challenging due to the complexity of the disease which often required multiple findings to confirm the disease. This case report highlights the progressive wet form of FIP in a male domestic short hair cat named Cromox presented to the Post Mortem Unit, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM). Manifestation of distended abdomen, icterus and flu was shown before the cat died. Post-mortem and histopathology analysis of affected organs were performed and since FIP was suspected, RT-PCR against polymerase gene of FCoV was carried out. The post mortem examination revealed generalised icterus at sclera, gums and integuments, straw colour peritoneal fluid and congestion of kidney and liver. Histopathology analysis showed infiltration of mononuclear cells in liver, pulmonary edema and renal desquamation. Meanwhile, RT-PCR and partial sequencing analysis showed evidence of positive Feline Coronavirus which was closely related to the FCoV from China and Netherland. Hence, the cause of death of Cromox was confirmed due to FIP infection. Only supportive treatment can be given to the FIP affected cat since the disease is usually fatal. Vaccination against FIP is not recommended and avoiding the sick cat to share litterbox in the multihousehold cat has been proven to be an effective way to prevent the occurence of FIP

The distribution of important sero-complexes of flaviviruses in Malaysia

Flaviviruses (FVs) are arthropod-borne viruses of medical and veterinary importance. Numerous species of FVs have been isolated from various host; mainly humans, animals, ticks, and mosquitoes. Certain FVs are extremely host-specific; at the same time, some FVs can infect an extensive range of species. Based on published literatures, 11 species of FVs have been detected from diverse host species in Malaysia. In humans, dengue virus and Japanese encephalitis virus have been reported since 1901 and 1942. In animals, the Batu Cave virus, Sitiawan virus, Carey Island, Tembusu virus, Duck Tembusu virus, and Japanese encephalitis viruses were isolated from various species. In mosquitoes, Japanese encephalitis virus and Kunjin virus were isolated from Culex spp., while Zika virus and Jugra virus were isolated from Aedes spp. In ticks, the Langat virus was isolated from Ixodes spp. One of the major challenges in the diagnosis of FVs is the presence of sero-complexes as a result of cross-reactivity with one or more FV species. Subsequently, the distribution of specific FVs among humans and animals in a specific population is problematic to assess and often require comprehensive and thorough analyses. Molecular assays such as quantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and digital droplet RT-PCR (ddRT-PCR) have been used for the differentiation of flavivirus infections to increase the accuracy of epidemiological data for disease surveillance, monitoring, and control. In situations where sero-complexes are common in FVs, even sensitive assays such as qRT-pCR can produce false positive results. In this write up, an overview of the various FV sero-complexes reported in Malaysia to date and the challenges faced in diagnosis of FV infections are presented

Japanese Encephalitis in Malaysia: an overview and timeline

Japanese encephalitis (JE) is a vector-borne zoonotic disease caused by the Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV). It causes encephalitis in human and horses, and may lead to reproductive failure in sows. The first human encephalitis case in Malaya (now Malaysia) was reported during World War II in a British prison in 1942. Later, encephalitis was observed among race horses in Singapore. In 1951, the first JEV was isolated from the brain of an encephalitis patient. The true storyline of JE exposure among humans and animals has not been documented in Malaysia. In some places such as Sarawak, JEV has been isolated from mosquitoes before an outbreak in 1992. JE is an epidemic in Malaysia except Sarawak. There are four major outbreaks reported in Pulau Langkawi (1974), Penang (1988), Perak and Negeri Sembilan (1998–1999), and Sarawak (1992). JE is considered endemic only in Sarawak. Initially, both adults and children were victims of JE in Malaysia, however, according to the current reports; JE infection is only lethal to children in Malaysia. This paper describes a timeline of JE cases (background of each case) from first detection to current status, vaccination programs against JE, diagnostic methods used in hospitals and factors which may contribute to the transmission of JE among humans and animals in Malaysia

Isolation, characterization and quantitative proteomics analysis of chicken dendritic cells following infection with infectious bursal disease virus

