Displaying publications 1 - 20 of 79 in total

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  1. An outbreak of Hongkong influenza in a youth camp in West Malaysia
    Tan DS, Dhillon GS, Omar M, Eapen JS
    Med J Malaya, 1971 Jun;25(4):263-8.
    PMID: 4261297
    Matched MeSH terms: Influenza, Human/epidemiology*
  2. Asian influenza in the Army in Malaya in 1957
    VANREENEN RM, ELISBERG BL, WEBB PA, TRAUB RG, TRAUB R
    J R Army Med Corps, 1960 Jan;106:12-21.
    PMID: 13841274
    Matched MeSH terms: Influenza, Human/epidemiology*
  3. Fulltext Breastfeeding--anti-viral potential and relevance to the influenza virus pandemic
    Prameela KK
    Med J Malaysia, 2011 Jun;66(2):166-9; quiz 170.
    PMID: 22106709
    Essential nutritive and immunological ingredients abundantly present in breastmilk make it the choice infant nutrition. The uniqueness of mother's milk, in contrast to most therapeutics and immunizations, lies in its potential to adapt itself to the requirements of the infant so that timely immune defenses are tapped from its constituents by immune regulation, modulation and immune acceleration to stimulate novel substances; these render it pertinent as defense when faced with challenging organisms. While it is appreciated that immunity can be transferred from mother to infant through breastmilk following maternal influenza vaccination, the immense benefits conferred by breastfeeding per se during influenza pandemics may not be fully valued. This is substantiated by debates and ambiguities for continued breastfeeding in the face of maternal influenza infections. This article emphasises the utmost importance of breastfeeding in viral pandemics in the light of the changing immunological strategies used by viruses at different times and the urgent need for such opportune defenses. The prolific interaction of its constituents is frequently understated as enormous advantages to the suckling infant.
    Matched MeSH terms: Influenza, Human/epidemiology
  4. Fulltext Outbreak of influenza amongst residential school students in Malaysia
    Ayob A, Selviendran N, Hampson AW, Barr IG, Kumarasamy V, Chua KB
    Med J Malaysia, 2006 Jun;61(2):168-72.
    PMID: 16898307 MyJurnal
    In the months of July and August 2003, an outbreak of acute respiratory illness caused by influenza A virus occurred among students in seven residential schools situated in the northern part (Perak) of Peninsular Malaysia. Out of 4989 students, aged 13 to 18 years (mean = 15.9), 1419 (28%) were effected by influenza-like illness. All patients were treated as outpatients except for 36 students who required admission for high fever, severe coughing and shortness of breath. Abnormal chest X-ray findings were noted for those that required inpatient management. Influenza A virus was isolated from 37 sputum specimens, 20 throat swabs and three nasal swab specimens from a total of 278 clinical samples obtained from 180 patients. Isolates from each of the outbreaks were sent to WHO Collaborating Centre for Reference and Research on Influenza, Melbourne, Australia for antigenic and genetic analysis. One school outbreak was due to influenza A (H1N1), A/New Caledonia/20/99-like virus while the other six school outbreaks were due to influenza A (H3N2) viruses which were A/Fujian/411/2002-like).
    Matched MeSH terms: Influenza, Human/epidemiology*
  5. An outbreak of influenza due to type B virus in a residential boys' school in Malaya
    GORDON SMITH CE, THOMSON WG
    Med J Malaya, 1956 Jun;10(4):332-7.
    PMID: 13399536
    Matched MeSH terms: Influenza, Human/epidemiology*
  6. Seasonal influenza activity based on laboratory surveillance in Malaysia, 2011-2016
    Sam IC, Noraini W, Sandhu SS, Norizah I, Selvanesan S, Thayan R, et al.
    J Med Virol, 2019 03;91(3):498-502.
    PMID: 30199092 DOI: 10.1002/jmv.25313
    Influenza seasonality in equatorial countries is little understood. Seasonal and alert influenza thresholds were determined for Malaysia, using laboratory-based data obtained from the Malaysia Influenza Surveillance System and a major teaching hospital, from 2011 to 2016. Influenza was present year-round, with no clear annual seasons. Variable periods of higher transmission occurred inconsistently, in November to December, January to March, July to September, or a combination of these. These coincide with seasons in the nearby southeast Asian countries or winter seasons of the northern and southern hemispheres. Changes in the predominant circulating influenza type were only sometimes associated with increased transmission. The data can provide public health interventions such as vaccines.
    Matched MeSH terms: Influenza, Human/epidemiology*
  7. Fulltext Modelling monthly influenza cases in Malaysia
    Norrulashikin MA, Yusof F, Hanafiah NHM, Norrulashikin SM
    PLoS One, 2021;16(7):e0254137.
