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Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 subtypes among Malaysian intravenous drug users

Saraswathy TS, Ng KP, Sinniah M

Southeast Asian J Trop Med Public Health, 2000 Jun;31(2):283-6.
PMID: 11127327

The HIV-1 genetic variation in 60 infected Malaysian intravenous drug users (IDU) was studied by comparison of the nucleotide sequences and their predicted amino acid sequences in the V3 loop of the external glycoprotein gp120. In this study, HIV-1 B, C and E subtypes were identified among Malaysian IDU, with HIV-1 B being the predominant subtype (91.7%). HIV-1 C and HIV-1 E were minority subtypes among Malaysian IDU. Analysis of the amino acid alignment of the C2-V3 region of the env gene suggests a genetic relationship between Thai and Malaysian B and E subtype strains. This study serves as a baseline for monitoring HIV-1 genetic diversity and spread in Malaysia.
Fulltext Echovirus serotypes circulating in Malaysia from 2002 to 2013

Suppiah J, Saraswathy TS, Amry K, Yusof A, Saat Z

Asian Pac J Trop Med, 2016 Mar;9(3):252-5.
PMID: 26972396 DOI: 10.1016/j.apjtm.2016.01.037

OBJECTIVE: To identify the circulating serotypes of human echovirus in Malaysia from 2002 to 2013.
METHODS: A total of 31 retrospective samples from non-polio acute flacid paralysis, hand-food-and-mouth disease, viral meningitis and enterovirus cases were subjected to amplification of partial VP1 gene by RT-PCR.
RESULTS: Sequencing and phylogenetic analysis of the partial sequences identified presence of human echovirus and human coxsackie viruses. It was found that echovirus 11 was the commonly circulating serotype followed by echovirus 6, echovirus 7, echovirus 3, echovirus 9, echovirus 30 and echovirus 1 in decreasing order. Additionally two types of human coxsackie virus isolates were detected which were coxsackie A24 and B3.
CONCLUSIONS: From the findings, there is a possibility that echovirus 11 is the predominant serotype among Malaysian patients with echovirus infection. However, a larger sample size will yield a more confident result to support this evidence.
Fulltext Applying interprofessional simulation to improve knowledge, attitude and practice in hospital- acquired infection control among health professionals

Saraswathy T, Nalliah S, Rosliza AM, Ramasamy S, Jalina K, Shahar HK, et al.

BMC Med Educ, 2021 Sep 09;21(1):482.
PMID: 34503488 DOI: 10.1186/s12909-021-02907-1

BACKGROUND: This study aimed at determining the effectiveness of an innovative approach using interprofessional simulation scenarios (IPSS) in improving knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) of hospital-acquired infection control (HAIC) among health professionals.
METHODS: The interventional study was conducted in a teaching hospital in Malaysia. Purposive sampling was used to recruit participants from surgical, intensive care, and other units. Thirty-six health professionals in the experimental and forty in the control group completed the study. All subjects participated in an interactive lecture and demonstrated four IPSS on HAIC i.e. (i) taking blood specimen (ii) bedsore dressing (iii) collecting sputum for acid-fast bacilli and (iv) intermittent bladder catheterization. Each team consisted of a doctor and a nurse. A self-administered questionnaire on KAP on HAIC was completed by respondents during the pre-, immediately and, post-intervention. An independent t-test was conducted to measure the significance between the experimental and control group.
RESULTS: The mean scores for KAP among the experimental group increased following the intervention. Significant differences in scores were seen between the two groups post-intervention (p
Congenital rubella syndrome: a review of laboratory data from 2002 to 2011

Saraswathy TS, Rozainanee MZ, Asshikin RN, Zainah S

Southeast Asian J Trop Med Public Health, 2013 May;44(3):429-35.
PMID: 24050074

Rubella infection in pregnant women during the first trimester of pregnancy can lead to fetal anomalies, commonly known as congenital rubella syndrome (CRS). The objective of our study was to analyze the serological test results among infants suspected of having CRS aged < or = 12 months compared with their clinical status. Between January 2002 and December 2011, 3,279 serum samples from infants aged < or = 12 months from government hospitals in Malaysia were examined for rubella specific IgM and IgG antibodies using a Axsym, automated analyzer (Abbott Laboratories). Forty-eight samples were positive for rubella specific IgM antibodies and 494 samples were positive for rubella specific IgG antibodies. These were then age stratified and their clinical history reviewed for any CRS symptoms. Fifteen of 38 rubella IgM positive infants (39.5%) aged < 3 months, had a clinical appearance compatible with CRS. However, only 1 IgM positive infant aged 3 to 6 months and one infant aged 7 to 11 months had clinical appearance compatible with CRS. The most common abnormal findings in these cases were congenital heart defects and cataracts. Forty-eight point eight percent of IgM positive cases and 53.1% of IgG positive cases, had inadequate information in the chart to determine the presence of CRS. Clinical findings and timely laboratory diagnosis to determine the presence of CRS are important in infants born with congenital defects. Physicians should also be aware of the appropriate interpretation of these findings.
Seroprevalence of cytomegalovirus infection in pregnant women and associated role in obstetric complications: a preliminary study

Saraswathy TS, Az-Ulhusna A, Asshikin RN, Suriani S, Zainah S

Southeast Asian J Trop Med Public Health, 2011 Mar;42(2):320-2.
PMID: 21710852

The objective of this study was to determine the seroprevalence of cytomegalovirus (CMV) infections through antenatal screening data and the association of this virus with obstetric complications. Serum samples from 125 apparently healthy pregnant women sent for antenatal screening from various hospitals in Malaysia between January 2007 and December 2008, were examined for CMV specific IgM and IgG antibodies using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay method. Of the 125 pregnant women tested, anti-CMV IgG antibody was found in 105 (84%) of the cases and anti-CMV IgM in 9 cases (7.2%). Both CMV IgM and IgG were also found in another 37 women whose serum samples were sent for investigation of various obstetric complications: 17 cases of spontaneous abortions, 15 cases of fetal anomalies detected during ultrasound examination, 1 case of incomplete abortion, 3 cases with premature delivery of infant with congenital anomalies and 1 case of infertility. Our preliminary data which only represented a small study group has shown the prevalence of CMV infection among the local population and the association of CMV in obstetric complications.
Fulltext Impact of a measles elimination strategy on measles incidence in Malaysia

Saraswathy TS, Zahrin HN, Norhashmimi H, Az-Ulhusna A, Zainah S, Rohani J

Southeast Asian J Trop Med Public Health, 2009 Jul;40(4):742-7.
PMID: 19842408

In Malaysia, the two dose measles - mumps - rubella (MMR) vaccine was introduced in the Expanded Program on Immunization in 2002. The Ministry of Health then initiated a measles elimination strategy which included enhanced case-based surveillance with laboratory testing of all suspected cases. The objective of our study was to analyse national measles laboratory data from 2004 to 2008 to study the impact of the nationwide strategy on measles case incidence. Blood samples collected from suspected measles cases during the acute stage of the illness were investigated for measles specific IgM. The estimated incidence of measles ranged from 22.3 cases (in 2004) to 2.27 cases (in 2006) per 100,000 population. During this time, the measles vaccination coverage was above 85%. Laboratory confirmed measles cases dropped from 42.2% in 2004, when sporadic outbreaks were reported, to 3.9% in 2007. Screening for measles IgG levels in 2008 showed that 82.8% of those > 7 years old had adequate immunity. The measles control strategy appears to have been successful in reducing the incidence of measles. Continuing high vaccination coverage rates and ongoing measles surveillance are necessary to achieve our goal of measles elimination.
The value of potency testing of poliomyelitis and measles vaccines as an integral part of cold chain surveillance

Saraswathy TS, Sinniah M, Lee WS, Lee PC

Southeast Asian J Trop Med Public Health, 1993 Jun;24(2):265-8.
PMID: 8266228

The Virology Division in the Institute for Medical Research, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia performs potency tests on oral polio vaccines and live attenuated measles vaccines. Since these potency tests were introduced in 1981 a total of 752 tests have been performed on vaccine samples from peripheral immunization centers. Of 165 representative vaccine samples sent for potency evaluation after a cold chain breakdown 154 (87%) passed minimum potency requirements recommended for immunization of infants. In the absence of potency evaluation, those vaccines exposed to temperatures higher than the recommended storage range would be discarded, perhaps resulting in unnecessary wastage and economic loss. Results of the vaccine potency evaluation has enabled health authorities to indirectly monitor cold chain efficiency and ensure the high quality of viral vaccines used in our childhood immunization program.
Fulltext Monitoring of the h275y mutation in pandemic influenza A(H1N1) 2009 strains isolated in Malaysia

Suppiah J, Yusof MA, Othman KA, Saraswathy TS, Thayan R, Kasim FM, et al.

