A total of 23,322 specimens collected between 2014 and 2017, froma total of 2,592 cases, were received in Veterinary Research Institute, Ipoh (VRI) from various states in Malaysia and testedfor common bacterial, viral, and parasitic diseases in pigs. The highest occurrence of isolated bacteria from 771 samples whichtested positive were Salmonella (47.38%) and Escherichia coli (15.68%), followed by Staphylococcus (6.62%), Streptococcus (5.57%), Klebsiella pneumonia (4.88%), Pseudomona (3.38%), Acinetobacter (3.14%), Aeromonas (2.79%), Enterobacter (2.44%), one each of Bacillus and Pasteurella multocida (1.74%), Enterococcus (1.39%) and Corynebacterium (1.05%). 1.74% of each bacteria detected were Moxarella, Aspergillus, Burkholderia andChromobacterium. Positive samples tested by ELISA was Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) (9.15%), Aujezsky disease virus (ADV)(5.37%), porcine cirvo-virus-2 (PCV2) (5.09%) and porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) (4.52%). Positive amples tested by the molecular test wasPCV2 (1.62%), PRRSV (1.32%) and classical swine fever virus (CSFV) (0.4%). Serology tests were conducted on 11,305 samplesand reported positive for Brucella suis (15.32%), Brucella abortus (0.62%), Brucella melitensis (0.85%), and melioidosis (0.05%). Parasitology analyses on 99 samples. revealed presence of 10.1% coccidia and 1% each of helminths and Sarcocystis. Within the 4-year period, there were no positive samples for porcine parvovirus (PPV), Nipah virus, swine influenza virus (SIV), and bacteria of Johne’s disease and leptospirosis. Continuous assessment is required to establish a comprehensive baseline data of swine diseases in Malaysia.

The occurrence of veterinary drug residues in chicken meat originating from 320 small and medium scale chicken slaughterhouses in Peninsular Malaysia was determined. 637 chicken meat samples were examined for tetracycline (TCs), sulphonamide (SAs) and quinolone residues using a microbiological inhibition test and was further confirmed using liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (LCMS/MS). The presence of TC residues were confirmed in 10 (1.6%) samples, and 1 (0.2%)sample was confirmed in compliance to the established maximum residue limit (MRL) for residues of quinolone. A total of 6 (0.9%) samples were above the MRL for TC. The samples were from Pulau Pinang, Terengganu and Kelantan. Among those tested in compliance, the main analytes found for TC and quinolone werechlortetracyclines (CTC), enrofloxacin and mixture of chlortetracycline (CTC) and oxytetracycline (OTC). No samples were found to contain sulfonamides residues.

A survey of 95 wild rats which were captured from various locations was conducted to determine the diversity and distribution of ectoparasites and endoparasites infesting wild rat population around the city of Ipoh and Kuala Lumpur. The rodents captured were Rat tus norvegicus and post mortem was carried out immediately after capture, with skin and organs examined for parasite infection. Ectoparasites recovered were blood sucking louse (Polyplax spinulosa) and mites (Myocoptes musculinus). Endoparasites recovered were nematodes (Aspiculuris tetraptera, Trichuris sp., and two strongyles, one of which is Strongyloides sp.) And three intestinal protozoan parasites (Blastocystis sp., Trichomonas sp., and a coccidia). Low diversity of ecto- and endoparasites were observed infecting wild rat population caught in Ipoh as compared to Kuala Lumpur.

