An automated malaria cells detection from thin blood smear images using deep learning

Timely and rapid diagnosis is crucial for faster and proper malaria treatment planning. Microscopic examination is the gold standard for malaria diagnosis, where hundreds of millions of blood films are examined annually. However, this method's effectiveness depends on the trained microscopist's skills. With the increasing interest in applying deep learning in malaria diagnosis, this study aims to determine the most suitable deep-learning object detection architecture and their applicability to detect and distinguish red blood cells as either malaria-infected or non-infected cells. The object detectors Yolov4, Faster R-CNN, and SSD 300 are trained with images infected by all five malaria parasites and from four stages of infection with 80/20 train and test data partition. The performance of object detectors is evaluated, and hyperparameters are optimized to select the best-performing model. The best-performing model was also assessed with an independent dataset to verify the models' ability to generalize in different domains. The results show that upon training, the Yolov4 model achieves a precision of 83%, recall of 95%, F1-score of 89%, and mean average precision of 93.87% at a threshold of 0.5. Conclusively, Yolov4 can act as an alternative in detecting the infected cells from whole thin blood smear images. Object detectors can complement a deep learning classification model in detecting infected cells since they eliminate the need to train on single-cell images and have been demonstrated to be more feasible for a different target domain.

Oral bacteria detection among children with cancer in a tertiary teaching hospital in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

This study sought to determine the prevalence of pathogenic and non-pathogenic bacteria in the oral cavities of children with cancer. There were 68 paediatric patients with cancer who were included in this study. Oral swab samples from the dorsum of tongues and mouth floors of these patients were subjected to culture, staining, and molecular methods to detect the bacteria. The overall prevalence of gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria was 79.4% (54/68; 95% CI = 68.4 - 87.3) and 25% (17/68; 95% CI = 16.2 - 36.4), respectively. Streptococcus salivarius and Streptococcus parasanguinis were the predominant pathogenic grampositive bacteria, while Neisseria subflava and Neisseria perflava were the most common pathogenic gram-negative bacteria. The results revealed that the number of bacteria isolates recovered in patients receiving cancer treatment was higher (55.9%) than those who had not received treatment (16.2%). Therefore, more isolated pathogenic bacteria were observed post-therapy (54.4%). Pathogenic organisms can have significant implications on patient health. Awareness of the types of bacteria inhabiting the oral cavity is essential to predict and prevent dental problems, and their associated systemic complications. Findings on the diversity of oral microflora can also provide a better understanding of the aetiology of oral diseases in paediatric patients receiving cancer treatment.

Spatially varying correlation between environmental conditions and human leptospirosis in Sarawak, Malaysia

The spatial distribution of environmental conditions may influence the dynamics of vectorborne diseases like leptospirosis. This study aims to investigate the global and localised relationships between leptospirosis with selected environmental variables. The association between environmental variables and the spatial density of geocoded leptospirosis cases was determined using global Poisson regression (GPR) and geographically weighted Poisson regression (GWPR). A higher prevalence of leptospirosis was detected in areas with higher water vapour pressure (exp(â): 1.12; 95% CI: 1.02 - 1.25) and annual precipitation (exp(â): 1.15; 95% CI: 1.02 - 1.31), with lower precipitation in the driest month (exp(â): 0.85; 95% CI: 0.75 - 0.96) and the wettest quarter (exp(â): 0.88; 95% CI: 0.77 - 1.00). Water vapor pressure (WVP) varied the most in the hotspot regions with a standard deviation of 0.62 (LQ: 0.15; UQ; 0.99) while the least variation was observed in annual precipitation (ANNP) with a standard deviation of 0.14 (LQ: 0.11; UQ; 0.30). The reduction in AICc value from 519.73 to 443.49 indicates that the GWPR model is able to identify the spatially varying correlation between leptospirosis and selected environmental variables. The results of the localised relationships in this study could be used to formulate spatially targeted interventions. This would be particularly useful in localities with a strong environmental or socio-demographical determinants for the transmission of leptospirosis.

