Molecular detection of Haemophilus parasuis serotypes 4, 5 or 12 and 13 in Peninsular Malaysia

@#Although the economic importance of Haemophilus parasuis infection causing Glasser’s disease is prevalent throughout pig farms in Peninsular Malaysia, there is a dearth of knowledge on its actual nature. In this study, a multiplex PCR was performed to screen for three major predominant virulent strains of H. parasuis, which are serotypes 4, 5 or 12 and 13. A total of 175 tissues or bodily fluid samples of various parts were collected from diseased animals from October, 2016 to February, 2018; with total of 62.9% positive detection of H. parasuis. The highest detection was found to be in the pericardial sac fibrin (90.9%) followed by pleural fibrin, lung, pleural fluid, tonsil, pericardial sac, peritoneal fluid, abdominal fibrin, joint fluid, brain and pericardium. Serotype 13 was the highest (40/110) followed by serotype 4(37/110), serotype 5(31/110) and 12 samples were nontypable (12/110). The presence of untypable serotype also drives to further identification of other serotypes in Malaysia.

Effects of a juvenile hormone analogue pyriproxyfen on monogynous and polygynous colonies of the Pharaoh ant Monomorium pharaonis (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)

To evaluate the effects of the juvenile hormone analogue pyriproxyfen on colonies of the Pharaoh ant Monomorium pharaonis (L.), peanut oil containing different concentrations (0.3, 0.6, or 0.9%) of pyriproxyfen was fed to monogynous (1 queen, 500 workers, and 0.1 g of brood) and polygynous (8 queens, 50 workers, and 0.1 g of brood) laboratory colonies of M. pharaonis. Due to its delayed activity, pyriproxyfen at all concentrations resulted in colony elimination. Significant reductions in brood volume were recorded at weeks 3 – 6, and complete brood mortality was observed at week 8 in all treated colonies. Brood mortality was attributed to the disruption of brood development and cessation of egg production by queens. All polygynous colonies exhibited significant reduction in the number of queens present at week 10 compared to week 1. Number of workers was significantly lower in all treated colonies compared to control colonies at week 8 due to old-age attrition of the workers without replacement. At least 98.67 ± 1.33% of workers were dead at week 10 in all treated colonies. Thus, treatment with slow acting pyriproxyfen at concentrations of 0.3 – 0.9% is an effective strategy for eliminating Pharaoh ant colonies.

Immunogenicity and safety of an inactivated hepatitis A vaccine in Taiwanese adults and children.

The safety and immunogenicity of an inactivated hepatitis A vaccine (AVAXIM, 160 antigen units) was evaluated in 190 subjects: 50 children aged from 2 to 5 years, 70 children aged from 6 to 17 years and 70 adults aged from 18 to 30 years in a monocentric, open, non-controlled, phase III trial conducted in Taipei, Taiwan from December 1996 to October 1997. The vaccine was administered intramuscularly, with a two-dose schedule 6 months apart. Clinical adverse events were monitored during the seven days following each injection. Hepatitis A virus (HAV) antibody titers were measured by modified radioimmunoassay on the day of inclusion and four weeks after both the first dose and booster injection. Among the 190 subjects who received the first dose, 174 (91.6%) were initially HAV seronegative and 16 (8.4%) were HAV seropositive at inclusion. One hundred and seventy-four subjects (91.6%) received the booster dose and completed the study. One month after the first dose, all the subjects, whatever the age, presented HAV antibody titers over 20 mIU/ml. In children (2 to 17 years), the GMT was 136 mIU/ml at week 4 and 7,906 mIU/ml four weeks after the booster dose. In adults (> or = 18 years), GMT values were 93 mIU/ml at week 4 and 3,655 mIU/ml four weeks after the booster. These results show a strong anamnestic response to the second dose of vaccine and are compatible with long-term antibody persistence in each age group. The vaccine was safe and well tolerated. No vaccine-related serious adverse event occurred. No immediate reaction occurred. The majority of the reactions were reported by adults after the primary injection. Local reactions (pain and redness) were reported by 9.0% and 4.0% of the subjects after the primary and the booster doses, respectively. Systemic reactions (mainly myalgia/arthralgia or asthenia) affected less than 10% of the subjects after the first dose and less than 3% after the booster. Results from this study in a Taiwanese population are consistent with those obtained with the same vaccine in previous European studies in children and adults, and suggest that AVAXIM (160 AU) is suitable for use in all subjects aged over 2 years.

