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BACKGROUND: The influence of social determinants of health (SDH) on sustainable development goals (SDG) has gained attention in recent years. However, there is a scarcity in the availability of valid and reliable instruments to assess the multiple aspects of SDH. Hence, this study was conducted to develop a brief self-reported measure for assessing SDH. METHOD: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among university undergraduate students in Nigeria. The study consisted of 300 participants in the EFA (males 55.7%, females 44.3%) and 430 participants in the CFA (males 54.0%, females 46.0%). Participants were selected using a convenience sampling approach to assess their perceptions regarding SDH. Content Validity Index (CVI), Face Validity Index (FVI), Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA), Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA), Composite Reliability (CR), Average Variance Extracted (AVE), Cronbach's alpha, and Intraclass Correlation Coefficient (ICC) were computed to determine the psychometric properties of the newly developed SDH scale. RESULTS: In the EFA, two factors were extracted (structural determinants of SDH and intermediary determinants of SDH), with all 20 items retained. The total variance explained by the EFA model was 61.8%, and the factor correlation was 0.178. The Cronbach's alpha values of the two factors were 0.917 and 0.939. In the CFA, the initial model did not fit the data well based on fit indices. After several re-specification of the model, the final re-specified measurement model demonstrated adequate fit factor structure of the SDH scale with two factors and 20 items (CFI = 0.943, TLI = 0.930, SRMR = 0.056, RMSEA = 0.053, RMSEA p-value = 0.220). The CR was 0.797 for structural determinants of SDH and 0.794 for intermediary determinants of SDH. The ICC was 0.938 for structural determinants of SDH and 0.941 for intermediary determinants of SDH. CONCLUSION: The findings indicate that the SDH scale has adequate psychometric properties and can be used to assess the perceived level of SDH. We recommended that this tool be tested in other populations with diverse age groups and other demographic characteristics.

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Irradiation at far ultraviolet C (far-UVC) 222 nm by krypton chloride (KrCl*) excilamps can enhance microbial disinfection and micropollutant photolysis/oxidation. However, nitrate/nitrite, which absorbs strongly at 222 nm, may affect the formation of disinfection byproducts (DBPs). Herein, we evaluated model organic matter and real water samples and observed a substantial increase in the formation potential for trichloronitromethane (chloropicrin) (TCNM-FP), a nitrogenous DBP, by nitrate or nitrite after irradiation at 222 nm. At a disinfection dose of 100 mJ·cm-2, TCNM-FP of humic acids and fulvic acids increased from ∼0.4 to 25 and 43 µg·L-1, respectively, by the presence of 10 mg-N·L-1 nitrate. For the effect of nitrate concentration, the TCNM-FP peak was observed at 5-10 mg-N·L-1. Stronger fluence caused a greater increase of TCNM-FP. Similarly, the increase of TCNM-FP was also observed for wastewater and drinking water samples containing nitrate. Pretreatment using ozonation and coagulation, flocculation, and filtration or the addition of H2O2 can effectively control TCNM-FP. The formation potential of other DBPs was minorly affected by irradiation at 222 nm regardless of whether nitrate/nitrite was present. Overall, far-UVC 222 nm treatment poses the risk of increasing TCNM-FP of waters containing nitrate or nitrite at environmentally relevant concentrations and the mitigation strategies merit further research.

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Background: Self-care during pregnancy is a crucial topic to be discussed due to its effects on both the mother and fetus. In Sri Lanka, specifically regarding self-care with over-the-counter (OTC) medicines, usage among the pregnant population is scarce. Objective: This study assessed knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) on self-care with OTC medicine usage among pregnant women attending maternity clinics in the Colombo Medical Officer of Health (MOH) areas, Sri Lanka. Method: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 399 pregnant women enrolled through simple random sampling using a self-administered questionnaire. Data were collected on knowledge, attitudes, practices, and sociodemographic characteristics. SPSS version 27 was used for descriptive statistical analysis. Results: There were satisfactory levels of KAP on self-care with OTC medicines identified among participants. The Mean ± SD for knowledge was 4.38 ± 0.873, and for attitude and practice, 27.56 ± 3.752 and 20.35 ± 4.235, respectively. Significant positive linear correlation between knowledge and attitude (r = 0.375, p < 0.001), attitude and practice (r = 0.518, p < 0.001), and knowledge and practice (r = 0.224, p < 0.001) were observed. It refers to participants with higher levels of knowledge being more likely to exhibit certain attitudes and engage in good practice regarding self-care. However, 93% of the participants had a wrong intention that any medicine could be used at any stage of pregnancy, and 26.3% of the participants didn't know that the medications taken during pregnancy could impact the fetus. Surprisingly, 87% had misperceived that antibiotics can be purchased as OTC medicines. Additionally, the majority of the participants (96%) believed that they could use old prescriptions to purchase medicines during pregnancy. Conclusion: Greater awareness regarding self-care with OTC medication usage is suggested to be provided during pregnancy.

