ABSTRACT
@#Leptospirosis is a bacterial disease caused by pathogenic Leptospira that infect both human and animals. This study was conducted to determine the seroprevalence of leptospirosis among rangers and wild animals in two ex-situ captive centers, Bukit Merah Orangutan Island (BMOUI) and Taiping Zoo, Perak and to identify the risk factors responsible for the leptospiral seropositivity. Blood samples from rangers and animals of BMOUI and Taiping Zoo were taken to determine the presence of antibodies against Leptospira through microscopic agglutination test (MAT) using 21 serovars of Leptospira commonly found in Malaysia as antigens. Structured surveys in identifying risk factors were given to each ranger from both study sites. It was observed that Rattus exulans (1/10) (10.0%), Rattus rattus (1/5) (20.0%), Niniventer fulvescens (1/1) (100.0%), Callosciurus notatus (0/6) (0.0%), Tupaia tana (1/1) (100.0%), Pongo pygmaeus (5/10) (50.0%) and BMOUI rangers (8/18) (44.4%) were positive for leptospiral antibodies. Samples obtained from Taiping Zoo also revealed the presence of leptospiral antibodies in R. rattus (0/19) (0.0%), R. exulans (1/2) (50.0%) and rangers (2/5) (40.0%). Among the positive cases, most human and animal samples from both study sites reacted with serovar Lepto 175. Our surveys indicated no significant associations between seroprevalence of leptospiral antibodies with rangers’ age (p = 0.82), sex (p = 0.85), ethnicity (p = 0.65), educational level (p = 0.88) and working experience (p = 0.82). In terms of risk factors, no significant associations between seroprevalence of leptospiral antibodies with knowledge on leptospirosis (p = 0.82), working hours (p = 0.53), smoking (p = 0.85), crossing rivers/pools/stagnant water while working (p = 0.90) and wearing full personal protective equipment (PPE) (p = 0.73). This study provides epidemiological data on leptospirosis in rangers and animals from BMOUI and Taiping Zoo which is of paramount importance for improving strategies in prevention of the disease.
ABSTRACT
PURPOSE: One hundred and ten Helicobacter pylori isolates from peptic ulcer disease patients and matched controls were analysed for any possible relationship between the presence of cryptic plasmids and their antibiotic sensitivity pattern. METHODS: Antral biopsies of patients with gastric and duodenal ulcer, gastric cancer, non ulcer dyspepsia and matched controls were cultured for H.pylori. Antibiotic susceptibility and MIC analysis of the clinical isolates was done by E-test. Plasmid profiles of the isolates were analysed using mini ultra prep plasmid kit. RESULTS: Out of the 110 isolates tested, 89.1% isolates were resistant to metronidazole, 10.9 % were resistant to clarithromycin and 0.9% were resistant to multiple drugs. Isolates harbouring plasmids were seen in all the groups and constituted 5.4% of total isolates. CONCLUSIONS: The presence of plasmids in the clinical isolates of H.pylori did not have any correlation with their antibiotic resistance pattern.
ABSTRACT
Three hundred eligible patients with carcinoma of the cervix out of a total of 560, registered between July 1981 and June 1983 were randomized into receiving either radiotherapy alone or radiotherapy plus weekly injection of bleomycin 15 mg and mitomycin C4 mg. To date (22 Feb. 1985) patients have been evaluated for response to therapy at 3 months and 1 year from completion of treatment. Although both at 3 months and 1 year the combined modality treatment appears to be marginally better (68% and 71% at 3 months, 56% and 63% at 1 year), the long term results remain uncertain at present. Treatment by the addition of chemotherapy to radiation was however well tolerated with a few complications.