1.Could antiseptic gargling prevent COVID-19?
Mohamed, N.A. ; Ahmad Zainol Hady, A. ; Abdul Aziz, A.H. ; Isahak, I.
Tropical Biomedicine 2020;37(No.4):1141-1145
Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) has infected more than 8 million people
globally since its discovery in December 2019. For COVID-19 prevention, the World Health
Organization recommended regular handwashing with soap, cough etiquette, mask wearing
and social distancing. However, COVID-19 is rather difficult to contain because of its high
transmissibility property. Gargling is effective for reducing infection in the respiratory tract.
Most antiseptic gargles have antimicrobial properties against common respiratory pathogens.
No published study on the effectiveness of antiseptic gargling among COVID-19 patients has
been available to date. This article reviewed available literature on methods and solutions
available for gargling and their effect on respiratory tract infections.
2.Aedes albopictus in urban and forested areas of Malaysia: A study of mitochondrial sequence variation using the CO1 marker
Adilah-Amrannudin, N ; Hamsidi, M ; Ismail, N.-A ; Dom, N.C ; Ismail, R ; Ahmad, A.H ; Mastuki, M.F ; Yusoff, F.H.M, F.H.M ; Adam, N.F.M ; Camalxaman, S.N
Tropical Biomedicine 2018;35(3):639-652
This study explores the use of a long fragment of the mitochondrial cytochrome
oxidase subunit 1 (CO1) marker to elucidate the genetic diversity of Aedes albopictus sampled
from urban and forested regions in Peninsular and East Malaysia. A total of 36 samples were
collected from 5 localities from which its genetic variability was analysed. 33 distinct mtDNA
haplotypes were identified following the amplification and sequencing of the concatenated
CO1 gene. The analysed region of the CO1 gene identified substantial levels of genetic
diversity among mosquitoes in urban populations and revealed unique genealogical
relationships between local isolates as revealed in the haplotype network. This study highlights
the reliability of the long CO1 fragment to identify genetic divergence of Aedes albopictus
which can be utilized in forthcoming studies.