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The close relationship between dogs and humans has led to concerns regarding the transmission of zoonotic pathogens through ectoparasites such as ticks. This study aimed to investigate the occurrence of ticks and the intensity on stray dogs with specific risk factors (size, sex, neutering status, body part). Additionally, identifying the predilection sites of ticks on stray dogs was crucial for developing an effective tick control program in Malaysia. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 64 stray dogs from Kelantan and Selangor States. These dogs were subjected to integumentary examinations, collecting 431 ticks comprising Rhipicephalus sanguineus s.l. "tropical lineage" and Haemaphysalis bispinosa from 53 infested dogs. The overall occurrence of tick infestation was 82.81% (53/64), with an average intensity of 8.13 ticks (range: 1-17) per stray dog. All the potential risk factors considered in this study showed no statistically significant result (P value >0.05). The head, ear, and neck were the most preferred attachment sites for ticks. These findings underscore the importance of implementing tick control programs for stray dogs, which serve as reservoirs of ticks and tick-borne pathogens for owned dogs and humans.

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Antibiotic resistance is a global public health concern, posing a significant threat to the effectiveness of antibiotics in treating bacterial infections. The accurate and timely detection of antibiotic-resistant bacteria is crucial for implementing appropriate treatment strategies and preventing the spread of resistant strains. This manuscript provides an overview of the current and emerging technologies used for the detection of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. We discuss traditional culture-based methods, molecular techniques, and innovative approaches, highlighting their advantages, limitations, and potential future applications. By understanding the strengths and limitations of these technologies, researchers and healthcare professionals can make informed decisions in combating antibiotic resistance and improving patient outcomes.

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This study was aimed at demonstrating the impact of a health education intervention on reducing the incidence of influenza-like illnesses symptoms among Malaysian Hajj pilgrims. This study utilizes a quasi-experimental study in the evaluation of the impact of the intervention. Participants were recruited during Hajj orientation courses organized by private Hajj companies. Participants from two companies were assigned to an intervention group and control group, respectively. The intervention group received a smartphone-based health education intervention guided by the Health Belief Model (HBM), while the control group received a regular Hajj guide intervention smartphone application before departure to Hajj. Data on the incidence of influenza-like illnesses (ILI) were collected from participants from two Hajj companies before and after returning from Hajj. Data analysis was conducted using SPSS with descriptive analysis, and analytical tests were conducted at 5% significance level. A total of 102 pilgrims completed the study in both intervention and control groups. The incidence of ILI and Non-ILI symptoms were statistically significant when the intervention and control groups (p = 0.049) were compared. In conclusion, health education has an impact on reducing the incidence of ILI and non-ILI among Hajj pilgrims.

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Respiratory tract infections (RTIs), including pneumonia and pulmonary tuberculosis, are among the leading causes of death worldwide. The use of accurate diagnostic tests is crucial to initiate proper treatment and therapy to reduce the mortality rates for RTIs. A PCR assay for simultaneous detection of six respiratory bacteria: Haemophilus influenzae, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus pneumoniae, was developed in our lab. The current study aimed to evaluate the performance of this assay along with the retrospective surveillance of respiratory pathogens at a teaching hospital in Kelantan, Malaysia. Leftover sputa (n = 200) from clinical laboratories were collected and undergone DNA template preparation for PCR analysis. Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV) and negative predictive value (NPV) of the PCR assay were determined in comparison with the gold standard sputum culture. Overall, the accuracy performance of this assay was 94.67% (95% CI: 90.87% to 97.21%) with sensitivity, specificity, PPV and NPV of 100%, 91.67%, 87.1% and 100%, respectively. Based on the organisms detected from sputa, K. pneumoniae ranked as the top isolate (n = 48), followed by P. aeruginosa (n = 13) and H. influenzae (n = 10). Surveillance among the patients showed that the associations of bacterial positive with gender and means of acquisition were found significant (p values = 0.049 and 0.001, respectively). Besides the promising performance of this ready-to-use molecular-based assay for the rapid detection of selected bacteria pathogens, this study also highlighted significant spread of K. pneumoniae RTIs in the community.

