Multidrug resistant yeasts in synanthropic wild birds

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The aim of this study was to investigate the presence of multidrug resistant yeasts in the faeces of synanthropic wild birds from the Bangsar suburb of Kuala Lumpur.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Species characterisations of yeast isolates and determinations of antimycotic susceptibility profiles were undertaken using the commercial characterization kit, Integral System Yeasts Plus (Liofilchem, Italy).</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Fourteen species of yeasts were detected in the bird faecal samples.<it>Candida albicans </it>was present in 28.89% of bird faecal samples, <it>Candida krusei </it>(13.33%), <it>Candida tropicalis </it>(4.44%), <it>Candida glabrata </it>(4.44%), <it>Candida parapsilosis </it>(2.22%), <it>Candida lambica </it>(2.22%), <it>Candida stellatoidea </it>(2.22%), <it>Candida rugosa </it>(2.22%) and <it>Candida lusitaniae </it>(2.22%). Amongst the non-candidal yeast isolates, <it>Cryptococcus laurentii </it>was present in 6.67% of bird faecal samples, <it>Cryptococcus uniguttulatus </it>(4.44%), <it>Saccharomyces cerevisiae </it>(4.44%), <it>Trichosporon pullulans </it>(2.22%), <it>Trichosporon pullulans/Cryptococcus albidus </it>(8.89%) and <it>Rhodotorula rubra/Rhodotorula glutinis </it>(4.44%). Of the isolated yeasts, 18.1% (or 26/144) were found to be resistant to all 11 antimycotic agents they were tested against i.e. Nystatin, Amphotericin B, Flucytosine, Econazole, Ketoconazole, Clotrimazole, Miconazole, Itraconazole, Voriconazole, Fluconazole 16 and Fluconazole 64. 45.8% (or 66/144) of the bird faecal yeast isolates were resistant to four or more of the 11 antimycotic agents they were tested against.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>This finding is of public health significance as these synanthropic wild birds may be reservoirs for transmission of drug resistant yeast infections to humans.</p

Risk factors for human leptospirosis following flooding: a meta-analysis of observational studies

Leptospirosis is probably the most widespread zoonotic disease in the world especially in tropical countries. There has been an increase in individual studies, which assessed the frequency of leptospirosis in flood conditions. Some studies showed contact with floods was significantly associated with the occurrence of leptospirosis while other studies reported differently. The objective of this meta-analysis was to synthesize the evidence on the risk factors which are associated with human leptospirosis following flooding. We set up the inclusion criteria and searched for the original studies, addressing leptospirosis in human with related to flood in health-related electronic databases including PubMed, Embase, Ovid Medline, google scholar and Scopus sources. We used the terms 'leptospirosis', 'flood', 'risk factor' and terms from the categories were connected with "OR" within each category and by "AND" between categories. The initial search yielded 557 citations. After the title and abstract screening, 49 full-text papers were reviewed and a final of 18 observational studies met the pre-specified inclusion criteria. Overall, the pooled estimates of 14 studies showed that the contact with flooding was a significant factor for the occurrence of leptospirosis (pooled OR: 2.19, 95%CI: 1.48-3.24, I2:86%). On stratification, the strength of association was greater in the case-control studies (pooled OR: 4.01, 95%CI: 1.26-12.72, I2:82%) than other designs (pooled OR:1.77,95%CI:1.18-2.65, I2:87%). Three factors such as 'being male'(pooled OR:2.06, 95%CI:1.29-2.83), the exposure to livestock animals (pooled OR: 1.95, 95%CI:1.26-2.64), the lacerated wound (pooled OR:4.35, 95%CI:3.07-5.64) were the risk factors significantly associated with the incidence of leptospirosis following flooding in the absence of within-study heterogeneity (I2: 0%). We acknowledge study limitations such as publication bias and type 2 statistical errors. We recommended flood control and other environmental modifications that are expected to reduce the risk of leptospiral infection, and a multi-sectoral effort to this aspect would have long-term benefits

Neglected Intestinal Parasites, Malnutrition and Associated Key Factors : A Population Based Cross-Sectional Study among Indigenous Communities in Sarawak, Malaysia