Toxoplasma gondii infection among selected indigenous community in Sarawak, East Malaysia

Toxoplasma gondii is an obligate intracellular protozoan parasite that causes toxoplasmosis in humans. To date, little is known about T. gondii infection among the indigenous community, particularly in East Malaysia. This study was conducted to determine the status of T. gondii infection and to investigate associated risk factors among the indigenous community of Sarawak, East Malaysia. The sociodemographic data was obtained using a pretested questionnaire. A serological test was done to detect the presence of specific IgM and IgG antibodies against T. gondii in serum samples. A nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was used to determine acute infection among seropositive individuals. The overall seroprevalence of T. gondii infection was 50% (95% CI = 43.3 - 56.7). From this subset, 40.1%, 5.7%, and 4.2% were positive for anti-T. Gondii IgG antibodies, IgM, and both IgG and IgM, respectively. Four seropositive samples were amplified through PCR. None of the pregnant women tested positive for T. gondii infection based on the serological and PCR assays. A significant association was found between age, low monthly household income, unemployment, usage of untreated water and close contact with T. gondii seropositive cats. These results provide basic information on T. gondii infection and may be useful for policymakers to initiate prevention and control programs, especially amongst pregnant women and women of childbearing age in the indigenous community.

Tongue necrosis secondary to mucormycosis in a diabetic patient: A first case report in Malaysia

Mucormycosis is a rare fungal infection and high mortality that commonly affects patients with the weakened immune system. We present an unusual case of tongue necrosis probably due to the healthcare-associated mucormycosis (HCM) in a diabetic patient. Although cannot be proved with certainty, we surmise that intubation as a risk factor in our case. The diagnosis was confirmed by histopathological examination (HPE) of the necrotic tissue specimen. The patient was responded well to lipid complex amphotericin B (250mg) regime after surgery. Subsequent follow up revealed that no signs of recurrence. Early, recognition, diagnosis, prompt treatment and awareness among clinician are representing the most effective way of managing the disease.

Microsporidia infection among various groups of the immunocompromised patients

While information with regards to the bacterial and viral infections are commonly available among clinicians, data on parasitic infection, particularly Microsporidia among immunocompromised patient is currently lacking in Malaysia. This study was conducted to determine the prevalence of Microsporidia among a various group of immunocompromised patient. Two hundred and eighty-eight archived stool samples were examined for the presence of Microsporidia with Gram-Chromotrope Kinyoun staining method. The overall prevalence of Microsporidia was 29.2 % (84/288; 95% CI=24.2-34.5). The end-stage renal failure (ESRF) patients (32.1%) recorded the highest infection rate, followed by cancer (26.2%), human immunodeficiency virus (HIV/AIDS) (22.6%) and acute gastroenteritis (AGE) (7.1%). Meanwhile, organ transplant recipients and autoimmune disease patients recorded the lowest prevalence rate (6.0%). Other intestinal parasites were Strongyloides stercoralis, Trichuris trichiura, Ascaris lumbricoides and Cryptosporidium species. Diarrhoea was the most common symptoms among patients with microsporidiosis. The present study showed that the prevalence of Microsporidia infection was relatively high among immunocompromised patients. This finding highlighted the importance to include detection of microsporidia infection as a routine differential diagnosis in immunocompromised patients, which serves the benefit of treatment to the patients.

Soil-transmitted helminthiasis among indigenous communities in Malaysia: Is this the endless malady with no solution?

Soil-transmitted helminths (STHs) are the most common intestinal parasitic infections of medical importance in human. The infections are widely distributed throughout the tropical and subtropical countries including Malaysia particularly among disadvantaged and underprivileged communities. This study was conducted to determine the prevalence and pattern of STH infections among Temuan indigenous subgroup. A cross sectional study was conducted among five villages in Peninsular Malaysia. Faecal samples and socioeconomic data were collected from each consented participant. Faecal samples were processed using formalin-ether sedimentation and examined under microscope. Data analysis was carried out using SPSS software programme for Windows version 24. A total of 411 participants voluntarily participated in this study. The overall prevalence of STH infections was 72.7% (95% CI = 68.2 - 77%). The most common STH species recorded was Trichuris trichiura (58.4%, 95% CI = 53.5 - 63.2%) followed by Ascaris lumbricoides (45.5%, 95% CI = 40.6 - 50.5%) and hookworm (23.1%, 95% CI = 19.1 - 27.5%). Multivariate analysis demonstrated that using untreated water was a significant predictor of STH infections in these communities. Our findings demonstrated that STH infections are still prevalent and co-exist with the low SES among this subgroup. Poverty and poor sanitation are the leading factors contributing to this malady. Hence, the reassessments of the existing control measures are needed.

