No abstract

Background and Aim: Japanese encephalitis (JE) is a zoonotic infectious inflammatory brain disease caused by the JE virus (JEV). Considerable research into the seroprevalence of JE in domestic animals has been conducted, but there have been no reports of its occurrence in wild animals, including long-tailed macaques (Macaca fascicularis). This study aimed to estimate the seroprevalence of JEV infection and its determinants in long-tailed macaques in Bali and the prevalence of mosquito vectors. Materials and Methods: Blood samples (3 mL) were collected from a population of M. fascicularis (92 heads) inhabiting a small forest with irrigated rice field nearby (wetland area) in Ubud, Gianyar, and from two populations in dryland areas with no wet rice field (Uluwatu, Badung, and Nusa Penida, Bali Province, Indonesia). The collected sera were tested for antibodies against JEV using a commercially available enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kit (qualitative monkey JE Immunoglobulin G antibody kit). The seropositivity of the antibodies was then compared based on different variables, namely, habitat type, age, and sex. Results: The seroprevalence of the JEV antibodies in all the samples tested was found to be 41.3%. The seropositivity of the monkey serum samples collected from the wetland area was 46.4%, which was higher than the seropositivity of the sera samples collected from the dried field areas (1.25%). Monkey sera collected from the wetland areas were 6.1 times (odds ratio [OR]: 6.1; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.71-51.5, p>0.05) more likely to be seropositive compared to the monkey sera collected from the dried field areas. Meanwhile, female monkeys were 1.79 times (OR: 1.79; 95% CI: 0.76-4.21; p>0.05) more likely to be seropositive to JEV than males. Similarly, juvenile monkeys were 2.38 times (OR: 2.38; 95% CI: 0.98-5.79); p>0.05) more likely to be seropositive against the JEV than adult monkeys. However, none of these differences achieved statistical significance. Regarding the JEV mosquito vector collection, more Culex mosquitoes were found in the samples from the wetland areas than from the dried field areas. Conclusion: The study confirms the existence of JEV infection in long-tailed macaques in Bali. There were patterned seropositivity differences based on habitat, age, and sex of the monkeys, but these were not significant. The possibility of monkeys as a JEV reservoir and the presence of the mosquitoes as the JEV vector are suggested but require more study to confirm.

The increasing number of cases of acute encephalitis syndrome, a key presenting clinical sign of Japanese encephalitis infection in humans, along with increasing laboratory confirmed cases in Bali over recent years have led to the Indonesian government developing a national program of vaccination against Japanese encephalitis virus. In order to inform multidisciplinary management, a review was conducted to assess Japanese encephalitis virus-related cases in humans and animals including their determinants and detection in vectors. Along with published literature, key data from local authorized officers in Bali have been used to convey the recent situation of the disease. Related surveys detected up to 92% of the local children had antibodies against the virus with the annual incidence estimated to be 7.1 per 100,000 children. Additionally, reports on young and adult cases of infection within international travellers infected in Bali were documented with both non-fatal and fatal outcomes. Further seroprevalence surveys detected up to 90% with antibodies to the virus in animal reservoirs. The detection of the virus in certain Culex mosquito species and high levels of seropositivity may be associated with greater risk of the virus transmission to the human population. It was also highlighted that local sociocultural practices for agriculture and livestock were potentially associated with the high density of the vector and the reservoirs, which then may lead to the risk of the disease transmission in the ecology of Bali.

Tanaman sarang semut (Myrmecodia pendans) banyak diminati masyarakat sebagai obat alternative karena terbukti berkhasiat untuk mengobati penyakit tumor, kanker, tuberculosis (TBC), stroke,  jantung koroner, diabetes, mimisan, maag, asam urat, wasir, memperlancar asi, meningkatkan stamina dan gairah seksual. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui pengaruh ekstrak etanol sarang semut terhadap gambaran histopatologi hepar mencit. Penelitian ini bersifat eksperimental laboratorik. Sebanyak 24 ekor mencit jantan umur 10-12 minggu dengan berat badan 25-35 gram dibagi menjadi 4 kelompok, masing-masing kelompok terdiri dari 6 ekor mencit yang diberi perlakuan yaitu Kelompok Kontrol (KK), Perlakuan I (dosis 100mg/kg BB), Perlakuan II (dosis 200mg/kg BB), dan Perlakuan III (dosis 300mg/kg BB) selama 21 hari. Perubahan histopatologi hepar diamati dan dinilai berdasarkan kerusakan histologi berupa infiltrasi sel radang, degenerasi melemak, serta nekrosis. Data yang diperoleh dianalisis dengan menggunakan uji statistik Kruskall-Wallis dilanjutkan dengan uji Mann Whitney. Hasil uji Kruskall-Wallis menunjukkan pemberian ekstrak etanol sarang semut berpengaruh sangat nyata (p<0,01) terhadap timbulnya degenerasi melemak, nekrosis, dan infiltrasi sel radang pada sel hepar. Berdasarkan hasil penelitian ini dapat disimpulkan bahwa ekstrak etanol sarang semut dapat menyebabkan perubahan histologi hepar mencit.