Asian Pacific Journal of Tropical Medicine

434-445

Authors: Sabar Nurul-Nastasea, Ke-Xin Yu, Ahmad Rohani, Mohamed Nor Zurainee, Tengku Idzzan Nadzirah Tengku-Idris, Roza Dianita, Masse Rezki Sabrina, Wan Mohamad Ali Wan Najdah

This review aimed to determine the prevalence of the insecticide resistance status of the field-collected Aedes (Ae.) aegypti and Ae. albopictus in Malaysia from 2010 to 2022 towards carbamates, organochlorines, organophosphates and pyrethroids. Biological and environmental controls were summarized with an emphasis on the mosquito vector control strategies in Malaysia. The information in this review was extracted from several databases such as PubMed (MEDLINE), Science Direct and Scopus by using keywords including “insecticide resistance”, “carbamate resistance”, “organochlorine resistance”, “organophosphate resistance”, “pyrethroid resistance”, “Aedes” and “Malaysia”, between January 2022 and December 2022. Distribution of resistant Ae. aegypti and Ae. albopictus in Malaysia was mapped using QGIS software. Insecticide resistance in both Ae. aegypti and Ae. albopictus is widespread in Malaysia, although the rates vary by states. The most notable was the steep increase in permethrin resistance of Ae. aegypti in Selangor, Malaysia, over the past decade. Ae. albopictus also displayed moderate resistance to permethrin, though not as widespread as Ae. aegypti in Selangor, but showed sign of resistance in Sarawak, East Malaysia. Resistance towards four main classes of insecticides have been widely documented in Malaysia. The extensive resistance towards permethrin in Malaysia which is one of the current insecticides used in Malaysia suggested that policies supporting the widespread use of permethrin fogging needs further evaluation.

453-462

Authors: Jie Liu, Wanqing Zheng, Zhen Liu, Xiujing Jiang

Objective: To determine the impact of major disease epidemics on pharmaceutical manufacturing firms' Research & Development (R&D) investments and economic consequences. Methods: The sample consists of 1 582 firm-year observations from 2009 to 2022 in China, of which, 26.6% of pharmaceutical companies are involved in the diagnosis and treatment of prevalent diseases. Linear models using R&D investments, patent applications, operating performances and stock returns as dependent variables are constructed separately to examine the response of pharmaceutical companies to disease epidemics and the resulting economic consequences. Results: The prevalence of five major diseases led to a 17.5% increase in the amount of R&D investment and an 87.8% rise in the ratio of R&D investment to total assets by disease-related pharmaceutical companies, compared to unrelated pharmaceutical companies. Further evidence indicated that the patent applications for disease-related firms increased by 44.3% relative to unrelated firms after the epidemics. Though the impacts of the epidemics on firms’ operating performances were insignificant in the short term, a major disease epidemic was associated with an increase in stock returns of 67.4% and 44.6%, respectively, as measured by the capital asset pricing model and Fama-French five-factor model. Additional analysis revealed that the impacts of the epidemics on R&D investments and patent applications were more pronounced for non- state-owned enterprises than state-owned enterprises. Conclusions: This study demonstrates that disease-related pharmaceutical firms respond to the disease epidemics through increasing R&D investment. More patent applications and higher market value are the main gains from the firms’ increased investments in R&D following the epidemic, rather than the improvements of short-term operating performances.

472-475

Authors: Rui He, Siqi Zhong, Jinghua Fan

Rationale: Aeromonas hydrophila, a bacterium commonly found in a variety of soils, aquatic habitats, and other natural environments, is known for causing infections and hemorrhagic diseases in both aquatic and terrestrial animals. Patients with leukemia, when infected by Aeromonas hydrophila following chemotherapy, face an increased risk of developing necrotizing fasciitis. Patient concerns: A 48-year-old male with a history of acute myeloid leukemia presented with swelling and pain in his right hand after being stabbed by a grass carp two days ago. The injury occurred on the fifth day after his last chemotherapy session when he was accidentally punctured in the right thumb and ring finger by a carp while fishing. Two days following the injury, the skin isurrounding the wound turned black immediately, while the rest of his hand was reddened, swollen, and bleeding. Diagnosis: Aeromonas hydrophila infection in the soft tissue of the right hand. Interventions: Intravenous antibiotics and local debridement. Outcomes: The patient experienced an alleviation of systemic poisoning symptoms, effective control of the local wound infection. Lessons: It is important for physicians to appreciate the potential for highly unusual and life-threatening infections in patients with acute myeloid leukemia. Early diagnosis and prompt treatment can prevent the development of necrotizing fasciitis and save patients’ lives.