Serological evidence of exposure and possible Taenia solium larval infection in Orang Asli communities of Peninsular Malaysia

Orang Asli communities are known as aborigines of peninsular Malaysia who are underprivileged and also known to be carriers of many different parasitic infections. However, the possible burden of cysticercosis (caused by Taenia solium larvae or Cysticercus cellulosae) has never been explored in these communities. Objective of this study was to explore the seroprevalence of human cysticercosis among Orang Asli (subgroups: Semelai, Semai Pahang, Temuan, Orang Kuala, Temiar, Semai Perak, and Mah Meri) communities. In this preliminary study, both male and female of all age groups (1 to 68 years) were screened for T. solium larvae specific antibodies in sera employing a commercially procured IgG-ELISA kit. Sera from a total of 522 randomly chosen Orang Asli individuals were screened between July to December 2013. A total of 20 (3.8%) subjects were diagnosed positive for anti-Cysticercus antibodies (95% CI: 2.5% - 5.8%; χ²=17.8; p<0.05). The prevalence of antibody positivity ranged between 0.9% (Semelai subgroup) to 9.9% (Orang Kuala subgroup). Statistical significance was observed between the low income status of family and seropositivity for cysticercosis (p=0.041) based on univariate analysis. Present study findings indicated that exposure to T. solium larval infection might have occurred in the aborigine communities from peninsular Malaysia. Results could only suggest that cysticercosis is an under recognized health problem here. Therefore a regional public health surveillance program might help verifying further the risk factors of T. solium cysticercosis targeting a larger population in both peninsular and East Malaysia.

Toxoplasmosis in HIV and non HIV prisoners in Malaysia

This is the first Malaysian study to determine the trend and risk factors of Toxoplasma gondii infection in HIV and non-HIV among prisoners in terms of socio-demographic and behavioural characteristics, clinical presentations and haematological distributions. Blood samples from 303 participants, comprising 133 HIV positive and 170 HIV negative inmates were collected in EDTA and plain tubes. Two mls of each blood sample in plain tubes were centrifuged at 1500 rpm for 10 minutes and the sera obtained were subjected to ELISA for detection of Toxoplasma IgM and IgG antibody towards Toxoplasma antigen. Seropositive samples for Toxoplasma IgM or both Toxoplasma IgM and IgG were further tested with Novalisa Toxoplasma gondii IgG avidity test to rule out acute from latent infections. Blood in EDTA tubes were sent to Clinical Diagnostic Lab (CDL), University Malaya Medical Centre (UMMC), Kuala Lumpur for complete blood count and differential count analysis. Overall seroprevalence of anti-T. gondii antibodies was detected in 41.9% (127 out of 303) of the participants. Anti-T. gondii antibodies was detected in 63.2% (84 out of 133) of HIV positive subjects and in 25.3% (43 out of 170) of HIV negative subjects. Seroprevalence of anti-T. gondii antibodies was significantly higher in HIV positive than in HIV negative subjects (OR = 5.06; 95% CI = 3.09-8.30; p < 0.001). The rate of T. gondii seropositivity increased significantly in those aged 40 years and above, HIV positive individuals and those with history of drug abuse. White blood cells (WBCs), neutrophils and basophils counts decreased significantly in those infected with Toxoplasma. Creating awareness about T. gondii infection and follow-up of their status is recommended. Moreover, screening of T. gondii infection in HIV-infected individuals should be considered for better treatment and management, including control and prevention.