Intestinal parasitic infections (IPIs) have been recognized as one of the most significant causes of illness among disadvantaged communities. Many studies have been conducted on the prevalence of IPIs in Malaysia. However, these studies mostly focused on the indigenous groups in Peninsular Malaysia. The present study was conducted to provide the current baseline data on prevalence of IPIs, anaemia, malnutrition and associated risk factors among the indigenous communities in Sarawak, situation at northwest Borneo island of Malaysia. A cross sectional study was conducted among the longhouses communities. Stool samples were obtained and examined for the presence of IPIs using microscopy technique. Haemoglobin measurement was done using a portable haemoglobin analyzer. Malnutrition (i.e., stunting, underweight and wasting) was assessed using the WHO Anthro software. Statistical analysis was carried out using SPSS software. A total of 341participants took part in this study. The overall prevalence of IPIs was 57.5%. Multivariate analysis indicated that the absence of toilets (OR = 1.6; 95% CI = 1.1–2.7; p = 0.002) and close contact with animals (OR = 1.8; 95% CI = 1.3–2.9; p = 0.027) as significant predictors for IPIs. The incidence of anaemia was 36.4%. The incidence of underweight, wasting and stunting were 22.2%, 5.6% and 35.4%, respectively. Multivariate analysis demonstrated that low level of parental education attainment (OR = 1.9; 95% CI = 1.2–3.0; p = 0.006) was identified as significant predictor for anaemia. The incidence of wasting was significantly associated with mild anaemia (OR = 1.2; 95% CI = 0.9–1.7; p = 0.024). Low household income was identified as significant predictor for stunting (OR = 2.1; 95% CI = 9.8–22.2; p = 0.001) and underweight (OR = 1.9; 95% CI = 5.6–18.7; p = 0.037), respectively. Essentially, the present study highlighted that intestinal parasitic infections, anaemia and malnutrition are still prevalent among rural indigenous community in Sarawak. Improvement of socioeconomic status, periodic mass deworming, iron supplementation and health education program should be included in the control and prevention of public health strategies

Long-term field data and climate-habitat models show that orangutan persistence depends on effective forest management and greenhouse gas mitigation

BackgroundSoutheast Asian deforestation rates are among the world's highest and threaten to drive many forest-dependent species to extinction. Climate change is expected to interact with deforestation to amplify this risk. Here we examine whether regional incentives for sustainable forest management will be effective in improving threatened mammal conservation, in isolation and when combined with global climate change mitigation.Methodology/principal findingsUsing a long time-series of orangutan nest counts for Sabah (2000-10), Malaysian Borneo, we evaluated the effect of sustainable forest management and climate change scenarios, and their interaction, on orangutan spatial abundance patterns. By linking dynamic land-cover and downscaled global climate model projections, we determine the relative influence of these factors on orangutan spatial abundance and use the resulting statistical models to identify habitat crucial for their long-term conservation. We show that land-cover change the degradation of primary forest had the greatest influence on orangutan population size. Anticipated climate change was predicted to cause reductions in abundance in currently occupied populations due to decreased habitat suitability, but also to promote population growth in western Sabah by increasing the suitability of presently unoccupied regions.Conclusions/significanceWe find strong quantitative support for the Sabah government's proposal to implement sustainable forest management in all its forest reserves during the current decade; failure to do so could result in a 40 to 80 per cent regional decline in orangutan abundance by 2100. The Sabah orangutan is just one (albeit iconic) example of a forest-dependent species that stands to benefit from sustainable forest management, which promotes conservation of existing forests.Stephen D. Gregory, Barry W. Brook, Benoît Goossens, Marc Ancrenaz, Raymond Alfred, Laurentius N. Ambu and Damien A. Fordha

Epidemiological Characteristics of Strongyloidiasis in Inhabitants of Indigenous Communities in Borneo Island, Malaysia

Epidemiological study on strongyloidiasis in humans is currently lacking in Malaysia. Thus, a cross-sectional study was carried out to determine the prevalence of Strongyloides stercoralis infection among the inhabitants of longhouse indigenous communities in Sarawak. A single stool and blood sample were collected from each participant and subjected to microscopy, serological and molecular techniques. Five species of intestinal parasites were identified by stool microscopy. None of the stool samples were positive for S. stercoralis. However, 11% of 236 serum samples were seropositive for strongyloidiasis. Further confirmation using molecular technique on stool samples of the seropositive individuals successfully amplified 5 samples, suggesting current active infections. The prevalence was significantly higher in adult males and tended to increase with age. S. stercoralis should no longer be neglected in any intestinal parasitic survey. Combination of more than 1 diagnostic technique is necessary to increase the likelihood of estimating the ‘true’ prevalence of S. stercoralis

Socializing One Health: an innovative strategy to investigate social and behavioral risks of emerging viral threats