    PMID: 34288925 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0254137
    The increasing trend in the number new cases of influenza every year as reported by WHO is concerning, especially in Malaysia. To date, there is no local research under healthcare sector that implements the time series forecasting methods to predict future disease outbreak in Malaysia, specifically influenza. Addressing the problem could increase awareness of the disease and could help healthcare workers to be more prepared in preventing the widespread of the disease. This paper intends to perform a hybrid ARIMA-SVR approach in forecasting monthly influenza cases in Malaysia. Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average (ARIMA) model (using Box-Jenkins method) and Support Vector Regression (SVR) model were used to capture the linear and nonlinear components in the monthly influenza cases, respectively. It was forecasted that the performance of the hybrid model would improve. The data from World Health Organization (WHO) websites consisting of weekly Influenza Serology A cases in Malaysia from the year 2006 until 2019 have been used for this study. The data were recategorized into monthly data. The findings of the study showed that the monthly influenza cases could be efficiently forecasted using three comparator models as all models outperformed the benchmark model (Naïve model). However, SVR with linear kernel produced the lowest values of RMSE and MAE for the test dataset suggesting the best performance out of the other comparators. This suggested that SVR has the potential to produce more consistent results in forecasting future values when compared with ARIMA and the ARIMA-SVR hybrid model.
    Matched MeSH terms: Influenza, Human/epidemiology*
  8. Fulltext The Relationship Between the Global Burden of Influenza From 2017 to 2019 and COVID-19: Descriptive Epidemiological Assessment
    Baral SD, Rucinski KB, Twahirwa Rwema JO, Rao A, Prata Menezes N, Diouf D, et al.
    JMIR Public Health Surveill, 2021 Mar 02;7(3):e24696.
    PMID: 33522974 DOI: 10.2196/24696
    BACKGROUND: SARS-CoV-2 and influenza are lipid-enveloped viruses with differential morbidity and mortality but shared modes of transmission.

    OBJECTIVE: With a descriptive epidemiological framing, we assessed whether recent historical patterns of regional influenza burden are reflected in the observed heterogeneity in COVID-19 cases across regions of the world.

    METHODS: Weekly surveillance data reported by the World Health Organization from January 2017 to December 2019 for influenza and from January 1, 2020 through October 31, 2020, for COVID-19 were used to assess seasonal and temporal trends for influenza and COVID-19 cases across the seven World Bank regions.

    RESULTS: In regions with more pronounced influenza seasonality, COVID-19 epidemics have largely followed trends similar to those seen for influenza from 2017 to 2019. COVID-19 epidemics in countries across Europe, Central Asia, and North America have been marked by a first peak during the spring, followed by significant reductions in COVID-19 cases in the summer months and a second wave in the fall. In Latin America and the Caribbean, COVID-19 epidemics in several countries peaked in the summer, corresponding to months with the highest influenza activity in the region. Countries from regions with less pronounced influenza activity, including South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa, showed more heterogeneity in COVID-19 epidemics seen to date. However, similarities in COVID-19 and influenza trends were evident within select countries irrespective of region.

    CONCLUSIONS: Ecological consistency in COVID-19 trends seen to date with influenza trends suggests the potential for shared individual, structural, and environmental determinants of transmission. Using a descriptive epidemiological framework to assess shared regional trends for rapidly emerging respiratory pathogens with better studied respiratory infections may provide further insights into the differential impacts of nonpharmacologic interventions and intersections with environmental conditions. Ultimately, forecasting trends and informing interventions for novel respiratory pathogens like COVID-19 should leverage epidemiologic patterns in the relative burden of past respiratory pathogens as prior information.

    Matched MeSH terms: Influenza, Human/epidemiology*
  9. Neurologic manifestations and complications of pandemic influenza A H1N1 in Malaysian children: what have we learnt from the ordeal?
    Muhammad Ismail HI, Teh CM, Lee YL, National Paediatric H1N1 Study Group
    Brain Dev, 2015 Jan;37(1):120-9.
    PMID: 24746706 DOI: 10.1016/j.braindev.2014.03.008
    In 2009, pandemic influenza A H1N1 emerged in Mexico and subsequently spread worldwide. In Malaysia, there were more than a thousand of confirmed cases among children. The general clinical characteristics of these children have been well-published. However, the description of neurologic complications is scarce.
    Matched MeSH terms: Influenza, Human/epidemiology
  10. [Analysis of genetic features of influenza B virus in Hunan province from 2007 to 2010]
    Liu YZ, Zhao X, Huang YW, Chen Z, Li FC, Gao LD, et al.
    Zhonghua Yu Fang Yi Xue Za Zhi, 2012 Mar;46(3):258-63.
    PMID: 22800599
    To investigate the gene variations of influenza B virus isolated in Hunan province from 2007 to 2010.