Distribution of mosquito larvae in various breeding sites in National Zoo Malaysia

Mosquitoes are principal vectors of major vector-borne diseases. They are widely found throughout urban and rural areas in Malaysia. They are responsible for various vector-borne diseases such as dengue, malaria, filariasis and encephalitis. A total of 158 mosquito larvae specimens were collected from the National Zoo, Malaysia, from 11 types of breeding habitats during the study period from end of May 2007 to July 2007. Aedes albopictus was the predominant species (35.4%), followed by Tripteroides aranoides (26.6%), Lutzia halifaxii (11.4%), Aedes alboscutellatus (10.1%), Aedes caecus (8.9%), Armigeres spp. (4.4%), Malaya genurostris (2.5%) and Culex vishnui (0.6%). It is important to have a mosquito free environment in a public place like the zoo. Routine larval surveillance should be implemented for an effective mosquito control program in order to reduce mosquito population.

Current status of parasitic infections among Pangkor Island community in Peninsular Malaysia

Limited data is available on the prevalence of parasitic infections among the island communities in Malaysia with most studies performed between 1960s-1980s. This study was conducted to determine the current prevalence status of parasitic infections among communities living in Pangkor Island Peninsular Malaysia. A total of 131 stool and 298 serum samples were collected and subjected to microscopic examination for intestinal protozoa and helminths and detection of Toxoplasma gondii antibodies using commercial ELISA kits respectively. In addition, thin and thick peripheral blood films were microscopically screened for the presence of Plasmodium spp. and microfilariae respectively. The overall prevalence of intestinal parasitic infections among Pangkor Island community was 9.9% (13/131) with T. trichiura (5.3%) being the most common intestinal parasite detected. Toxoplasmosis was reported in almost 60% of the community with the seroprevalence being significantly high among females (64.7%) compared to males (52.8%) (p=0.038). None of those examined samples were infected with intestinal sarcocystosis, malaria and filariasis. This study revealed that the prevalence of intestinal parasitic infections among Pangkor Island community has been greatly reduced compared to that reported 35 years ago. Massive improvements in the socioeconomic status, personal hygiene, water facilities and sanitation may have contributed to the low prevalence of parasitic infections in this community. Nevertheless, further studies still need to be performed to determine the possible risk factors for the high prevalence of toxoplasmosis in this community.

Spatial density of Aedes distribution in urban areas: a case study of breteau index in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVES

Dengue fever (DF) is a major vector-borne disease in Malaysia. The incidences of DF in Malaysia are caused by viruses transmitted through the bites of infected female Aedes albopictus and Ae. aegypti mosquitoes. This study aims to establish the spatial density of mosquito population or breteau index (BI) in the areas of Kuala Lumpur using geographic information system (GIS), remote sensing (RS) and spatial statistical tools.

METHOD

The 2010 weekly report data of BI obtained from the Ministry of Health (MoH) and the 2010 monthly rainfall data obtained from Malaysia Meteorological Services Department were analyzed using RS and spatial statistical tools to show the spatial correlation of dengue in each zone in Kuala Lumpur. The Kernel density was implemented to identify the better dengue hotspot localities.

RESULTS

RESULTS indicated a strong significant positive relationship between the number of localities with high BI and monthly rainfall (r = 0.64; p = 0.024). In addition, types of landuse did not appear to influence the mosquito's population (Built-up: r = 0.16, p = 0.118; Cleared area: r = - 0.107, p = 0.304; Vegetation dense: r = - 0.206, p = 0.046; Vegetation sparse: r = 0.023, p = 0.823; and Water: r = 0.246, p = 0.016).

INTERPRETATION & CONCLUSION

In the present study, several hotspots identified will be beneficial to assist the local health authorities to reduce and eradicate mosquitoes in these areas. These results will provide valuable information through the application of advanced tools in combating Aedes mosquitoes.

A case report of Hymenolepis diminuta infection in a Malaysian child

We report a case of Hymenolepis diminuta infection in a 2-year-old Malaysian child. This case was initially reported as 'normal' after the examination of proglottids shed from the anus of the child at a private laboratory on two occasions. The putative proglottids shed was then referred to the Parasite Southeast Asia Diagnostic (Para:SEAD) Laboratory, Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya for further examination. Microscopic examination confirmed that the child was infected with H. diminuta based on the characteristic eggs found in the proglottids. She was treated with a single dose praziquantel (20 mg/kg of body weight) and recovered well.

