Prevalence and risk factors of fasciolosis in a bovine population from farms in Taiping, Malaysia.

Fasciolosis is a zoonotic disease, considered an emerging neglected tropical disease threatening ruminant productivity and causing economic losses. Controlling fasciolosis is challenging due to the complex life cycle of Fasciola, which involves snail intermediate hosts. The high rainfall status in Taiping makes it an optimal region for snail abundance, which increases the opportunity to complete Fasciola's life cycle. Previous studies showed that liver condemnation caused by fasciolosis was highly prevalent in the Taiping abattoir compared to other investigated main abattoirs of Peninsular Malaysia. Therefore, the present study determined the prevalence of bovine fasciolosis and risk factors in farms from Larut and Matang (Taiping), Malaysia. Sampling was carried out from February until August 2020. In this cross-sectional study, a total of 371 fecal samples from bovines (dairy cattle, beef cattle, buffalo) were examined from 23 farms selected based on location, farmer consent, and history of anthelmintic usage. Animal's intrinsic and farm management details were recorded, and interview sessions were conducted with farmers to collect information on the potential risk factors. Individual fecal samples were examined for the presence of Fasciola egg using Flukefinder® sedimentation. There was moderate prevalence of bovine fasciolosis in Taiping (36.9%, n = 137/371). Significant risk factors (p < 0.05) were observed, which include buffalo group (OR = 9.5, 95% CI: 9.44-9.55), age of >3 years (OR = 5.5, 95% CI: 5.43-5.57), thinner animals with body condition score of 1 to 4 (OR = 1.2-14.9, 95% CI: 1.09-15.08), and larger grazing area (OR = 1.3, 95% CI: 1.30-1.31). Additional risk factors include the presence of more than one ruminant species in the same farm (OR = 2.0-2.1, 95% CI: 2.00-2.22), extensive housing system (OR = 4.0, 95% CI: 3.77-4.23), farm age (OR = 1.2, 95% CI: 1.20-1.21), and also co-infection with Paramphistomes (OR = 1.4, 95% CI: 1.10-1.71). The present study underscores the importance of local bovine fasciolosis epidemiology, which could be used to conduct future veterinary and public health programmes to inform effective parasitic management aimed at reducing the prevalence of fasciolosis.

A 'one stone, two birds' approach with mesenchymal stem cells for acute respiratory distress syndrome and Type II diabetes mellitus.

This review explores the intricate relationship between acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and Type II diabetes mellitus (T2DM). It covers ARDS epidemiology, etiology and pathophysiology, along with current treatment trends and challenges. The lipopolysaccharides (LPS) role in ARDS and its association between non-communicable diseases and COVID-19 are discussed. The review highlights the therapeutic potential of human umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cells (hUC-MSCs) for ARDS and T2DM, emphasizing their immunomodulatory effects. This review also underlines how T2DM exacerbates ARDS pathophysiology and discusses the potential of hUC-MSCs in modulating immune responses. In conclusion, the review highlights the multidisciplinary approach to managing ARDS and T2DM, focusing on inflammation, oxidative stress and potential therapy of hUC-MSCs in the future.

Preliminary detection of mites and coccidia with their zoonotic potential in meat-farmed rabbits in three districts in Selangor, Malaysia.

Mites infestation and gastrointestinal parasites including coccidia are common problems reported in pets, petting farms and farmed practices. Sarcoptes sp. and Cheyletiella sp. could be a potential zoonosis from rabbits to human. Detection of mites and coccidia with their zoonotic potential in meat-farmed rabbits from three (3) commercial farms in Selangor were investigated. Tape impression, fur pluck, skin scraping and ear swab tests were used for mites detection and faecal samples was used for coccidia examination by using McMaster's technique and the identification of Eimeria spp. was further analysed by sporulation technique. The overall prevalence of mites and Eimeria spp. (oocysts) in rabbits were 51.85% ± 0.38 (standard deviation; S.D.) and 76.47% ± 0.42 respectively. Sarcoptes scabiei was the most frequent mite found (25.92% ± 0.44), followed by Cheyletiella parasitovorax and Psoroptes cuniculi. Nine Eimeria spp. were identified and the oocysts of E. perforans shows the highest prevalence (64.71% ± 3.97) followed by E. exigua, E. coecicola, E. magna, E. flavescens, E. irresidua, E. intestinalis, E. media and E. stiedai. There was a significant difference (p = 0.013) where large-scale farm has a higher prevalence of coccidia than small scale farms apparently due to the excessive stocking density as coccidia are easily transmitted among rabbits through ingestion of sporulated oocysts. In conclusion, mites and coccidia are commonly present in the commercial rabbit farms, thus control and preventive measures should be executed to reduce the incidence of parasites. The zoonotic mites Sarcoptes scabiei and Cheyletiella parasitovorax detected in this study could be regarded as a public health concern especially when handling the rabbit.