Publications by authors named "M S Ahmad-Firdaus"
Dengue is a significant public health problem in Malaysia and vector surveillance is one of the important components in a vector control program. Routinely vector surveillance in Malaysia is performed through larval surveys. However, larval surveys have several limitations.
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- Wolbachia is a type of bacteria that can naturally infect mosquitoes and may help control diseases spread by these insects.
- The study tested a new technique called Loop-mediated Isothermal Amplification (LAMP) to detect Wolbachia in wild mosquito samples, and found that it identified more positive cases (45.6%) than the traditional PCR method (31%).
- LAMP proved to be a sensitive and efficient alternative to PCR for screening mosquitoes for Wolbachia, with significant statistical support for its effectiveness.
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- Forensic entomology involves analyzing insect evidence to estimate the time since death, focusing on flies found on human remains.
- Over a three-year study at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Medical Centre, entomologists identified nine species of flies, with Chrysomya megacephala being the most frequent.
- The research highlighted differences in fly diversity, finding more species indoors compared to outdoors, and emphasized the significance of Chrysomya species in forensic investigations in Malaysia.
Article Synopsis
- The species Hypopygiopsis violacea, a fly important for forensic studies, was described for the first time from a corpse.
- The study involved examining the second and third instar larvae under a light microscope, focusing on key traits like the cephalopharyngeal skeleton and spiracles.
- Differences between the larvae stages were highlighted, such as pigmentation changes and spiracle structures, providing useful identification features for forensic entomology.
Insects found associated with corpse can be used as one of the indicators in estimating postmortem interval (PMI). The objective of this study was to compare the stages of decomposition and faunal succession between a partially burnt pig (Sus scrofa Linnaeus) and natural pig (as control). The burning simulated a real crime whereby the victim was burnt by murderer.
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