1.Molecular detection of Leptospira sp. in cattle and goats in Kelantan, Malaysia after a massive flood using multiplex polymerase chain reaction
Sabri, A.R. ; Khairani-Bejo, S. ; Zunita, Z. ; Hassan, L.
Tropical Biomedicine 2019;36(1):165-171
Flood is a potential driver in spreading waterborne diseases including leptospirosis,
which is a zoonotic disease caused by pathogenic bacteria of the genus Leptospira. In the
case of leptospirosis, cattle and goats can be incidental hosts and potential carriers of
leptospirosis. Traditionally, serology such as microscopic agglutination test (MAT) and isolation
of the organisms have been commonly used as the diagnostic approaches in diagnosing
leptospirosis. However, nowadays, various molecular techniques have been developed for
specific detection of Leptospira sp. such as, polymerase chain reaction (PCR), which is
sensitive, specific and rapid in detecting the species. This study detected Leptospira sp.
directly from the blood and urine of the animals such as, cattle, goats and sheep in Kelantan
after a massive flood by using multiplex PCR (mPCR). From the results collected in the study,
four blood samples (0.63%; 4/635) were found to be positive with Leptospira sp. and one urine
sample (3.23%; 1/31) was detected as positive with Leptospira sp. The blood and urine
samples that were detected to be positive with Leptospira sp. were collected from cattle and
goats exposed to the flood. However, no Leptospira sp. was detected from the sheep in this
study. Multiplex PCR (mPCR) was successfully used to detect the presence of Leptospira sp.
in animals. Apart from that, it is also suggested that flood has a significant role in transmitting
the disease to animals.
2.Molecular detection of Haemophilus parasuis serotypes 4, 5 or 12 and 13 in Peninsular Malaysia
Lee, C.Y. ; Ooi, P.T. ; Zunita, Z. ; Noordin, M.M.
Tropical Biomedicine 2019;36(2):482-487
Although the economic importance of Haemophilus parasuis infection causing
Glasser’s disease is prevalent throughout pig farms in Peninsular Malaysia, there is a
dearth of knowledge on its actual nature. In this study, a multiplex PCR was performed to
screen for three major predominant virulent strains of H. parasuis, which are serotypes 4,
5 or 12 and 13. A total of 175 tissues or bodily fluid samples of various parts were collected
from diseased animals from October, 2016 to February, 2018; with total of 62.9% positive
detection of H. parasuis. The highest detection was found to be in the pericardial sac
fibrin (90.9%) followed by pleural fibrin, lung, pleural fluid, tonsil, pericardial sac, peritoneal
fluid, abdominal fibrin, joint fluid, brain and pericardium. Serotype 13 was the highest
(40/110) followed by serotype 4(37/110), serotype 5(31/110) and 12 samples were nontypable
(12/110). The presence of untypable serotype also drives to further identification
of other serotypes in Malaysia.