In an effort to strengthen global capacity to prevent, detect, and control infectious diseases in animals and people, the United States Agency for International Development’s (USAID) Emerging Pandemic Threats (EPT) PREDICT project funded development of regional, national, and local One Health capacities for early disease detection, rapid response, disease control, and risk reduction. From the outset, the EPT approach was inclusive of social science research methods designed to understand the contexts and behaviors of communities living and working at human-animal-environment interfaces considered high-risk for virus emergence. Using qualitative and quantitative approaches, PREDICT behavioral research aimed to identify and assess a range of socio-cultural behaviors that could be influential in zoonotic disease emergence, amplification, and transmission. This broad approach to behavioral risk characterization enabled us to identify and characterize human activities that could be linked to the transmission dynamics of new and emerging viruses. This paper provides a discussion of implementation of a social science approach within a zoonotic surveillance framework. We conducted in-depth ethnographic interviews and focus groups to better understand the individual- and community-level knowledge, attitudes, and practices that potentially put participants at risk for zoonotic disease transmission from the animals they live and work with, across 6 interface domains. When we asked highly-exposed individuals (ie. bushmeat hunters, wildlife or guano farmers) about the risk they perceived in their occupational activities, most did not perceive it to be risky, whether because it was normalized by years (or generations) of doing such an activity, or due to lack of information about potential risks. Integrating the social sciences allows investigations of the specific human activities that are hypothesized to drive disease emergence, amplification, and transmission, in order to better substantiate behavioral disease drivers, along with the social dimensions of infection and transmission dynamics. Understanding these dynamics is critical to achieving health security--the protection from threats to health-- which requires investments in both collective and individual health security. Involving behavioral sciences into zoonotic disease surveillance allowed us to push toward fuller community integration and engagement and toward dialogue and implementation of recommendations for disease prevention and improved health security

Strategic directions in research : trials, tribulation, and successes in linking research and change

Research in the area of Environmental Health relies on a wide variety of disciplines. In order to effect meaningful change it must find ways to harness the findings of multidisciplinary science, and then use these findings to manage interactions within complex natural and man-made systems. This involves a broad conception of research that goes beyond the empiricist paradigm and has traditionally faced difficulty attracting prestige, international reputability and National Government / International funding. This paper reports on an instrumental case study of an environmental health research centre in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (The EHRC). The EHRC was chosen as an exemplary case in that it is a research centre that has struggled with the issue of legitimization of diversified research approaches with an explicit agenda to drive change, and has in fact, successfully used an action research approach to develop a research framework for the Centre that legitimizes its agenda and multidisciplinary focus. The framework helps situate a broad range of appropriate methodologies; and allows for active engagement in the change process. The centre has been successful in not only articulating this paradigmatic shift, but in getting government and industry support for new approaches that link research and change. The implications of this case study can be seen as liberating for research centers in applied science areas that value a range of research traditions: from the quantitative to qualitative; from laboratory to community based approaches; from the production of knowledge to implementation of change

Uncovering a Protease in Snake Venom Capable To Coagulate Milk to Curd

Snake venom been studied for its lethality and various benefits for mankind. The latter been studied a plenty of recent but none related to coagulation of milk to curd. The coagulation time of milk by samples were done using visible parameters i.e. change in viscosity, colour changes, white spot formation (separation between curd and whey) and finally observing a drop of coagulating fluid under magnification of a light microscope. Optimum parameters determined included concentration of coagulants, temperature and pH. Microscopic viewing included observing after centrifugation, under light microscope and SEM. Screening eleven venoms mostly predominantly found in tropical region singled out one with the most rapid coagulating timei.e by Calloselasma rhodostoma (CR). Optimization of CR venom related to several parameters provided venom concentration, 0.07 (w/v%); pH,7.0; temperature, 45.50C while that of rennet were determined to be 0.04±0.02 (w/v%); pH,7.0; temperature, 45.50C, respectively. Under these ideal conditions for both coagulants, comparison of their milk coagulation time found CR superior i.e. 0.41±0.02 min compared to 4.23±0.05 min for rennet. Milk coagulating assay guided fractionation of CR venom by using HiTrap SP FF and consecutively followed by HiPrep 26/60 Sephacryl S200 HR pre-packed columns led to a single band on coomassie stained SDS-PAGE gel. Next by LCMS analysis on the SDS PAGE band identified the presence of metalloproteinase kistominwithin the venom. EDTA inactivated the venom presumably chelating zinc hence suggesting further towards identifying kistomin as the likely protease within this venom with milk-clotting activity. Snake venom been potentially identified for yet another application for the benefit of mankind. In this investigation Malayan Pit Viper’s protease can play major role in dairy industry if studied further