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Ectoparasites of dogs represent an important group of parasites. They often suck blood, cause pruritis, and could serve as vectors of many pathogens of veterinary and public health importance. In northeastern Nigeria, there is a lack of data regarding ectoparasites of dogs. Therefore, this study was undertaken to explore the external parasites of dogs and the associated epidemiological risk factors. A total of 1041 dogs (mean age = 8.5 ± 2.1 months) from residential house visit (54.9%) and those attending veterinary clinic (45.1%) were sampled in northeastern Nigeria. Multivariate logistic regression analysis assessed epidemiological risk factors associated with canine ectoparasitic infections. Of the 1041 dogs screened, 92.5% (963/1047) harbored one or more ectoparasites. Rhipicephalus sanguineus (52.4%), Linognathus setosus (7.8%), Ctenocephalides canis (2.3%), and Otodectes cynotis canis (1.4%) were the significantly encountered tick, lice, fleas, and mite species, respectively. Being female dog (OR = 1.8; p = 0.01), cross (OR = 2.2; p = 0.029), and exotic breeds (OR = 2.4; p = 0.02), < 7 months (OR = 3.1; p = 0.04) and 7-12 months (OR = 2.1; p = 0.01) aged dogs as well as rainy season (OR = 1.9; p = 0.02) were strong predictors for tick infestation. Similarly, cross (OR = 7.2; p = 0.001) and local breeds (OR = 2.8; p = 0.0001), dogs aged > 12 months (OR = 2.5; p = 0.03), and dogs used for hunting (OR = 3.2; p = 0.01) and as security guards (OR = 3.8; p = 0.01) were strongly associated with lice infestation. Results from this study revealed a high prevalence of external parasites parasitizing majority of the sampled dogs. Some of these parasites may serve as vectors of zoonotic pathogens posing public health risks.

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BACKGROUND: The authorities of the world had to take extraordinary containment measures due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic spreading across the globe. The only way to stay active during the pandemic was at-home physical activity (PA). The current study evaluates how these preventative measures impacted the PA and well-being of students. METHODS: This study is multicentral and was conducted in Malaysia, India, Cambodia, and Saudi Arabia; participants were recruited from four different regions to answer the online questionnaire provided via a link shared using their personal WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, and Twitter social media. RESULTS: The means of vigorous, moderate, and light PA (min/day) between the active and inactive groups were significantly different (p = 0.001, 0.007, and 0.001), respectively. In comparison with pre-COVID-19, the participants reported that it became more challenging to engage in regular exercise since the onset of social distance, associated with a lack of motivation followed by "less confidence", "less enjoyment", "less support, and fewer opportunities to engage in exercise"; moreover, it was "difficult to maintain close relationships" and "hard to voice their options on contentious matters" (p = 0.001). Public health measures affected the PA and well-being of active and inactive students; this demonstrates that health promotion strategies aimed at enhancing levels of PA in inactive students may be necessary to improve students' well-being.

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This study was aimed to develop and evaluate the efficacy of a health education program for increasing knowledge, changing attitudes, and promoting prevention practices to reduce the incidence of RTIs among Malaysian Hajj pilgrims. A quasi-experimental study was done among 130 Hajj pilgrims attending Hajj orientation course organized by a private Hajj tour companies. Hajj pilgrims assigned to intervention group (n = 65) and control group (n = 65). Data were collected baseline and after return from Hajj using a validated questionnaire. Mixed design repeated measure ANOVA was used to analyse the effect of group, time, and group-time interaction on the dependent variables. There was a significant improvement in knowledge, attitude and practice scores in the intervention group compared to the control group. Based on the findings of the interaction of time and group, there was a significant statistical difference for post intervention for knowledge (p = 0.005), attitude (p = 0.041), and practice (p = 0.002). The newly-established health education intervention smartphone application was effective in improving KAP toward RTIs prevention among pilgrims.

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A thermostabilized, multiplex polymerase chain reaction (mPCR) assay was developed in this study for the detection of six respiratory bacterial pathogens. Specific primers were designed for an internal amplification control (IAC) and six target sequences from Klebsiella pneumoniae, Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus pneumoniae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, and Haemophilus influenzae. The resultant seven-band positive amplification control (PAC) of this heptaplex PCR assay corresponded to 105 base pairs (bp) of IAC, 202 bp of K. pneumoniae, 293 bp of S. aureus, 349 bp of S. pneumoniae, 444 bp of P. aeruginosa, 505 bp of M. tuberculosis, and 582 bp of H. influenzae. Results found that 6% (w/v) of the stabilizer was optimum to preserve the functional conformation of Taq DNA polymerase enzyme. This assay was stable at ambient temperature for at least 6 months. The sensitivity and specificity of this assay were both 100% when testing on the intended target organisms (n = 119) and non-intended species (n = 57). The mPCR assay developed in this study enabled accurate, rapid, and simple detection of six respiratory bacteria.

