Prevalence, potential risk factors and genetic diversity of Blastocystis in ruminant livestock animals from Penang, Malaysia

Blastocystis is a unicellular, anaerobic protist inhabiting the intestinal tract of diverse animal hosts, including human. Information regarding Blastocystis in small ruminants, namely goats and sheep, is limited globally; thus, this study was carried out to investigate the distribution and determinants of Blastocystis in ruminant livestock animals from Penang, Malaysia. Fecal samples from 127 cattle, 149 goats, and 100 sheep were examined for Blastocystis by in vitro cultivation using modified Jones' medium, while DNA barcoding was used for subtyping. Overall, 23.1% (87/376) of animals screened were positive for Blastocystis sp. The prevalence of infection was significantly higher in goats than in cattle and sheep, while the female gender, semi-intensive farming system, and the Northeast Penang Island district were identified as potential risk factors for Blastocystis infection. Blastocystis sp. ST5, ST14, and ST25 were identified in cattle; ST5, ST10, ST13, and ST14 in goats; and ST4, ST5, ST14, and ST15 in sheep. ST5 and ST14 were found to be the most abundant and widespread subtypes in the study area. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of ST4 from sheep and ST13 from goats, thus serving as an update to the host range of Blastocystis sp. ST4 and ST13. The isolation of ST4 and ST5 in this study suggests that ruminant livestock animals could serve as reservoirs of human infection.

The impact of outdoor play on children’s well-being: A scoping review

Outdoor play is a broad term that refers to a wide range of activities in a natural setting. However, modern technological advancements and gadgets such as television, computer and online games have resulted in children spending an increasing amount of time each day engaged in sedentary indoor activities rather than spending time outdoors. Many children’s social and physical health has deteriorated because of the reduction in outdoor access, which has been increasingly prevalent in recent years and may have long-term consequences. This scoping review aimed to determine what information was currently available on the impact of outdoor play on children’s wellbeing. This scoping review was conducted following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) criteria. As many as 165 citations were discovered across six databases for this scoping review, and 13 articles were eligible for inclusion. The majority of the findings showed that outdoor play positively impacts children’s social, emotional, physical, and cognitive development.