Molecular identification and genetic variation of forensically important fly species (Order: Diptera) in Thailand using DNA barcoding.

Forensic entomology plays a crucial role in criminal investigations by providing vital insights into minimum postmortem interval (PMI) and corpse relocation by identifying insect species that colonize in decomposing remains. This study aimed to identify and analyze the genetic variation of forensically significant fly species in Thailand, using DNA barcoding of the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I COI gene. A total of 3,220 fly specimens were collected from 18 provinces across six regions of Thailand from October 2017 to September 2022.

Familiarity with, perceptions of and attitudes toward butterflies of urban park users in megacities across East and Southeast Asia.

Perceptions of, and attitudes toward, wildlife are influenced by exposure to, and direct experiences with, nature. Butterflies are a conspicuous and ubiquitous component of urban nature across megacities that are highly urbanized with little opportunity for human-nature interactions. We evaluated public familiarity with, perceptions of and attitudes toward butterflies across nine megacities in East and Southeast Asia through face-to-face interviews with 1774 urban park users.

Butterflies in urban parks in the Bangkok Metropolitan Region, Thailand.

Background: For residents of East-Southeast Asia's megacities, interactions with "nature" may be largely limited to interactions taking place in urban parks. Urban parks provide refuges for ecologically-important biodiversity, such as insect pollinators. While residents may be unlikely to notice small insects, butterflies are more likely to be noticed and to provide positive human-"nature" interactions.

Ring roads and urban biodiversity: distribution of butterflies in urban parks in Beijing city and correlations with other indicator species.

The capital of China, Beijing, has a history of more than 800 years of urbanization, representing a unique site for studies of urban ecology. Urbanization can severely impact butterfly communities, yet there have been no reports of the species richness and distribution of butterflies in urban parks in Beijing. Here, we conducted the first butterfly survey in ten urban parks in Beijing and estimated butterfly species richness.

Species composition and nocturnal activity of phlebotomine sand flies (Diptera: Psychodidae) inhabiting a limestone cave in Thailand.

We investigated the nocturnal activity of cave-dwelling sand flies at different time intervals and determined their species composition and seasonal variation. Sand flies were captured on one night each month using CDC light traps from 18:00-06:00 with the collecting bag being changed every two h between February, 2010 and January, 2011. A total of 18,709 individuals, including 10,740 males and 7,969 females, was collected.

Soil-Transmitted Helminths in Malaysia landscape: an aborigines study.

Soil-transmitted helminths (STH) is a group of parasitic nematodes, including Trichuris trichiura, Ascaris lumbricoides, Ancylostoma duodenale and Necator americanus, which can cause gastrointestinal disorders in humans. STH is prevalent among neglected communities in both developing and developed countries. This present study aims to determine the current prevalence of STH infections in Aboriginal population after mass delivering of antihelminthic drugs was proposed by WHO in 2005 and a health education learning package (HELP) was initiated in Malaysia in 2012.

Correction: Pathogenic waterborne free-living amoebae: An update from selected Southeast Asian countries.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.

Pathogenic waterborne free-living amoebae: An update from selected Southeast Asian countries.

Data on the distribution of free-living amoebae is still lacking especially in Southeast Asian region. The aquatic environment revealed a high occurrence of free-living amoebae (FLA) due to its suitable condition and availability of food source, which subsequently causes infection to humans. A total of 94 water samples consisted of both treated and untreated from Laos (31), Myanmar (42), and Singapore (21) were investigated for the presence of pathogenic FLA.

Unexpected diversity of sandflies (Diptera: Psychodidae) in tourist caves in Northern Thailand.

Certain species of Phlebotomine sandflies (Diptera: Psychodidae) are vectors of the protozoa which causes leishmaniasis. Sandflies are found breeding in enclosed places like caves. Thailand is a popular tourist destination, including for ecotourism activities like caving, which increases the risk of contact between tourists and sandflies.

Titiwangsa Lake a source of urban parasitic contamination.

Urban recreational lake acts as a source of waterborne parasites contamination, as reported in 2013 in Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia. This scenario will lead to the transmission of waterborne diseases due to exposure of water-related activities by humans. This study was conducted to reveal the occurrence of common waterborne parasites in a urban lake (i.

Presence of Cryptosporidium parvum and Giardia lamblia in water samples from Southeast Asia: towards an integrated water detection system.

Background: Access to clean and safe drinking water that is free from pathogenic protozoan parasites, especially Cryptosporidium parvum and Giardia lamblia that cause gastrointestinal illness in humans, is still an issue in Southeast Asia (SEA). This study is the first attempt to detect the aforementioned protozoan parasites in water samples from countries in SEA, using real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) assays.

Methods: A total of 221 water samples of 10 l each were collected between April and October 2013 from Malaysia (53), Thailand (120), the Philippines (33), and Vietnam (15).

A reproducible method for extraction of Plasmodium falciparum DNA by microwave irradiation and its potential for rapid molecular diagnosis.

Malaria remains one of the most important communicable diseases. A rapid, simple and accurate method is a crucial part of malaria diagnosis. The aim of this study was to reevaluate the microwave irradiation method to extract DNA from Plasmodium falciparum and compare with six other existing DNA extraction methods such as QIAamp DNA mini kit (Qiagen), FTA elute card, phenol-chloroform, Chelex, Chelex without proteinase-K and Rapid boiling.

A preliminary screening of potentially antimalarial plants against Plasmodium falciparum in vitro.

Plasmodium is a blood protozoan parasite that is responsible for malaria. To date, Plasmodium falciparum has shown multi-drug resistance, particularly in Thailand, Myanmar and Malaysia. The aim of the study is to screen the plant extracts that can effectively inhibit P.

Towards monitoring the sandflies (Diptera: Psychodidae) of Thailand: DNA barcoding the sandflies of Wihan Cave, Uttaradit.

Sandflies vary in their distributions and role in pathogen transmission. Attempts to record distributions of sandflies in Thailand have faced difficulties due to their high abundance and diversity. We aim to provide an insight into the diversity of sandflies in Thailand by (i) conducting a literature review, and (ii) DNA barcoding sandflies collected from Wihan Cave where eight morphologically characterized species were recorded.