Safety and Health at Work

Occupational Safety and Health Research Institute, Korea Occupational Safety and Health Agency (산업안전보건연구원)
권호 표지
DOI QR코드

DOI QR Code

Occupationally Acquired Plasmodium knowlesi Malaria in Brunei Darussalam

  • Koh, Gregory JN. (Faculty of Health and the Medical Sciences, The University of Adelaide) ;
  • Ismail, Pg K. (Ministry of Health) ;
  • Koh, David (PAPRSB Institute of Health Sciences, Universiti Brunei Darussalam)
  • Received : 2018.06.05
  • Accepted : 2018.09.28
  • Published : 2019.03.30
Download PDF
⟨ Previous Next ⟩

Abstract

Simian malaria is a zoonotic disease caused by Plasmodium knowlesi infection. The common natural reservoir of the parasite is the macaque monkey and the vector is the Anopheles mosquito. Human cases of P. knowlesi infection has been reported in all South East Asian countries in the last decade, and it is currently the most common type of malaria seen in Malaysia and Brunei. Between 2007-2017, 73 cases of P. knowlesi infection were notified and confirmed to the Ministry of Health in Brunei. Of these, 15 cases (21%) were documented as work-related, and 28 other cases (38%) were classified as probably related to work (due to incomplete history). The occupations of those with probable and confirmed work related infections were border patrol officers, Armed Forces and security personnel, Department of Forestry officers, boatmen and researchers. The remaining cases classified as most likely not related to work were possibly acquired via peri-domestic transmission. The risk of this zoonotic infection extends to tourists and overseas visitors who have to travel to the jungle in the course of their work. It can be minimised with the recommended use of prophylaxis for those going on duty into the jungles, application of mosquito/insect repellants, and use of repellant impregnated uniforms and bed nets in jungle camp sites.

Keywords

References

  1. WHO world malaria report 2017. http://www.who.int/malaria/publications/world-malaria-report-2017/report/en/. [accessed 18 May 2018].
  2. Millar SB, Cox-Singh J. Human infections with Plasmodium knowlesi - zoonotic malaria. Clin Microbiol Infect 2015;21:640-8. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cmi.2015.03.017
  3. Zhang X, Kadir KA, Quintanilla-Zarinan LF, Villano J, Houghton P, Du H, Singh B, Smith DG. Distribution and prevalence of malaria parasites among long-tailed macaques (Macaca fascicularis) in regional populations across Southeast Asia. Malar J 2016;15(1):450. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12936-016-1494-0.
  4. Vythilingam I, Wong ML, Wan-Yussof WS. Current status of Plasmodium knowlesi vectors: a public health concern? Parasitology 2018;145(1):32-40. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0031182016000901. Epub 2016 May 25.
  5. Chin W, Contacos PG, Coatney GR, Kimball HR. A naturally acquired quotidiantype malaria in man transferable to monkeys. Science 1965;14:865. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.14.362.865
  6. Singh B, Sung LK, Matusop A, Radhakrishnan A, Shamsul SSG, Cox-Singh J, et al. A large focus of naturally acquired Plasmodium knowlesi infections in human beings. Lancet 2004;363:1017-24. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(04)15836-4
  7. Daneshvar C, Davis TM, Cox-Singh J, Rafa'ee M, Zakaria SK, Divis PC, Singh B. Clinical and laboratory features of human Plasmodium knowlesi infection. Clin Infect Dis 2009;49:852-60. https://doi.org/10.1086/605439
  8. Barber BE, William T, Grigg MJ, Menon J, Auburn S, Marfurt J, Anstey NM, Yeo TW. A prospective comparative study of knowlesi, falciparum, and vivax malaria in Sabah, Malaysia: high proportion with severe disease from Plasmodium knowlesi and Plasmodium vivax but no mortality with early referral and artesunate therapy. Clin Infect Dis 2013;56:383-97. https://doi.org/10.1093/cid/cis902
  9. Daneshvar C, William T, Davis TME. Clinical features and management of Plasmodium knowlesi infections in humans. Parasitology 2018;145:18-31. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0031182016002638
  10. Barber BE, Grigg MJ, William T, Yeo TW, Anstey NM. The treatment of Plasmodium knowlesi malaria. Trends Parasitol 2017;33(3):242-53. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pt.2016.09.002. Epub 2016 Oct 1.
  11. ASEAN statistical year book 2016/2017. http://www.aseanstats.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/ASYB_2017-rev.pdf [accessed 18 May 2018].
  12. Yusof R, Lau YL, Mahmud R, Fong MY, Jelip J, Ngian HU, Mustakim S, Hussin HM, Marzuki N, Mohd Ali M. High proportion of knowlesi malaria in recent malaria cases in Malaysia. Malar J 2014;13:168. https://doi.org/10.1186/1475-2875-13-168.
  13. Wong PSJ, Tan CH, Lee V, Li MZI, Lee KS, Lee PJ, Singh B, Ng LC. Molecular epidemiological investigation of Plasmodium knowlesi in humans and macaques in Singapore. Vector-borne Zoonotic Dis 2011;11(2):131-5. https://doi.org/10.1089/vbz.2010.0024
  14. Muller M, Schlagenhauf P. Plasmodium knowlesi in travellers, update 2014. Int J Infect Dis 2014;22:55-64. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijid.2013.12.016. Epub 2014 Mar 12.
  15. Barber BE, William T, Dhararaj P, Anderios F, Grigg MJ, Yeo TW, Anstey NM. Epidemiology of Plasmodium knowlesi malaria in north-east Sabah, Malaysia: family clusters and wide age distribution. Malar J 2012;11:401. https://doi.org/10.1186/1475-2875-11-401.
  16. Barber BE, Rajahram GS, Grigg MJ, William T, Anstey NM. World Malaria Report: time to acknowledge Plasmodium knowlesi malaria. Malar J 2017;16:135. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12936-017-1787-y.