Is There a Risk of Suburban Transmission of Malaria in Selangor, Malaysia?
نویسندگان
چکیده
BACKGROUND The suburban transmission of malaria in Selangor, Malaysia's most developed and populous state still remains a concern for public health in this region. Despite much successful control efforts directed at its reduction, sporadic cases, mostly brought in by foreigners have continued to occur. In addition, cases of simian malaria caused by Plasmodium knowlesi, some with fatal outcome have caused grave concern to health workers. The aim of this study was to investigate the possibility of local malaria transmission in suburban regions of Selangor, which are adjacent to secondary rainforests. FINDINGS A malaria survey spanning 7 years (2006 - 2012) was conducted in Selangor. A total of 1623 laboratory confirmed malaria cases were reported from Selangor's nine districts. While 72.6% of these cases (1178/1623) were attributed to imported malaria (cases originating from other countries), 25.5% (414/1623) were local cases and 1.9% (31/1623) were considered as relapse and unclassified cases combined. In this study, the most prevalent infection was P. vivax (1239 cases, prevalence 76.3%) followed by P. falciparum (211, 13.0%), P. knowlesi (75, 4.6%), P. malariae (71, 4.4%) and P. ovale (1, 0.06%). Mixed infections comprising of P. vivax and P. falciparum were confirmed (26, 1.6%). Entomological surveys targeting the residences of malaria patients' showed that the most commonly trapped Anopheles species was An. maculatus. No oocysts or sporozoites were found in the An. maculatus collected. Nevertheless, the possibility of An. maculatus being the malaria vector in the investigated locations was high due to its persistent occurrence in these areas. CONCLUSIONS Malaria cases reported in this study were mostly imported cases. However the co-existence of local cases and potential Plasmodium spp. vectors should be cause for concern. The results of this survey reflect the need of maintaining closely monitored malaria control programs and continuous extensive malaria surveillance in Peninsula Malaysia.
منابع مشابه
First Local Transmission Cluster of COVID-19 in Malaysia: Public Health Response
Introduction: Rapid public health response is important in controlling the transmission of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). In this study, we described the public health response received by the Ministry of Health of Malaysia in managing the first local transmission cluster of COVID-19 related to mass-gathering and inter-state traveling to celebrate a festival. <stron...
متن کاملFactors Affecting Primaquine Combination Treatment in Malaria Patients in Selangor, Malaysia
Introduction Primaquine is vital for the management of liver-stage Plasmodium vivax and Plasmodium ovale malaria. However, primaquine effectiveness is dependent on various factors and differs between populations. Therefore, this study was conducted to identify factors that affect the length of stay and relapse during primaquine combination treatment in malaria-infected patients in the local set...
متن کاملThe Role of Regulation in Banking: Liquidity Risk Perspective
The liquidity crisis in 2008 sparked interest in the role of regulation that could promote resilience and stability in the banking system. While the Public Interest theory suggests that legal policies could discipline banking activities, the Private Interest theory predicts otherwise, which impairs banking performance. The conflicting theories warrant comprehensive research, especially for Isla...
متن کاملEffect of Anti-Fatigue Mat on Leg Muscle Discomfort and Muscle Activity Due to Prolonged Work in Upright Position among Production Workers
Introduction: The manufacturing, service professions, and other occupations commonly require their employees to spend more than 2 hours of their workday in an upright position which can potentially cause temporary or permanent health effects. The objective of this study is to determine the effect of anti-fatigue mats on leg muscle discomfort and muscle activity due to prolonged standing. Mater...
متن کاملA model-based approach for mapping rangelands covers using Landsat TM image data
Empirical models are important tools for relating field-measured biophysical variables to remotely sensed data. Regression analysis has been a popular empirical method of linking these two types of data to estimate variables such as biomass, percent vegetation canopy cover, and bare soil. This study was conducted in a semi-arid rangeland ecosystem of Qazvin province, Iran. This paper presents t...
متن کامل