Malaysia has experienced four waves of H5N1 outbreak but no humandeaths were recorded which is in 2004, 2006, 2007 and latest outbreak in 2017 at Kelantan. The objective of this paper is tocollect, analyse and summarise the data of HPAI cases from the outbreak from 1 March to 22 June 2017. A total of 1,634 cases, 8,544 samples were received at the Registration Unit and Virology Section, Regional Veterinary Laboratory in Kota Bharu (RVLKB) for diagnosis and surveillance of H5N1 during this period. The samples received were pooled organs and intestines from post-mortem (41 cases) and cloaca swabs in tryptose phosphate buffer from surveillance (1,593 cases), which were sent to RVL, Kota Bharu and Veterinary Research Institute, Ipoh, Perak (VRI). They were processed and diagnosed using quantitative real-time reverse transcriptase PCR (RT qPCR) technique to detect and subtyping of the virus. Total positive cases for H5N1 were 53 out of 1,634 with 18 diagnostic cases and 35 surveillance cases. All positive cases during outbreak were detected from 43 locations from six districts of Kota Bharu, Bachok, Pasir Puteh, Pasir Mas, Tumpat and Tanah Merah, with 19 locations in Kota Bharu which is thehighest affected by H5N1, seven locations in Bachok, four in Pasir Putih, six in PasirMas, six in Tumpat and one in Tanah Merah. Many factors could have led to the acute spread of the virus between the districts like chicken smuggling, legal and illegal poultry trade, migration of infected wild birds and others. Understanding the source of outbreak and how it spread is important to control, eradicate and prevent the spread of the disease as it is zoonotic and infects human.

Palm kernel cake (PKC) has long been known to be an importantingredient for the formulation of animal feeds. However the recommended levels of inclusion seem to vary from one reporter to another. This factor is considered important especially when formulating feeds for nonruminant diets. The variation of its major constituents such as protein, fibre and fat contents is said to depend on the sources, oil removal technology and the efficiency of oil extraction from the kernel. For comparison,a set of compilation data of 300 local PKC samples from the past years on these basic nutritional constituents were studied.Majority of the samples analysed were from southern region of Peninsular Malaysia meant for animal feeds. Mean percentagevalues and their respective standard deviations were as follows; crude protein 16.1±1.65, crude fibre 19.3±4.22, crude ash5.9±2.48, ether extract 5.6±3.36, dry matter 91.3±2.65, and metabolisable energy 7.75 MJ/kg. The objective of the study was to observe the distribution pattern of these values compared to other surveys. From this study, the highest relative standarddeviation (RSD) reached 60% for ether extract, followed by ash 42.1%, and crude fibre 21.8%. From the variation point of view,periodical results for quality control of PKC must be initiated as an useful indicator for its accuracy of each diet formulation.

Human brucellosis, a neglected zoonosis is endemic in KajiadoCounty in both man and livestock. The Kajiado County community’s mainlivelihood is livestock-keeping which puts it at risk. The study objective was to determine the community’s knowledge and practices, and the association between the two in relation to brucellosis. Results revealed three predictors of practices the community undertook that put them at risk of contracting brucellosis. The predictors were respondent’s education status (p=0.002 [CI 0.272-0.749] OR 0.451), knowledge of importance of pre-purchaselivestock breeding soundness (p=0.007 [CI 1.207-3.356] OR 2.013), and knowledge that livestock abortions could result in human disease (p=0.027 [CI 1.070-2.974] OR 1.783). This meant that respondents without formal education were nearly half less likely to undertake practices that prevented transmission of brucellosis than those withformal education. Respondents who knew that livestock examination was important for breeding soundness were twice more likely to engage in practices that prevented brucellosis transmission than those whodid not know. Respondents who knew that livestock abortions could lead to diseases in man were nearly twice more likely to engage in practices that prevented transmission of brucellosis than those whodid not know that livestock abortions could lead to diseases in man. It was concluded that the community’s knowledge and practices that promote brucellosis were inadequate. Two key recommendationswere drawn. There was need to create awareness in the community on the risk factors and practices that contribute to occurrence of human brucellosis. There was need for using qualified animal health providers to mitigate the disease in animals.

