Plasmodium is a blood protozoan parasite that is responsible for malaria. To date, Plasmodium falciparum has shown multi-drug resistance, particularly in Thailand, Myanmar and Malaysia. The aim of the study is to screen the plant extracts that can effectively inhibit P. falciparum 3D7, a common lab strain malaria parasite. Nine plants were collected and processed through maceration using hexane, chloroform and ethanol, resulting in 24 crude plant extracts. Of these, extracts from Artabotrys crassifolius, Pericampylus glacus and Leuconotis eugeniifolia showed promising antiplasmodial activities at IC50 of 15.32 to 39.75 μg/mL in a modified schizont maturation assay. Further studies are warranted to explore its efficacies and lead compounds of these three plant extracts for the development of antiplasmodial drugs.

Urban recreational lake acts as a source of waterborne parasites contamination, as reported in 2013 in Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia. This scenario will lead to the transmission of waterborne diseases due to exposure of water-related activities by humans. This study was conducted to reveal the occurrence of common waterborne parasites in a urban lake (i.e. Titiwangsa Lake). The lake is situated in the city of Kuala Lumpur and is known to be overcrowded with vast activities participated by both local and tourist. Results of study showed the presence of Cryptosporidium, Giardia, free-living amoeba, and helminthlike ova from the lake.

Soil-transmitted helminths (STH) is a group of parasitic nematodes, including Trichuris trichiura, Ascaris lumbricoides, Ancylostoma duodenale and Necator americanus, which can cause gastrointestinal disorders in humans. STH is prevalent among neglected communities in both developing and developed countries. This present study aims to determine the current prevalence of STH infections in Aboriginal population after mass delivering of antihelminthic drugs was proposed by WHO in 2005 and a health education learning package (HELP) was initiated in Malaysia in 2012. A total of 235 human fecal samples were collected and a pre-tested questionnaire was given to gather information about the socio-demographic of the Aborigine communities living in Kedah and Selangor, Malaysia. The samples were screened by a direct-fecal smear and confirmed by formalin-ether sedimentation methods. From human faeces, 81.7% was found to be infected with one or more STH species. T. trichiura was the most commonly detected (76.6%), followed by hookworms (26.4%) and A. lumbricoides (19.1%). Triple infections were found in 6.4% of the studied population. Univariate analysis showed that individuals with age group, male, presence of indoor toilet, family size with <7 members and bad living habits (i.e., without antihelminthic drugs) were significantly associated with STH infections. The analysis further showed that walking barefoot was the significant contributing factor to hookworm infections. The high prevalence of human STH infections is alarming. Thus, the urgency in implementing health education related behavioral practice and hygiene to reduce disease burden in these rural communities are a crucial need.