ABSTRACT
@#Sarcocystosis, a parasitic infection caused by a protozoa belonging to the genus Sarcocystis, is found worldwide in both and animals. Sarcocystis spp., require two animal hosts to complete their life cycle. The infection has gathered more global attention after recent outbreaks, especially amongst wester travellers to Malaysia. Other than sporadic cases and the current outbreaks, little information is available regarding human Sarcocystis infection in Malaysia. The present study aims to determine the prevalence of sarcocystosis among humans using an immunofluorescent antibody (IFA) test applied to dried blood on filter papers. A total of 200 blood samples were collected on filter papers from autopsy cases at two Malaysian hospitals: Sungai Buloh Hospital (peninsular Malaysia) and Queen Elizabeth Hospital (Malaysian Borneo). Antigens were prepared from bradyzoites harvested from positive goats’ muscle samples. Of the 200 samples, 32 (16%) had Sarcocystis antibodies that showed positive fluorescence reactions on filter papers. There was no significant difference (t-test, p value > 0.05) in prevalence rates between samples collected from autopsies at peninsular Malaysia and Malaysian Borneo. The results demonstrated that the filter paper technique can be used as one of the alternative serological tests in the diagnostic of human sarcocystosis.
ABSTRACT
One thousand and forty-five tissue samples of skeletal muscles, tongue, heart, diaphragm and esophagus were collected from 209 animals (43 sheep, 89 goats and 77 cattle) from an abattoir in Selangor between February and October, 2013. Each sample was divided into three pieces with each piece measuring 2-3 mm3. Each piece was then squeezed between two glass slides and examined microscopically at x 10 magnification for the presence of sarcocystosis. Three positive samples from each animal species were then fixed in 10% formalin for histological processing. Seven positive samples collected from each animal species were preserved at -80°C or 90% ethanol for gene expression studies. Microsarcocysts were detected in 114 (54.5%) animals by light microscopy (LM). The infection rates in sheep, goat and cattle were 86, 61.8 and 28.6% respectively. The highest rate of infection was in the skeletal muscles of sheep (64.9%) and goats (63.6%) and in the heart of cattle (63.6%). The cysts were spindle to oval in shape and two stages were recognized, the peripheral metrocytes and centrally located banana-shaped bradyzoites. 18S rRNA gene expression studies confirmed the isolates from the sheep as S. ovicanis, goats as S. capracanis and cattle as S. bovicanis. This, to the best of our knowledge, is the first molecular identification of an isolate of S. ovicanis and S. capracanis in Malaysia. Further studies with electron microscopy (EM) are required in the future to compare the features of different types of Sarcocysts spp.
ABSTRACT
The study on biodiversity of forensically important Diptera in the tropical rain forest in Malaysia is scarce. Thus, a preliminary survey was conducted at a jungle fringe near Kampung Bahagia Bukit Lagong, Sungai Buloh, Selangor. A rat carcass was offered to attract carrion flies and we collected an adult female calliphorid, Hypopygiopsis fumipennis (Walker, 1856) during the fresh stage of carcass decomposition. The female fly was allowed to oviposit on chicken liver in a container and the resulting larvae were reared to the adult stage. Along the developmental process, several individuals from each instar were collected and preserved in 70% ethanol and then processed on the slides. We recorded the duration of development for each instar and described its larval features for the first time. The third instar larvae of H. fumipennis showed accessory oral sclerite present, anterior spiracle with 13-15 papillae, intersegmental spines mostly unicuspid with pointed end, and posterior spiracles heavily sclerotized with inter-slit projections. Some larval differences between H. fumipennis and Hypopygiopsis violacea were noted.