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BACKGROUND: Respiratory tract infections are one of the common infection associated with Hajj pilgrimage that is of great public health and global concern. This study is aimed at determining the factor structure of the knowledge, attitude, and practice questionnaire for the prevention of respiratory tract infections during Hajj by confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). METHODS: A multistage cluster sampling method was conducted on Malaysian Umrah pilgrims during the weekly Umrah orientation course. A total of 200 Umrah pilgrims participated in the study. The knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) questionnaire was distributed to pilgrims at the beginning of the orientation and retrieved immediately at the end of the orientation. Data analysis was done using R version 3.5.0 after data entry into SPSS 24. The robust maximum likelihood was used for the estimation due to the multivariate normality assumption violation. A two-factor model was tested for measurement model validity and construct validity for each of the attitude and practice domains. RESULTS: CFA of a 25-item in total, the two-factor model yielded adequate goodness-of-fit values. The measurement model also showed good convergent and discriminant validity after model re-specification. A two-factor model was tested for measurement model validity and construct validity for each of the attitude and practice domains. The result also showed a statistically significant value (p < 0.001) with χ2 (df) values of 76.8 (43) and 121 (76) for attitude and practice domains, respectively. CONCLUSION: The KAP questionnaire was proven to have a valid measurement model and reliable constructs. It was deemed suitable for use to measure the KAP of Hajj and Umrah pilgrims towards the prevention for all respiratory tract infections.

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The prevalence of respiratory illness has continued to surge among Hajj pilgrims from different countries despite having some practices of preventive measures. Respiratory illnesses during Hajj could be due to many reasons and many factors that promote disease spread. These factors include overcrowding, cigarette smoking, and direct contact with infectious agents particularly viruses promote the spread of respiratory infections. However, due to the longer duration of the pilgrimage, there are high chances of pilgrims contracting various respiratory illnesses due to exposure to respiratory pathogens. Hajj pilgrims' knowledge, attitudes, and practices toward respiratory tract infections are used as the determinant of the effectiveness of the health education interventions. Knowledge and application of basic hygiene principles, use of face masks, following cough etiquettes, engaging in social distancing, and engaging in other measures are highly important. In this paper, we reviewed the various effective intervention strategies implemented to help prevent respiratory tract infections during Hajj.

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BACKGROUND: Hajj pilgrimage faces numerous challenges including a high prevalence of respiratory tract infection as well as its prevention strategies. The aim of this study was to develop and validate a questionnaire to evaluate knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) towards respiratory tract infections (RTIs) prevention among Malaysian Hajj pilgrims. METHODS: This study was conducted among Malaysian Umrah pilgrims in Malaysia from Kuala Lumpur and Kelantan. The questionnaire then underwent a series of validation process that included content, face validity and exploratory part. Item response theory (IRT) analysis was utilized for the validation of the knowledge domain. The attitude and practice were validated using the exploratory factor analysis (EFA). RESULTS: The validation process resulted in a questionnaire that comprised of four main sections: demography, knowledge, attitude, and practice. Following IRT analysis of the knowledge domain, all items analyzed were within the acceptable range of difficulty and discrimination. The Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin measure of sampling adequacy (KMO) was 0.72 and 0.84 for attitude and practice domain respectively and Bartlett's test of Sphericity for both domains were highly significant (P < 0.001). The factor analysis resulted in two factors with total of 12 items in attitude domain, and 2 factors with total of 13 items in the practice domain with satisfactory factor loading (> 0.3). The Cronbach's alpha for reliability of the knowledge, attitude and practice domains all showed acceptable values of > 0.6 (0.92, 0.77 and 0.85). CONCLUSION: The findings of this validation and reliability study showed that the developed questionnaire had a satisfactory psychometric property for measuring KAP of Malaysian Hajj pilgrims.

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This study aimed to assess the uptake of recommended vaccines and to identify the factors associated with the vaccines' uptake among Malaysian Hajj and Umrah pilgrims. A cross-sectional survey among Malaysian Hajj and Umrah pilgrims in 2018. The uptake of the recommended vaccines was surveyed through an anonymous self-administered questionnaire to pilgrims attending a pre-departure Hajj/Umrah orientation course. Descriptive statistics were used for elaborating the demographic characteristics and vaccines uptake of the respondents. Multiple logistic regression was used for predicting the factors associated with the vaccines' uptake. A total of 1,274 pilgrims participated in the study with a mean age (standard deviation) of 42.42 (15.6). A total of 833 (65.4%) participants were females and 232 of the participants (18.2%) had at least more than one chronic disease. The uptake of influenza and pneumococcal vaccines were 28.6% (364/1,274) and 25.4% (324/1,274), respectively. Among the 527 pilgrims who were "at increased risk" of infections, 168 (31.9%) and 184 (34.9%) received influenza and pneumococcal vaccines, respectively. Gender, marital status and occupation were the common predictors associated with vaccines uptake. The vaccination uptake among Malaysian Hajj and Umrah pilgrims is low and declining from previous years. Educating the pilgrims toward vaccine uptake is essential and exploring the barriers for vaccination.

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OBJECTIVE: The main objective of this study is to isolate, identify, and quantify the active antimicrobial compounds present in the crude aqueous stem bark extract of B. dalzielii using some common pathogenic microorganisms as well as toxicological profile. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Crude aqueous stem bark extract of Boswellia dalzielii (CASEB) was partitioned by preparative thin layer chromatography (PTLC) using chloroform-methanol-water, 8:2:1 (v/v). The resulting bands were extracted using chloroform-methanol (50:50). The extract of each band was evaluated for antimicrobial activity on Streptococcus pyogenes, Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Enterococcus faecalis, Klebsiella pneumonia, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Proteus mirabilis, Salmonella typhi, and Candida albicans by disc diffusion. Compounds in the most antimicrobially bioactive fraction (MAAF) were identified by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), Fourier transform infrared spectrophotometry (FT-IR), and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Toxicological profile of the CASEB was evaluated by studying its effect in albino Wister rats. RESULTS: PTLC produced five bands/fractions of which the MAAF was identified as RF2-fraction being active against all the isolates except E. coli and K. pneumoniae. HPLC of the MAAF revealed seven components; FT-IR revealed 17 functional groups; GC-MS revealed five compounds of which 93.18% are Oleic acid (44.88%), Squalene (34.16%), and n-Hexadecanoic acid (14.14%). The acute toxicity showed LD50 > 3,000 mg/kg. Sub-chronic toxicity showed that higher doses of the CASEB caused significant changes in liver function indices and a fatty change with lymphocytic infiltration (sign of acute hepatitis) in the liver tissues, but none of these changes were observed in the kidneys. CONCLUSION: The antimicrobially active compounds in CASEB were Oleic acid, Squalene, and n-Hexadecanoic acid. These can be further purified and used as precursors of new antimicrobial agents for treating infections especially those due to fungi and Pseudomonas spp. that are known to resist wide array of antimicrobial agents. The LD50 of CASEB is >3,000 mg/kg in rats. However, long-term consumption of CASEB is associated with significant liver damage.

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BACKGROUND AND AIM: Bovine tuberculosis (bTB) still remains a major zoonotic bacterial disease affecting livestock and humans worldwide. The disease remains a poorly managed tropical disease in most developing countries of the world; where in addition to productivity losses and significance in international trade, it posed a major public health threat to both humans and animals. A retrospective study was designed to investigate the occurrence of bTB lesions at Bauchi municipal abattoir. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study utilized abattoir records spanning a period of 10 years (2004-2013). The records indicated that a total of 1,08,638 heads of cattle comprising n = 56,070 males and n = 52,570 females were slaughtered at the municipal abattoir during the study period. RESULT: Of these heads, n = 1230 (1.13%) (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.07, 1.19) had tuberculous lesions. The annual occurrence during the study period varied significantly (p<0.001) from 0.53% (95% CI: 0.40, 0.67) to 1.87% (95% CI: 1.66, 2.10) in 2010 and 2012, respectively. Females had a significantly higher (p<0.001) prevalence of 2.10% (95% CI: 1.98, 2.23) compared with the males 0.23% (95% CI: 0.19, 0.27). The distribution of suspected gross bTB lesions in different organs showed 11.87% in the lungs, 5.93% in the liver, 1.14% in the heart, and 0.49% accounted for generalized bTB. However, none was observed on the lymph nodes and intestines. CONCLUSION: It can be concluded that bTB persists in Bauchi State with annual variations during the study period. This study highlights the importance of meat inspection as an important tool for detecting the presence of bTB lesions.

