Animal Melioidosis Surveillance In Sabah

摘要

Melioidosis is an infectious disease of public health importance which it was first described in Malaysia in 1913 among laboratory guinea pigs and rabbits; though the disease was first reported in breeding stock of pigs imported from Australia in 1963 in Sabah. Infection occurs in different animal species, most frequently terrestrial and marine mammals both in domestic and wild animal with chronicity, silently and wide range of symptoms. The transmission of the pathogen B.pseudomallei and the fluctuation on melioidosis frequency during dry and wet seasons are strongly gathered and supported by environmental factors such as temperature, rainfall and different soil type's compositions. Introduction Melioidosis is a zoonotic infection of public health importance. It is described most often in domestic animals and humans in Southeast Asia and other parts of the world (Puthucheary et al, 2001; Jones et al, 1996). It is an emerging infectious disease with serious public health implications in most countries (Center for Food Security and Public Health, 2003). Transmission occurred when infected animal body fluids such as urine, milk or nasal secretion or blood came into direct contact with susceptible hosts depending on the site of infection or through contact with infected soil or water (Center for Food Security and Public Health, 2003; Jayaram, 2000; Bettey et al, 2002; May-Ann et al, 2000); as well infection appears to be the inhalation and aspiration of contaminated dust particles (Weber et al, 1969; Mackowiak et al, 1978; Thomas et al, 1988; Howe et al, 1971). Moreover, infection has been reported through contact with contaminated domestic and medical appliances (Mccormick et al, 1975; Schlech et al, 1981), and trans-placental (Thomas et al, 1988; Jodie et al, 2000), nosocomial (Jodie et al, 2000; Sookpranee et al, 1989) or sexual (Currie, 2000b) has been also reported. The incubation period of melioidosis is not clearly defined but may range to one to 21 days (Ian, 2002; Leelarasamee, 2000).In Malaysia, melioidosis was mostly common discovered in variety livestock such as goats, cattle and pigs. The earlier case was reported in Kuala Lumpur, a cat in 1918, where it was died after illness of three days suffering with dysentery, vomiting and prostration. Melioidosis in Sabah was first reported in breeding stock of pigs imported from Australia in 1963 in Keningau (Sabah, 1963). Subsequently in 1965, B.pseudomallei was isolated from an autopsy on a captive female orangutan that died of melioidosis in Sandakan (Spencer and Robert, 1978). Later investigation by the local health authorities and institute of IMR of Malaysia demonstrate the presence of the causal organism B.pseudomallei in the environment. Common symptoms of melioidosis in animal were anorexia, pyrexia, hyperthermia and cough; skin dehydratations were often seen. During the early infection, disease progress silently for a considerable period and often resulted in death but symptoms and disease progression is different from species. Goat melioidosis runs more chronic, silent progression with unusual progressive emaciation and inanition (Vellayan, 1994). Both acute and chronic forms occur in sheep are very similar to those in goats, whereas some show nervous signs; paraplegia. Melioidosis in equidae is rare where B.pseudomallei was isolated five specimens of coughed thick pus (Lancaster, 1955). By the other hand, the disease manifests more acutely in young pigs, rather than in adults' melioidosis run more chronically (Omar et al, 1962). Epidemiology Study Animal Disease Research Centre (ADRC) in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah records showed the most common disease was pasteurelosis followed by melioidosis during the period between 1994 and 2003. Through the data on animal melioidosis were obtained from ADRC records for the period 1994 to 2003 showed three hundred forty one (341) melioidosis cases were identified from 12139 at post-mortem (Table 1). The post mortem examination revea