1.Simulium bakalalanense, a new species of the subgenus Gomphostilbia and three new records of black flies (Diptera: Simuliidae) from Mount Murud, Sarawak, Malaysia
Zubaidah Ya’cob, Hiroyuki Takaoka, Mohd Sofian-Azirun
Tropical Biomedicine 2015;32(4):783-790
Simulium (G.) bakalalanense, is described based on male, pupa and larvae collected
in Mount Murud, Sarawak, Malaysia. S. (G.) bakalalanense sp. nov. is placed in the S. batoense
species-group and is distinguished from most of known species of the group by the pupal gill
with an inflated basal fenestra, shoe-shaped cocoon, and lack of grapnel-shaped hooklets on
the pupal abdominal segment 9. Three known species, S. (G.) terengganuense Takaoka,
Sofian-Azirun & Ya’cob from Peninsular Malaysia, S. (Simulium) alberti Takaoka from Sabah,
and S. (S.) beludense Takaoka from Sabah, are newly recorded from Sarawak.
2.The Effectiveness of A Floor Gully with Grating to Prevent the Oviposition of Aedes (Stegomyia) Aegypti (Linneaus): A Laboratory Study
Chen, Chee Dhang ; Teoh Pei Sze ; Wan-Norafikah Othman ; Mohd Sofian-Azirun ; Lee Han Lim.
Malaysian Journal of Health Sciences 2009;7(1):73-80
This study was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of a floor gully come with grating to prevent the oviposition of Aedes aegypti in the floor trap. In
order to conduct the test, two containers were placed into a mosquito cage (30 cm × 30 cm × 30 cm). Both containers were filled with declorinated seasoned tap water and covered with floor gully c/w grating and normal floor
gully, respectively. A total of 50 gravid Ae. aegypti females were then released into the cage and left for a week. All the eggs obtained from the test were
allowed to remain inside the containers for the eggs to hatch. The number of hatched larvae was counted and recorded. Five replicates were conducted
concurrently. There was a significant difference of Ae. aegypti larvae obtained between container with floor gully c/w grating and normal floor gully (p <0.05). A total of 96.41% reduction of Ae. aegypti larvae was obtained in the
container with floor gully c/w grating compared with the normal floor gully, indicating that the floor gully c/w grating used in this study was able to
prevent oviposition of Ae. aegypti in holding water.
3.Insecticide resistance development in Culex quinquefasciatus (Say), Aedes aegypti (L.) and Aedes albopictus (Skuse) larvae against malathion, permethrin and temephos.
Hidayati Hamdan ; Mohd Sofian-Azirun ; Wasi Ahmad Nazni ; Han Lim Lee
Tropical biomedicine 2005;22(1):45-52
Laboratory-bred females of Culex quinquefasciatus, Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus from the insectarium, Unit of Medical Entomology, Institute for Medical Research were used in the experiment. The late third stage of the F0 larvae which survived the high selection pressure of malathion, permethrin and temephos were reared and colonies were established from adults that emerged. Cx. quinquefasciatus larvae were subjected to selection by malathion and permethrin for 40 generations, Ae. aegypti larvae to malathion, permethrin and temephos for 32 generations and Ae. albopictus larvae were selected against malathion and permethrin for 32 generations and 20 generations against temephos. The rate of resistance development was measured by LC50 value. Cx. quinquefasciatus larvae developed higher resistance to malathion and permethrin compared to Ae. aegypti and Ae. albopictus. On the whole, permethrin resistance developed at a faster rate than malathion and temephos.
Permethrin
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Malathion
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Cancer resistance to treatment
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Aedes aegypti
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Aedes albopictus
4.Dengue vector surveillance in urban residential and settlement areas in Selangor, Malaysia.
Chee Dhang Chen ; Seleena Benjamin ; Mohd Masri Saranum ; Yee Fook Chiang ; Han Lim Lee ; Wasi Ahmad Nazni ; Mohd Sofian-Azirun
Tropical biomedicine 2005;22(1):39-43
Ovitrap surveillance was conducted in two urban residential areas (Taman Samudera Timur and Taman Samudera Selatan) and in a settlement area (Kampung Banjar), which is located 16 km from Kuala Lumpur city center, Malaysia. In Taman Samudera, dengue cases were reported monthly in 2003/2004. Thus, a study was initiated to determine the distribution and abundance of dengue vectors, Aedes aegypti and Ae. albopictus. The ovitrap surveillance indicated that Ae. aegypti and Ae. albopictus were present both indoors and outdoors. The residential sites had 73 - 79% of the ovitraps with just Ae. aegypti population and Kg. Banjar had 56% of the ovitraps with just Ae. aegypti. In the indoor and outdoor of the residential areas, together with the settlement area, the Ae. aegypti density was significantly more than Ae. albopictus (p < 0.05) by 3 - 50 folds. There was no significant difference in the larval numbers of Ae. aegypti between indoors and outdoors (p > 0.05), thus implicating that adult gravid female Ae. aegypti are present both indoors and outdoors and they do oviposit indoors and outdoors. Ae. aegypti can be incriminated as the principal dengue vector in the urban residential site, Taman Samudera and in the settlement area, Kg. Banjar.
Dengue
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legal surveillance
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Malaysia
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lower case pea
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Distributing
5.Molecular identification of blow flies recovered from human cadavers during crime scene investigations in Malaysia
Rajagopal Kavitha ; Wasi Ahmad Nazni ; Tian Chye Tan ; Han Lim Lee ; Mohd Noor Mat Isa ; Mohd Sofian Azirun
The Malaysian Journal of Pathology 2012;34(2):127-132
Forensic entomology applies knowledge about insects associated with decedent in crime scene
investigation. It is possible to calculate a minimum postmortem interval (PMI) by determining the age
and species of the oldest blow fly larvae feeding on decedent. This study was conducted in Malaysia
to identify maggot specimens collected during crime scene investigations. The usefulness of the
molecular and morphological approach in species identifications was evaluated in 10 morphologically
identifi ed blow fl y larvae sampled from 10 different crime scenes in Malaysia. The molecular
identifi cation method involved the sequencing of a total length of 2.2 kilo base pairs encompassing
the ‘barcode’ fragments of the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase I (COI), cytochrome oxidase II
(COII) and t-RNA leucine genes. Phylogenetic analyses confi rmed the presence of Chrysomya megacephala, Chrysomya rufifacies and Chrysomya nigripes. In addition, one unidentified blow fly species was found based on phylogenetic tree analysis.
6.Molecular identification of blow flies recovered from human cadavers during crime scene investigations in Malaysia.
Kavitha, Rajagopal ; Nazni, Wasi Ahmad ; Tan, Tian Chye ; Lee, Han Lim ; Isa, Mohd Noor Mat ; Azirun, Mohd Sofian
The Malaysian Journal of Pathology 2012;34(2):127-32
Forensic entomology applies knowledge about insects associated with decedent in crime scene investigation. It is possible to calculate a minimum postmortem interval (PMI) by determining the age and species of the oldest blow fly larvae feeding on decedent. This study was conducted in Malaysia to identify maggot specimens collected during crime scene investigations. The usefulness of the molecular and morphological approach in species identifications was evaluated in 10 morphologically identified blow fly larvae sampled from 10 different crime scenes in Malaysia. The molecular identification method involved the sequencing of a total length of 2.2 kilo base pairs encompassing the 'barcode' fragments of the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase I (COI), cytochrome oxidase II (COII) and t-RNA leucine genes. Phylogenetic analyses confirmed the presence of Chrysomya megacephala, Chrysomya rufifacies and Chrysomya nigripes. In addition, one unidentified blow fly species was found based on phylogenetic tree analysis.
7.First report of the signal fly, Scholastes sp. (Diptera:Platystomatidae) visiting animal carcasses in Malaysia.
Chen Chee Dhang ; Chong Chin Heo ; David McAlpine ; Hiromu Kurahashi ; Nazni Wasi Ahmad ; Abdullah Marwi Mohamad ; John Jeffery ; Lee Han Lim ; Baharudin Omar ; Mohd Sofian-Azirun
Tropical biomedicine 2008;25(3):264-6
Signal fly, Scholastes sp. (Diptera: Platystomatidae) was observed associated with animal carcasses in Malaysia. The first observation was on a monkey carcass, which was killed by using a handgun and immediately placed in a forested area in Gombak, Selangor while the second observation was on a pig that died of natural causes and whose carcass was placed in an oil palm plantation in Tanjung Sepat, Selangor. Both animal carcasses were visited by Scholastes sp. flies during the fresh decomposition period. However, the role Scholastes flies in the decomposition process remains unknown. In this paper, we report the occurrence of Scholastes sp. on animal carcasses in Malaysia for the first time.
Diptera
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Animals
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Malaysia
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Patient observation
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First
8.Comparative insect fauna succession on indoor and outdoor monkey carrions in a semi-forested area in Malaysia
Ahmad Wasi Nazni ; Lim Han Lee ; Dhang Chee Chen ; Chin Chong Heo ; AG Abdullah ; Mustaffa Wan Wan-Norjuliana ; Kian Wai Chew ; Jeffery John ; Hashim Rosli ; Azirun Mohd Sofian
Asian Pacific Journal of Tropical Biomedicine 2011;(z2):232-238
Objective: To study the occurrence of insects fauna obtained in a semi forested area in Malaysia using the carcass of the monkey Macaca fascicularis, Raffles, and to compared the wave of insect succession collected from the carcass placed outdoor and indoor. Methods:The outdoor and indoor studies were conducted at a location of 3o17’57.86”N, 101o47’00.78”E. The euthanized monkeys were placed indoor and outdor. The insect seccession visited the carcass, the envirenmental temperature and relative humidity were recorded. Results:The main insects attracted to specific stages of decomposition were mainly members of Diptera and Coleoptera. There was a delay of fly arrival by two days in indoor carcass. Nocturnal oviposition behaviour was not observed in this study. The flies left the carcass during the twilight zone as noted during a 3 days observation period in outdoor study. The dipteran species found outdoor and indoor were similar but more diverse coleopteran species was found indoor. Conclusions:Information and evidence from this study can be used to improve the estimation of the post mortem interval in forensic cases.
9.Single and co-breeding of different mosquito species in fogging-free and dengue risk areas in West Malaysia
Wan-Norafikah, O. ; Chen, C.D. ; Mohd-Amir, M.H ; Azahari, A.H. ; Zainal-Abidin, A.H ; Nazni, W.A. ; Mariam, M. ; Mohd-Shahizan, J. ; Sofian-Azirun, M.
Tropical Biomedicine 2018;35(3):826-838
Ovitrap surveillance was carried out in fifteen localities encompassing foggingfree
and dengue risk areas in West Malaysia to determine on the dispersal and prevalence of
single and co-breeding of mosquito larvae particularly Aedes. Ovitraps were sited randomly
indoors and outdoors within human settlements in all study areas. All the localities exhibited
positive ovitraps with single breeding of Ae. albopictus that ranged between 64.29% and
100.00%. These findings indicated Ae. albopictus as the predominant container-breeding
species in all study areas. The co-breeding of Ae. aegypti with Ae. albopictus larvae (34
ovitraps), Ae. albopictus with Culex quinquefasciatus larvae (32 ovitraps) as well as Cx.
quinquefasciatus with Armigeres subalbatus larvae (1 ovitrap) were also detected in certain
study localities. Interestingly, co-breeding of Ae. albopictus with Ar. subalbatus larvae as
well as Ae. albopictus with Uranotaenia sp. larvae in Malaysia is reported for the first time in
the present study. Better understanding of the co-breeding scenario involving different species
of mosquito larvae is needed to ensure the efficacy of vector control actions to be conducted.