Publications by authors named "HaiYen Lee"

The emergence of antibiotic-resistant strains with limited treatment options has become a significant global health concern. Efforts to develop vaccines against the bacteria have centred on several potential protein targets, including the TonB-dependent receptors (TBDRs). In the present study, TBDRs from were displayed on the surface of spores.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Prospective cohort study to investigate the potential exposure to the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome-Coronavirus (MERS-CoV) following Hajj pilgrims is still very limited. Here, we report the antibody seroconversion study results obtained from successive three years cohort studies (2016-2018) involving the Malaysian Hajj pilgrims returning from the Middle East. A cohort study of Hajj pilgrims from Malaysia enrolled 2,863 participants from 2016-2018, all of whom consented to provide paired blood samples for both pre- and post-Hajj travel to the Middle East.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • Chikungunya fever is a viral disease transmitted by mosquitoes and was reported in a small outbreak in Tanjung Sepat, Malaysia in 2019, prompting a study to explore factors influencing its transmission.
  • A cross-sectional study involving 149 healthy participants was conducted to analyze blood samples for CHIKV antibodies and identify risk factors associated with positive results.
  • Results showed that a significant 72.5% of participants were seropositive, with household contact to infected individuals being a key factor; the study suggests increased community testing and mosquito repellents to control future outbreaks.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Little was known about Malaysian parental attitudes, beliefs, and intentions surrounding coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccines for children when the National COVID-19 Immunization Program for Children (PICKids) was launched in February 2021. A cross-sectional online survey-based study was carried out from 15 March 2022 to 23 July 2022 on Malaysian parents/guardians of children between ages 5 and below 12 years old. A total of 15.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Zika virus (ZIKV) has had a history in Malaysia since its first isolation in 1966. However, it is believed that the immunity status among forest fringe communities has been underreported. We conducted cross-sectional surveillance of forest fringe communities from 10 Orang Asli villages and their peripheral communities in Perak, Pahang, and Sabah in Malaysia.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Dengue fever (DF) is a mosquito-borne disease still with no effective treatment or vaccine available. A randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blinded, parallel-group trial was undertaken to evaluate the efficacy of oral intake of strain plasma (LC-Plasma) on the presentation and severity of DF-like symptoms among healthy volunteers. Study participants (320) were assigned into two groups, and consumed either placebo or LC-Plasma tablets (approximately 100 billion cells/day) for 8 weeks.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

In 2017, the World Health Organization (WHO) named as one of the three antibiotic-resistant bacterial species on its list of global priority pathogens in dire need of novel and effective treatment. With only polymyxin and tigecycline antibiotics left as last-resort treatments, the need for novel alternative approaches to the control of this bacterium becomes imperative. Vaccines against numerous bacteria have had impressive records in reducing the burden of the respective diseases and addressing antimicrobial resistance; as in the case of type  .

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Although the microbiome of blood-feeding insects serves an integral role in host physiology, both beneficial and pathogenic, little is known of the microbial community of black flies. An investigation, therefore, was undertaken to identify culturable bacteria from one of Malaysia's most common black flies, Simulium tani Takaoka and Davies, using 16S rDNA sequencing, and then evaluate the isolates for antibiotic resistance and virulence genes. A total of 20 isolates representing 11 bacterial species in four genera were found.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Introduction: Lyme disease has been well-described in the North America and European countries. However, information is still very limited in the developing countries including Malaysia. The Orang Asli (OA), the indigenous people of Peninsular Malaysia reside mostly in the forest and forest fringe areas abundant with the vector for Lyme disease.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Dengue virus (DENV), Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV), and Zika virus (ZIKV) are mosquito-borne flavivirus of medical importance in tropical countries such as Malaysia. However, much remains unknown regarding their prevalence among the underserved indigenous people (Orang Asli) living in communities in the forest fringe areas of Peninsular Malaysia. Information on the prevalence of diseases is necessary to elevate the effectiveness of disease control and preventive measures.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Q fever is a disease caused by Coxiella burnetii. It is a disease of public health concern in many parts of the world. In this study, we described the seroprevalence of Q fever among selected populations of Orang Asli (OA), indigenous people, many of whom live within the forest fringe areas of Peninsular Malaysia.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Campylobacter jejuni was found to occur at high prevalence in the raw salad vegetables examined. Previous reports describe cross-contamination involving meat; here we investigated the occurrence of cross-contamination and decontamination events in the domestic kitchen via C. jejuni-contaminated vegetables during salad preparation.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF