727 - 730 Muslim A.pmd

A case of human eye infection caused by Brugia pahangi was reported in 2010 in a semi rural village in Selangor, peninsular Malaysia. Our report here reveals results of investigation on the vector and animal host for the transmission of the infection. We conducted entomological survey and cat blood examination in the vicinity of the patient’s home. The mosquito species Armigeres subalbatus was incriminated as the vector, whereas cat served as the reservoir host. Brugia pahangi is a lymphatic filarial worm that infects cats, dogs and monkeys (Denham & McGreevy, 1977). Mosquitoe of species Mansonia spp. have been reported to be the natural vector of B. pahangi (Edeson et al., 1960a). This worm has been experimentally transmitted to human and the infection produced signs and symptoms of lymphatic filariasis, but hardly produced microfilaraemia (Edeson et al., 1960b). Although there was a report on the presence of B. pahangi microfilariae (mf) in human blood in South Kalimantan, the finding was not conclusive as the method used to identify the mf relied on measuring phosphatase distribution in the mf (Palmieri et al., 1985). The first confirmed cases of human lympatic filariasis caused by B. pahangi in Malaysia were reported in 2010 (Tan et al., 2011). Shortly after that, an isolated case of human eye infection caused by B. pahangi was reported in Sungai Buloh, a semi-rural town in the state of Selangor in Peninsular Malaysia (Muslim, 2010). The present report here describes the vector and animal reservoir host of the B. pahangi infection in Sungai Buloh. The patient, a 24 year old Malay woman, presented with complaints of persistent right eye redness associated with mild pain and mild grade fever for one month. She was given topical antibiotic eye drops but there was no improvement. During further examination using slit-lamp, entangled tiny transparent thread-like mobile worms were detected at the subconjunctival area. The worms were extracted and confirmed as B. pahangi by PCR (Muslim, 2010). On further questioning the patient said that she had four pet cats at home. She had no history of travelling and lived with her family in a village in Sungai Buloh. The village (3o 12' 51" North, 101o 30' 57" East) is highly populated and surrounded by orchard farms and an oil palm estate. Houses are built far apart from each other. Most of the people living in this area are Malays of Banjar and Mendailing ethnic groups. Similar to other typical villages elsewhere, this village also has improper drainage system