Southeast Asian J Trop Med Public Health, 2011 Jan;42(1):100-4.
PMID: 21323171

The 2009 pandemic influenza A(H1N1) infection in Malaysia was first reported in May 2009 and oseltamivir was advocated for confirmed cases in postexposure prophylaxis. However, there are cases of oseltamivir-resistance reported among H1N1-positive patients in other countries. Resistance is due to substitution of histidine by tyrosine at residue 275 (H275Y) of neuraminidase (NA). In this study, we have employed Sanger sequencing method to investigate the occurrence of mutations in NA segments of 67 pandemic 2009 A(H1N1) viral isolates from Malaysian patients that could lead to probable oseltamivir resistance. The sequencing analysis did not yield mutation at residue 275 for all 67 isolates indicating that our viral isolates belong to the wild type and do not confer resistance to oseltamivir.
Molecular typing of dengue viruses circulating on the East Coast of Peninsular Malaysia from 2005 to 2009

Vinomarlini G, Rogayah T, Saraswathy TS, Thayan R, Apandi M, Fauziah MK, et al.

Southeast Asian J Trop Med Public Health, 2011 Jan;42(1):94-9.
PMID: 21323170

From 2005 to 2009, the Institute for Medical Research (IMR), Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia received 488 serum and blood samples from hospitalized patients on the East Coast of Peninsular Malaysia, suspected of having dengue infection. In this study we determined the prevailing dengue serotypes using a real time polymerase chain reaction assay (RT-PCR). All 4 dengue virus serotypes were found circulating during the study period; however the predominant serotype varied. In 2005 and 2006, the predominant serotypes circulating were DENV-1 and DENV-3, in 2007, DENV-1 and DENV-2 were predominant, and in 2008 and 2009, DENV-3 was the predominant serotype.
Fulltext Acute flaccid paralysis surveillance: looking beyond the global poliomyelitis eradication initiative

Saraswathy TS, Zahrin HN, Apandi MY, Kurup D, Rohani J, Zainah S, et al.

Southeast Asian J Trop Med Public Health, 2008 Nov;39(6):1033-9.
PMID: 19062691

In 1992 surveillance of acute flaccid paralysis (AFP) cases was introduced in Malaysia along with the establishment of a national referral laboratory at the Institute for Medical Research. The objective of this study was to determine the incidence, viral etiology and clinical picture of AFP cases below 15 years of age, reported from 2002 to 2007. Six hundred seventy-eight of 688 reported cases were confirmed as AFP by expert review. The clinical presentation of acute flaccid paralysis in these cases was diverse, the most commonly reported being Guillian-Barre syndrome (32.3%). Sixty-nine viruses were isolated in this study. They were Sabin poliovirus (25), Echovirus (22), Cocksackie B (11), EV71 (5), Cocksackie A (1), and untypable (5). Malaysia has been confirmed as free from wild polio since the surveillance was established.
Fulltext Laboratory acute flaccid paralysis surveillance in Malaysia: a decade of commitment to the WHO global polio eradication initiative

Saraswathy TS, Khairullah NS, Sinniah M, Fauziah MK, Apandi MY, Shamsuddin M

Southeast Asian J Trop Med Public Health, 2004 Jun;35(2):421-4.
PMID: 15691149

The Institute for Medical Research, Malaysia, was designated the National Reference Laboratory for Poliomyelitis Eradication (NRLPE) in 1992. Since then, our Polio Laboratory has collaborated actively with the Disease Control Division, Ministry of Health (MOH), Malaysia and WHO towards achieving polio eradication. Since 1992, the NRLPE has investigated 1,063 stool specimens from 641 acute flaccidparalysis (AFP) cases. One hundred and one enteroviruses were isolated from these specimens. Positive cell cultures were confirmed by microneutralization assay using standard WHO antisera. All enterovirus isolates were sent to the Victorian Infectious Disease Reference Laboratory in Melbourne, Australia, for further identification and poliovirus intratypic differentiation. Thirty-one out of these 101 virus isolates (30%) were polioviruses (PV) and the remaining 70 (70%) were non-polio enteroviruses (NPEV) which included coxsackie B viruses, echoviruses and enterovirus 71. Three of the poliovirus isolates were wild-type polioviruses isolated in 1992 which were the last wild-type polioviruses isolated in Malaysia. The rest were vaccine-related Sabin-like strains. Monthly reports of the virological investigation of AFP cases are sent to WHO and to the MOH, AFP control committee. The NRLPE continues to play an integral role in AFP surveillance and is committed to the WHO's goal of global polio eradication by the year 2005.
Fulltext Poliomyelitis and measles serosurvey in northern Malaysia