Spatial pattern of 2009 dengue distribution in Kuala Lumpur using GIS application

In the last few years in Malaysia, dengue fever has increased dramatically and has caused huge public health concerns. The present study aimed to establish a spatial distribution of dengue cases in the city of Kuala Lumpur using a combination of Geographic Information System (GIS) and spatial statistical tools. Collation of data from 1,618 dengue cases in 2009 was obtained from Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL). These data were processed and then converted into GIS format. Information on the average monthly rainfall was also used to correlate with the distribution pattern of dengue cases. To asses the spatial distribution of dengue cases, Average Nearest Neighbor (ANN) Analysis was applied together with spatial analysis with the ESRI ArcGIS V9.3 programme. Results indicated that the distribution of dengue cases in Kuala Lumpur for the year 2009 was spatially clustered with R value less than 1 (R = 0.42; z-scores = - 4.47; p < 0.001). Nevertheless, when this pattern was further analyzed according to month by each zone within Kuala Lumpur, two distinct patterns were observed which include a clustered pattern (R value < 1) between April to June and a dispersed pattern (R value > 1) between August and November. In addition, the mean monthly rainfall has not influenced the distribution pattern of the dengue cases. Implementation of control measures is more difficult for dispersed pattern compared to clustered pattern. From this study, it was found that distribution pattern of dengue cases in Kuala Lumpur in 2009 was spatially distributed (dispersed or clustered) rather than cases occurring randomly. It was proven that by using GIS and spatial statistic tools, we can determine the spatial distribution between dengue and population. Utilization of GIS tools is vital in assisting health agencies, epidemiologist, public health officer, town planner and relevant authorities in developing efficient control measures and contingency programmes to effectively combat dengue fever.

Prevalence of bronchial asthma among orang asli in peninsular malaysia

A survey was carried out to determine the prevalence of bronchial asthma and their contributing risk factors among Orang Asli subgroups living in Malaysia using IUATLD questionnaire and spirometry without being discriminatory towards age or gender. Of the 1171 distributed questionnaires, 716 (61.1%) comprising of 62.7% Semai Pahang, 51.3% Temiar, 74.2% Mah Meri, 65.6% Semai Perak, 53.6% Temuan, 53.8% Semelai, 61.1% Jakun and 67.4% Orang Kuala subgroups completed their questionnaire and were included in the data analysis. Participants comprised 549 (76.7%) children and 167 (23.3%) adults, age between 1 to 83 years old, 304 (42.5%) males and 412 (57.5%) females. The overall prevalence of bronchial asthma was 1.4% of which 1.5% was children, 1.3% adults, 1.0% male and 1.7% female, respectively. Of the 8 subgroups surveyed, 5 out of 10 confirmed asthma cases were Semai Pahang, followed by 3 cases among Mah Meri, and one case each among Temuan and Semai Perak subgroups, respectively. This study also demonstrated that the prevalence of self-reported and confirmed bronchial asthma tend to be higher among those who had close contact with pets, smoking individuals and among those who had a family history of asthma.

Intestinal parasites in various animals at a zoo in Malaysia

A survey was undertaken to investigate the prevalence of intestinal parasites from different groups of mammals housed in a zoological garden in Malaysia. A total of 197 faecal samples were collected randomly from various primates (99), hoofed mammals (70) and feline (28). It was discovered that 89.3% of feline, 54.5% of primates and 45.7% of hoofed mammals were infected with intestinal parasites. Intestinal parasites found in primates were Balantidium coli (19.2%), Cryptosporidium spp. (14.1%), hookworm (10.1%), Trichuris spp. (5.1%), Ascaris (4.0%) and Blastocystis spp. (2.0%). For hoofed mammals, hookworm had the highest prevalence (34.3%) followed by Trichuris spp. and Cryptosporidium spp. (5.7%). Meanwhile, for feline, Toxocara cati was the most prevalent (64.3%), followed by Cryptosporidium spp. (14.3%), Spirometra spp. (7.1%), and hookworm (3.6%). Animals that were infected were all asymptomatic with low parasite load. Routine monitoring of the presence of parasites in animals kept in the zoo is imperative in assisting zoo management in the formulation and implementation of preventive and control measures against the spread of infectious parasitic diseases among animals within the zoo or to humans.