    Matched MeSH terms: Influenza, Human/epidemiology
  11. Fulltext Influenza A (H1N1) 2009 pandemic virus: learning from the first wave, preparing for the second
    Lee CK
    Med J Malaysia, 2010 Mar;65(1):1-2.
    PMID: 21265237
    In a short period of two months, the novel influenza A/H1N1 virus has circumnavigated the entire planet leaving behind in its wake approximately 3000 reported deaths worldwide. Fortunately, in many areas around the world, September 2009 brought a lull in the number of new H1N1 infections. This brought welcomed relief in many countries that had earlier experienced high respiratory disease activity in their communities. However, based on previous influenza pandemics, this reprieve may well be short-lived. As the Northern hemisphere approaches its winter months, many experts are now predicting a second wave of influenza A/H1N1 infections. This prediction maybe well placed as all 3 influenza pandemics in the last century reported second or even subsequent waves of new infections, all of which appeared to be more severe than the primary event (ref). The timing of these second waves have varied from 6 months to 3 years and invariably seemed to be linked to the winter months. It is unclear precisely what changes caused the increased severity seen during the second waves; one possibility is the progressive adaptation of the novel influenza virus to its new human host . Molecular analysis, for example, suggests that the 1918 Spanish influenza virus that emerged during the second wave had undergone changes in the hemagglutinin binding site that increased the binding specificity for human receptors. This is thought to have increased the replicative capacity and hence, the pathogenicity of the virus. It is also evident that as the H1N1 2009 pandemic virus continues to spread, opportunities for adaptation that increases virulence will also increase. Nonetheless, the changes needed for such adaptation and for increased virulence are unpredictable and by no means inevitable
    Matched MeSH terms: Influenza, Human/epidemiology*
  12. 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.
    Matched MeSH terms: Influenza, Human/epidemiology
  13. Fulltext Pandemic influenza A (H1N1) 2009 in Malaysia--the next phase
    Sam IC, Abu Bakar S
    Med J Malaysia, 2009 Jun;64(2):105-7.
    PMID: 20058566
    In recent years, zoonotic RNA viruses such as Nipah, SARS coronavirus, avian influenza (H5N1) and Chikungunya have emerged with global impact. The latest has now been designated by World Health Organization (WHO) as pandemic (H1N1) 2009 virus. It was first reported as an outbreak in Mexico in April, and has now caused the first influenza pandemic since 1968. By July 11, 2009, there were 105,304 confirmed cases and 463 deaths in 143 countries, including 627 cases in Malaysia1 . The rapid spread of the disease has been matched by the speed of dissemination of information and protocols, co-ordinated by WHO. The experiences of SARS and H5N1 have been enormously beneficial in preparing the world for a pandemic.
    Matched MeSH terms: Influenza, Human/epidemiology*
  14. Introduction: Avian influenza: from basic biology to pandemic planning
    Loh LC, Hui DS, Beasley R
    Respirology, 2008 Mar;13 Suppl 1:S1.
    PMID: 18366520 DOI: 10.1111/j.1440-1843.2008.01245.x
    Matched MeSH terms: Influenza, Human/epidemiology*
  15. Influenza as an issue on the agenda of health care workers: what can we do? What do we need?
    Vaccine, 2006 Nov 10;24(44-46):6791-2.
    PMID: 17167887
    ESWI recommends that the 25 European Union nations strive to vaccinate one-third of their collective population every year by 2010. This translates into an annual vaccine usage of 150 million doses for a population of 455 million. However, the current vaccine usage in Europe is 79 million doses, meaning that only 40% of ESWI's recommended target population is being vaccinated in the EU-25. Indeed, the EU's current risk groups equal about 28% of its population, but it is estimated that less than 62% are being vaccinated with the current vaccine supply--the equivalent of 17% of the total population. Clearly, as ESWI noted in its concluding position paper at the Malta conference, "a large proportion of those traditionally assumed to be at most risk from influenza are not being vaccinated." How to change this and minimize the consequences of a pandemic? "It's very interesting how the arithmetic works, given the goal of immunizing 75 percent of Europe's high-risk group, " said Dr K.Nichol of the University of Minnesota Medical Center who chaired the session. "If you go from a trivalent vaccine to a monovalent one, then you triple the number of doses you can manufacture. Thus, you could produce enough doses for the entire population of the EU." However, there is no coordinated approach in Europe, meaning such an optimistic scenario is unlikely in the medium-term. For the time being, emphasis must be on raising public awareness and raising vaccination rates at the local level, starting with health care workers themselves. Here the role and attitude of health policy officials and--critically--health care workers are crucial. These front-line policy and healthcare professionals constitute both the problem and the solution to a more effective influenza vaccine effort in Europe: they know first-hand the institutional obstacles blocking progress--i.e., lack of resources, poorly focused public information campaigns, etc.--but their own work practices and attitudes can be misdirected, too. To identify the issues and help the participants produce a set of recommendations, ESWI brought in Penny Lawson from to facilitate Dr.K. Nichol to steer this session's workshop debate. The participants were a diverse group of 35 health care workers from Australia, Finland, France, Germany, Malaysia, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden and the UK.
