Emerging and re-emerging viruses in Malaysia, 1997–2007

Abstract

Over the past decade, a number of unique zoonotic and non-zoonotic viruses have emerged in Malaysia. Several of these viruses have resulted in significant morbidity and mortality to those affected and they have imposed a tremendous public health and economic burden on the state. Amongst the most devastating was the outbreak of Nipah virus encephalitis in 1998, which resulted in 109 deaths. The culling of more than a million pigs, identified as the amplifying host, ultimately brought the outbreak under control. A year prior to this, and subsequently again in 2000 and 2003, large outbreaks of hand-foot-and-mouth disease due to enterovirus 71, with rare cases of fatal neurological complications, were reported in young children. Three other new viruses - Tioman virus (1999), Pulau virus (1999), and Melaka virus (2006) - whose origins have all been linked to bats, have been added to the growing list of novel viruses being discovered in Malaysia. The highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza has also been detected in Malaysia with outbreaks in poultry in 2004, 2006, and 2007. Fortunately, no human infections were reported. Finally, the HIV/AIDS epidemic has seen the emergence of an HIV-1 recombinant form (CRF33_01B) in HIV-infected individuals from various risk groups, with evidence of ongoing and rapid expansion.

Comparative Pathogenesis of Epidemic and Enzootic Chikungunya Viruses in a Pregnant Rhesus Macaque Model

“…4,5 Over the past 50 years, CHIKV has expanded its geographic range into eastern Africa and central and southeastern Asia, where it has been associated with an increasing frequency and intensity of outbreaks. [4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16] Sequence analysis of the E1 gene of CHIKV isolates has indicated the presence of three distinct CHIKV clades including Asian, West African, and East/Central/South African genotypes (ECSA). [17][18][19][20][21] In West Africa, CHIKV is transmitted mainly among several Aedes spp.…”

Host specificity and niche partitioning in flea-small mammal networks in Bornean rainforests

“…Southeast Asian rainforests are hotspots of mammalian diversity (Schipper et al , 2008), rapid land cover changes and forest disturbance (Sodhi et al , 2010), as well as of emerging and re‐emerging diseases (Mackenzie et al , 2001; Jittapalapong et al , 2009; Tee et al , 2009). Ongoing human exploitation of remaining forests, altered animal communities and the increasing exposure of humans and their livestock to zoonotic diseases (Ostfeld & Holt, 2004) are some of the reasons why we should examine what we know about host–parasite associations with regard to overall patterns of species associations and distribution, as well as potential environmental processes that may influence species occurrence and interactions.…”

Characterization of the enterovirus 71 P1 polyprotein expressed inPichia pastoras a candidate vaccine

“…Several global outbreaks of EV71 infection have been reported, and active EV71 has recently spread in the Asia-Pacific region, [28][29][30][31] particularly in mainland China. [32][33][34] However, there are no available specific treatments for EV71 infections, and so Table 2A.…”