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OBJECTIVE: The main aim of this case report is to present a case of feline hemotropic mycoplasmosis that occurred concurrently with bacterial cystitis following the bite. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A 3-year-old intact male domestic shorthair cat weighing 3.7 kg was referred to the Universiti Malaysia Kelantan Veterinary Clinic with clinical signs of hematuria and dysuria. History revealed that it was managed outdoor, fed with kibbles and wet food, but with no vaccination and deworming. Upon physical examination, the cat had a dull appearance, pale mucous membrane, normal respiratory rate, hypothermia, and bradycardia. Upon the examination of the urogenital system, there were urine burns at the anal region, necrotized penile tip, and presence of bite wound observed at the perineal region. Turgid and enlarged urinary bladder was identified upon palpation. RESULTS: Diagnostic investigation revealed the hemotropic mycoplasmosis via microscopy, while urine culture was positive for Escherichia coli infection. The cat was successfully treated symptomatically. CONCLUSION: However, the prognosis of this cat was guarded given that the anemia was unresolved at the point of discharge.

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Aims: Campylobacter is the most widely reported zoonotic bacterial agent that causes enteric disease in humans worldwide with millions of cases recorded far exceeding salmonellosis in Europe and United States. The objective of this study was to determine the occurrence of Campylobacter in dogs and cats and their associated risk factors. Methodology and results: A total of 101 rectal swabs were collected from both pets (n=40) and stray dogs (n=61) for the study. Similarly, a total of 86 rectal swabs were taken from stray cats (n=46) and pet cats (n=40) from client pets at a university veterinary hospital and from stray dogs and cats from animal shelters. Campylobacter were isolated by culture, identified by biochemical tests and confirmed and speciated, using mPCR assay. The result showed occurrence of Campylobacter in stray dogs and stray cats were 16.3% and 32.6% respectively, while in pet dogs and cats were 12.5 % each. Based on the mPCR assay, three species of Campylobacter were identified in dogs namely Campylobacter upsaliensis (66.6%), C. jejuni (6.7%) and C. heliviticus (20%), while C. upsaliensis (55%), C. helviticus (20%) and C. jejuni (6.7%) were identified in cats. The risk factors for the presence of Campylobacter in the animals were analysed but none was significantly associated, however the occurrence in cats was found higher in adults, females, those kept outdoors and residing in town areas, multipets household, cats with no history of being given antibiotics in past infections and being fed on raw meat and fish while the occurrence of Campylobacter was high in dogs of local breeds, females, of young age, being kept outdoors and fed raw meat and fish. Conclusion, significance and impact of study: These findings showed that Campylobacter were quite prevalent in both stray and pet dogs and cats which may contaminate other animals and spread in the environment as Campylobacters. It is of public health concern as humans can contract the disease if they do not practice proper hygiene after coming into contact with an infected animal or contaminated environment.

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Aims: Antibiotic resistance in Staphylococcus pseudintermedius is increasing gradually towards those antibiotics that are frequently used leading to limited therapeutic options due to multidrug resistance. The objectives of the study were to investigate the antibiotic resistance profiles of S. pseudintermedius isolates from pet and stray dogs and cats in Selangor, Malaysia and to detect the resistance genes (mecA and BlaZ) within the isolates. Methodology and results: A total of 200 stray and pet dogs and cats were sampled. The samples were cultured onto Mannitol Salt agar and all the presumptive colonies were subcultured, then identified using biochemical tests and confirmed by PCR assay targeting the nuc gene. The isolates were subjected to antibiotic susceptibility test against 12 antibiotics. Twenty three isolates (11.5%) were positive to S. pseudintermedius (stray cats, 11/50; stray dogs, 9/50; pet dogs, 3/50 and pet cats, 0/50). One hundred percent (100%) of the S. pseudintermedius isolates were found to be resistant to penicillin, erythromycin and tetracycline while they showed 100% susceptible to oxacillin, amoxicillinclavulanic acid, gentamicin, chloramphenicol, vancomycin, ciprofloxacin, enrofloxacin, cephalexin and rifampicin. The blaZ gene which codes for β-lactamases production was found in all of the isolates that were resistant to penicillin but not to methicillin. Conclusion, significance and impact of study: A high number of S. pseudintermedius from dogs and cats developed antibiotic resistance which is a public health concern.