    Matched MeSH terms: Influenza, Human/epidemiology
  16. [The 2006/'07 influenza season in the Netherlands and the vaccine composition for the 2007/'08 season]
    de Jong JC, Rimmelzwaan GF, Donker GA, Meijer A, Fouchier RA, Osterhaus AD
    Ned Tijdschr Geneeskd, 2007 Sep 29;151(39):2158-65.
    PMID: 17957994
    The influenza epidemic of 2006/'07 began late in the season, like the two previous influenza epidemics. In week 8 a peak of modest height was reached. As usual, the causal strains were mainly A/H3N2 viruses and to a lesser extent A/H1N1 and B viruses. A new A/H1N1 virus variant has emerged, an event that on average takes place only every 10 years. However, almost all A/H1N1 virus isolates belonged to the old variant and were similar to the vaccine virus. The A/H3N2 virus isolates appeared to deviate from the vaccine strain, but after antigenic cartographic analysis and correction for low avidity they proved also closely related to the vaccine strain. The few type B virus isolates belonged to the B/Yamagata/16/88 lineage, whereas the used B vaccine virus had been chosen from the B/Victoria/2/87 lineage. The vaccine therefore will have provided almost optimal protection against the circulating influenza A/H1N1 and A/H3N2 viruses but not against the influenza B viruses. For the 2007/'08 influenza season the World Health Organization has recommended the following vaccine composition: A/Solomon Islands/3/06 (H1N1) (new), A/Wisconsin/67/05 (H3N2), and B/Malaysia/2506/04.
    Matched MeSH terms: Influenza, Human/epidemiology
  17. Outbreak news. Avian influenza--spread of the virus to new countries
    Wkly. Epidemiol. Rec., 2006 Feb 24;81(8):69-70.
    PMID: 16671220
    Matched MeSH terms: Influenza, Human/epidemiology*
  18. Fulltext Pandemic threat of avian influenza
    Chua KB
    Med J Malaysia, 2005 Oct;60(4):401-3.
    PMID: 16570698
    Matched MeSH terms: Influenza, Human/epidemiology*
  19. Knowledge, attitudes and practices on influenza a (H1N1) among Kelantanese schoolchildren
    Wan-Arfah N, Norsa'adah B, Naing NN, Zaliha I, Azriani AR, Nik-Rosmawati NH, et al.
    Southeast Asian J. Trop. Med. Public Health, 2012 Nov;43(6):1489-501.
    PMID: 23413714
    Assessment of schoolchildren's knowledge, attitudes, and practices towards influenza A (H1N1) is crucial as schools play a major role in spreading the infection. The aims of this study were to determine the level of knowledge, attitudes, and practices on influenza A (H1N1) and the factors associated with practices of preventive behavior.A cross sectional study was conducted from July until December 2010. Two public secondary schools for two districts in Kelantan, Malaysia were randomly selected. Data were collected using a self-administered questionnaire. The questionnaire consisted of five constructs: sociodemographic, risk factors of containing influenza A (H1N1) infection, knowledge, attitudes, and practices. The questionnaire had been te,sted for its construct validity and reliability. General linear regression was applied in the data analysis. A sample of 436 secondary school students were recruited in this study involved Malay students aged 16 years old. The total knowledge, attitudes and practices scores for the overall respondents were 69.4, 82.2, and 73.8%, respectively. The significant influencing factors for the practices of preventive behavior were attended talk on H1N1 and attitudes score.This study suggested that health education is important for promoting the health of adolescents and contributing to the overall health of the public so that they will take precautions against the H1N1 infection.
    Matched MeSH terms: Influenza, Human/epidemiology
  20. Fulltext Influenza vaccination guidelines and vaccine sales in southeast Asia: 2008-2011
    Gupta V, Dawood FS, Muangchana C, Lan PT, Xeuatvongsa A, Sovann L, et al.
    PLoS One, 2012;7(12):e52842.
    PMID: 23285200 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0052842
    Southeast Asia is a region with great potential for the emergence of a pandemic influenza virus. Global efforts to improve influenza surveillance in this region have documented the burden and seasonality of influenza viruses and have informed influenza prevention strategies, but little information exists about influenza vaccination guidelines and vaccine sales.
    Matched MeSH terms: Influenza, Human/epidemiology
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