Tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) is a viral infection of the central nervous system and is caused by tick bites, usually after travel to rural or forested areas. The disease is prevalent in Scandinavia, Western Europe, Central Europe and the former Soviet Union and East Asia including Japan. In Malaysia, so far there are no reported cases of TBE. In the present time, many illnesses have been attributed to traveling to other parts of the world. Thus it is important to carry out TBE prevalence study to determine whether the virus is present among Malaysian population. Samples (sera and CSF) from patients admitted to major MOH hospitals in Peninsular Malaysia and Sabah with a clinical diagnosis of encephalitis but is IgM negative for JE, were tested for TBEV IgM ELISA and TBEV IgG ELISA (DRG, Germany). Out of the 600 samples screened for TBEV IgG, all were non-reactive. In addition, out of the 100 samples screened for TBEV IgM, all the samples were also non-reactive. Our results indicate that currently TBE is not present in the Malaysian population. Among the reasons for this could be lack of the infection agent, absence of the suitable vector or subjects selected for the study did not fit the criteria of possible exposure to TBE infections. Hence we recommend that for any future study, the selection of subjects should include those who returned from tick-infested forested areas.
Encephalitis ; Ticks ; Tick-Borne Encephalitis Virus ; MALAYSIAN ; Immunoglobulin M measurement

The efficacy of Saireito (a herbal preparation) against autoimmune recurrent abortion was evaluated clinically and immunologically. Saireito therapy was performed with 87 women having experienced 3 or more recurrent abortions in the early stages of pregnancy (less than 12 weeks gestation), and whose antinuclear antibody (ANA) and anti-cardiolipine antibody (ACA) test results were positive. The effects of this therapy on the percentage of women in whom abortion was successfully prevented (the abortion prevention rate), and on the antibody titer were investigated. Among the 49 women who became pregnant during the study period, the abortion prevention rate was 63.3%, the percentage of ANA positive cases was 65.6%(32/49), the percentage of ACA IgG and/or IgM positive cases (as evaluated by SRL methods) was 65.5%(29/49) and the percentage of both ANA and ACA IgG and /or IgM positive cases was 75.0%(12/49). Although the titer of ANA was not significantly reduced by this therapy, the titer of ACA IgM was reduced significantly.These results suggest that Saireito exerts its efficacy by suppressing humoral immunity through its adjustment of the Th1/Th 2 cytokine balance. This therapy is expected to be effective against ACA-positive recurrent abortion by reducing the effects of ACA. Furthermore, in 2 observed child birth cases whose ACA titer were not decreased by Saireito, different effective mechanisms were speculated; for example, suppression of platelet aggregation via saireito's component herbs (ninjin and bukuryou) similar to the effect seen with low-dose aspirin therapy, or its “risui” effect via its components (bukuryou, soujyutu, takusha and chorei).
Therapeutic procedure ; Unspecified Abortion ; Antinuclear Antibody Assay ; Antibodies ; Immunoglobulin M measurement