Wild rats are known as a major reservoir and intermediate host for several pathogenic microbial species. Thus, theVeterinary Research Institute (VRI) conducted a survey to determine the presence of parasitic pathogens in local rats, such as blood protozoans, gastrointestinal parasites, as well as ectoparasites such as mites and lice. The study was conducted with the collaboration of Kuala Lumpur City Council Pest Control Unit, whereby a total of 105 wild rats were trapped at two urban areas of Kuala Lumpur; namely PasarPudu and Chow Kit. Autopsy was done on the rats to acquire the skin, organ and blood samples..The skin scrapping was performed on skin samples to identify the common species of mites and lice, while the floatationtechnique was conducted on faecal samples to identify helminth eggs. Results showed thatspecies of Tritrichomonas, Strongyloides, Nippostrongylus, Blastocystis, Rodentolepis, Coccidia, Trichuris, Capillaria and Ascarid were found in the faeces while Trypanosoma sp.was found in the blood samples taken from the animals. Taeniataeniformis was obtained from liver samples while theectoparasites found on skin were identified as Radfordia,Polyplax,Linognathus and Hoploplurasp. Control and eradication of rodent pests is crucial in combating emerging and re-emerging diseases which may be zoonotic as rodents are reservoirs to various pathogens.

A study was carried out to report the phylogenetic analysis of Brucella abortus and Brucella melitensisby using molecular techniques from samples submitted to the Regional Veterinary Laboratory, Bukit Tengah.In this study, identification and genetic characterization of Brucella isolated samples using molecular analysis based on IS711 sequence between localisolates and foreign countries accesses in GenBank was done successfully. A total of 31 samples were isolated for Brucella species and then were amplified byPCR, directly sequenced and compared genetically to published sequences which were obtained from GenBank. The most common Brucella species that was found in both bovine (76.5%) and caprine (85.7%) through diagnostic samples in Regional Veterinary Laboratory, Bukit Tengah, was Brucella melitensis. PCR and sequencing were confirmed positive with 76.5% for Brucella melitensis, 23.5% for Brucella abortus and 23.5% for mixed infectionfrom the total of 17 bovine samples. In caprine, the detection of Brucella melintesis and Brucella abortus showed 85.7% and 21.4% respectively meanwhile total mixedinfection showed 21.4%. These clustering between local isolates of Brucella melitensis were phylogenetically related to other Asian countries such as Singapore,Yemen and Saudi Arabia. The Neighbour Joining Analysis clustered the Brucella abortus local isolates for both bovine and caprine were most closely related to India,Iran, Italy and USA. Interestingly, all the isolates within Malaysia have a close relationship (>95%) with the low level of genetic diversity. When local isolates arecompared to GenBank data, it gives an indication on the possible sources of these infections. Eventually, it will improve the import and export policies to controlbrucellosis in Malaysia.

A study was conducted to identify the current status of Fasciolaand Paramphistomum infections in small ruminants in Terengganu. A total of 267 faecal samples from small ruminants were collected and subjected to sedimentation technique. Serum samples were diagnosed for detection of IgG antibody for Fasciola infection using sELISA method. Results showed that there were 4% of the goats positive with Paramphistomum eggs whereas Fasciola egg was not observed in any of the faecal samples. However, it was found that 89% of the serum samples from goats were positive with IgG antibody for Fasciola infection. Small ruminants in Terengganu were not infected with severe Fasciola and Paramphistomum infections yet the results obtained from this study will update the current status of the infections. This information will help the farmers and the Department of Veterinary Services to plan on management to maintain the animals’ health.

A preliminary study of nearinfraredreflectance spectroscopy (NIRS)for the feasibility of analytical monitoring ofamino acids and total protein compositionsin edible bird’s nest (EBN) was conducted.The training (n=134) and validation sets todevelop the equations were built with localunprocessed EBN samples sourced fromdifferent states of Malaysia. The regressionmethod employed was modified partialleast-squares (MPLS). The values ofstandard error for cross validation (SECV)and the coefficient of determination (r2)of the calibrations of these constituentsfor use to predict of amino acids in EBNwere determined, but with a low predictiveability. To find an acceptable accuracyfor each constituent is to increase thenumber of training samples. The findings,however, showed a potential alternativefor the implementation of near-infraredreflectance spectroscopy technology inthis field of analysis.