Saraswathy TS, Sinniah M, Lee WS, Lye MS, Choo KE, Jusoh H

Southeast Asian J Trop Med Public Health, 1994 Sep;25(3):565-8.
PMID: 7777927

In 1990 the Institute for Medical Research carried out a serosurvey in the state of Kelantan to study the age stratified immune prevalence rates for measles and poliomyelitis. Our findings indicate that 981 out of 1,097 (89%) of the population screened had measles antibodies and more than 90% (366 out of 400) had antibodies to all three serotypes of poliovirus. The susceptible group for measles was infants below one year of age, of whom 53.3% (8/15) did not have measles antibody. Of 400 subjects, 125 (31.3%) who were either incompletely vaccinated or had not been vaccinated against poliomyelitis, had polio neutralizing antibodies to all three poliovirus serotypes, suggesting herd immunity in the population. No high risk age group could be identified for poliomyelitis.
HIV-1 variants in South and South-East Asia

Tsuchie H, Saraswathy TS, Sinniah M, Vijayamalar B, Maniar JK, Monzon OT, et al.

Int J STD AIDS, 1995 Mar-Apr;6(2):117-20.
PMID: 7779924 DOI: 10.1177/095646249500600211

HIV spread in South and South-East Asia is most alarming, and genetic variability of HIV-1 is an important consideration in vaccine development. In this study, we examined the third variable (V3) region of env gene of HIV-1 variants prevalent in Thailand, Malaysia, India, and the Philippines. By phylogenetic tree analyses, an HIV-1 variant from an injecting drug user (IDU) in Thailand belonged to subtype B, and HIV-1 variants from 2 IDUs in Malaysia were classified into 2 subtypes, B and E. One HIV-1 variant from a male homosexual in the Philippines belonged to subtype B. Out of 8 HIV-1 variants from sexually transmitted disease patients in India, 7 belonged to subtype C, and one to subtype A. Although the total number of individuals examined in this study was limited, 4 HIV-1 subtypes were found in South and South-East Asia and large international movements of HIV-1-infected individuals in this region could induce global dissemination of these HIV-1 variants.
HIV type 1 subtypes in Malaysia include B, C, and E

Brown TM, Robbins KE, Sinniah M, Saraswathy TS, Lee V, Hooi LS, et al.

AIDS Res Hum Retroviruses, 1996 Nov 20;12(17):1655-7.
PMID: 8947304
Seasonal influenza virus strains circulating in Malaysia from 2005 to 2009

Saat Z, Abdul Rashid TR, Yusof MA, Kassim FM, Thayan R, Kuen LS, et al.

Southeast Asian J Trop Med Public Health, 2010 Nov;41(6):1368-73.
PMID: 21329312

From 2005 to 2009, the Institute for Medical Research (IMR), Kuala Lumpur received a total of 7,117 respiratory specimens from patients with influenza-like illness (ILI) for influenza screening. Seasonal influenza virus was isolated from 17.3% of patients with ILI in 2005, 31.6% in 2006, 12.8% in 2007, 10.2% in 2008 and 13.5% in 2009. There were one or more influenza A and B virus strains circulating in Malaysia throughout the year, with distinctly a peak in May to August. The predominant circulating strains of seasonal influenza A were A/California/7/2004-like (H3N2) in 2005, A/New Caledonia/20/99-like (H1N1) in 2006, A/ Brisbane/10/2007-like (H3N2) in 2007 and 2008, and A/Perth/16/2009-like (H3N2) virus in 2009. The predominant circulating strains of influenza B were B/Hong Kong/330/2001-like in 2005, B/Malaysia/2506/2004-like in 2006, B/Florida/4/2006-like in 2007 and 2008, and B/Brisbane/60/2008-like in 2009.

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