Field-simulated residual efficacy of betacyfluthrin against Anopheles sinensis Wiedemann.

The residual efficacy of a relatively new pyrethroid, betacyfluthrin was compared with DDT against Anopheles sinensis Wiedemann in some village houses in Penang, Malaysia, for a period of 30 weeks. Efficacy was determined by exposing laboratory-cultured An. sinensis mosquitos to treated wall surfaces with either betacyfluthrin at 15 and 25 mg/m2 or DDT at 2,000 mg/m2 for one hour. Betacyfluthrin provided a longer residual effect (up to 210 days with > 70% mortality) compared with DDT. The potential of betacyfluthrin as a candidate for residual spraying for malaria control is discussed.

Study of young women vaccinated against rubella virus for 10 years in Taiwan.

Since the licensing of the rubella virus vaccine (RA 27/3 strain) in 1979, clinical studies on the RA 27/3 strain vaccine, which gives rise to high titer antibody, have been reported. In the present study, this vaccine was used to examine the immune response in young women. Volunteers without the previous immunity to rubella virus screened by hemagglutination inhibition (HAI), latex agglutination (LA), fluorescence immunoassay (FIA) and solid-phase immunoassay (SPIA) tests were injected with Rudivax vaccine or Meruvax II vaccine. Adverse reactions occurred between 10 and 20 days after vaccination in 30% of the volunteers. After 28-35 days, vaccinees developed antibodies against rubella virus. The titer of rubella antibody reached it's peak from the 40th day through the 100th day. One year after vaccination, the geometric mean titer (GMT) of rubella virus antibody still remained over 1 : 64 (HAI) and 1 : 38.2 (FIA), and SPIA IgG RI mean was 2.80. Two years later, the antibody titers were 1 : 52 by HAI and 1 : 32.1 by FIA, and SPIA IgG RI mean was 2.75. After 5 years, the antibody titers were 1 : 48.6 (HAI) and 1 : 28.2 (FIA), and SPIA IgG RI mean was 2.74. After 10 years, the anti-rubella virus antibody titers were 1 : 38.9 (HAI) and 1 : 25.1 (FIA), and SPIA IgG RI mean was 2.42. LA antibody still remained seropositive. In conclusion, the rubella vaccine RA 27/3 is safe and efficient, and it is applicable for the control of the rubella in Taiwan.

Is direct cardiotoxicity the primary cause of death following i. v. injection of the basic phospholipase A2 from Naja Nigricollis venom?

Con objeto de elucidar la función del Ca intracelular en la transmisión neuromuscular investigamos en preparaciones de músculo de rana los efectos del ácido1,2-bis(o-aminofenoxi)etano-N,N,N',N'-tetraacético (BAPTA) sobre el aumento-potenciación por frecuencia (anteriormente llamado facilitación por frecuencia) el que ha sido de utilidad para identificar los sitios de acción de varios agentes colinérgicos. La disminución de los iones Ca del espacio intracelular por BAPTA sólo suprimió el componente dependiente de Ca del fenómeno (ma) sin modificar el factor de estimulación dependiente de frecuencia (K). La depresión causada por BAPTA en la facilitación de corto plazo del potencial de placa (EPP) fue la misma tanto en reposo como en la estimulación. El efecto del BAPTA fue parcialmente antagonizado, por el ionóforo de Ca A23187. Esto sugiere que la capacidad de "buffer" de Ca del BAPTA se mantiene durante la estimulación repetitiva de baja frecuencia. BAPTA no modificó la potenciación post-tetánica de los EPP miniatura en medio libre de Ca. Estos resultados indican que los iones Ca son esenciales para la liberación de transmisor y para la facilitación de corto plazo, pero no son responsables de todos los cambios en la liberación de transmisor