Infectious bursal disease (IBD) is an extremely contagious and acute disease of young chicken cause by infectious bursal disease virus (IBDV). IBDV can infect B lymphocytes and macrophages. However, study on the involvement of chicken DCs during pathogen infection especially in IBDV infection has not been studied. Hypothesis of this study was chicken DCs are susceptible to IBDV infection and aimed to characterise the interaction between IBDV and chicken DCs as well as the proteomics profiles of chicken DCs during IBDV infections. DCs were isolated from bone marrow and spleen for in vitro and ex-vivo study, respectively. The isolated DCs were characterized based on morphology, viability and immunophenotyping while IBDV detection were performed based on immunofluorescence antibody test (IFAT), quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and flow cytometry. qRT-PCR was also used to detect the expression of selected cytokines from IBDV-infected DCs. Quantitative proteomics using iTRAQ coupled with tandem LC-MS/MS approach and flow cytometry analysis were performed to quantify and validate differentially regulated proteins of BM-DCs. Morphologically, uninfected BM-DCs were rounded in shape whilst BM-DCs treated with LPS and vvIBDV showed stellate shapes. Both LPS-treated and vvIBDV-infected BM-DCs expressed high levels of CD86 and MHC class II antigens (>20 %) (p<0.05). In addition, vvIBDV-infected BM-DCs showed significantly higher numbers of apoptotic cells compared to LPS. Replication of vvIBDV was detected in the infected BM-DCs as evidenced by the increased in the expression of VP3 and VP4 antigens based on flow cytometry, qRT-PCR and IFAT. LPS was far more potent than vvIBDV in inducing the expression of IL-1β and IL-18, while the expressions of Th1-like cytokines, IFN- and IL-12α were significantly increased in vvIBDV treatment group. iTRAQ analysis coupled with LC-MS/MS analysis, detect the most abundant proteins (~40 %) with a known membranous localization. From the total of 283 proteins that were identified, 55, 47 and 32 proteins were differentially regulated at 3, 6 and 12 hpi, respectively, as a result of vvIBDV infection, with the fold difference ≥ 1.5 or ≤ 0.67 and ProtScore of more than 1.3 at 95 % confidence level. Most of the protein functions that were impaired at 3 hpi were related to signaling, stress response and immune response, for instance integrin α and β, heat shock proteins (HSPs) especially HSP90α and HSP60. Interestingly, no proteins related to signaling were activated at this time point. These findings give an indication that vvIBDV able to disrupt several important protein functions in order to infect BM-DCs at the early stage. Control and infected splenic DCs were distinct as infected DCs showed star like shape. In addition, infected splenic DCs in both vaccine strain and vvIBDV strain expressed higher CD86 and MHCII antigens of more than 30 % at day 5 pi. Meanwhile, VP3 and VP4 proteins of IBDV were readily detected in splenic DCs starting from day 3 pi in both vaccine and vvIBDV-infected groups via IFAT, flow cytometry and qRT-PCR, where the expression of these antigens were significantly higher in vvIBDV (p< 0.05). Splenic DCs infected with vaccine and vvIBDV strains also expressed elevated levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines and chemokines such as IL-1β and CXCLi2 as well as Th1-like cytokines such as IL-12α and IFNγ after day 3 onwards. In conclusion, chicken BM-DCs and splenic DCs are susceptible and permissive to IBDV infection. The virus infects DCs probably via common host proteins that are also found on other cells such as B cells and macrophages

Comparison of expression for IL-15 and IL-18 on dendritic cells and macrophages upon infection with recombinant fowlpox virus versus wild type fowlpox virus

Fowlpox is a viral disease of chicken caused by fowlpox virus (FWPV). Compared to other viral infectious diseases, studies on the interaction of antigen-presenting cells (APC) such as dendritic cells (DCs) and macrophage with FWPV remains limited. Therefore, this work was aimed to characterize cytokine responses upon infection of recombinant fowlpox viruses (rFWPV) expressing H5 gene of avian influenza virus (AIV) compared to wild type FWPV on chicken DCs and macrophage cells. Chicken bone marrow cells were first isolated. The cells were differentiated into DCs (GM-CSF and IL-4 acted as supplements in RPMI media), or into macrophages (no supplements added). In order to quantify chicken IL-15 and IL-18 cytokine expression, qPCR assays based on real-time analysis were performed. Data suggested that rFWPV induced higher expression for IL-15 and IL-18 on macrophage while wild type FWPV induced higher expression for IL-15 and IL-18 on DC