The occurrence and spread of ARB due to high demand in poultry industries are of great public health concern. The widespread emergence of antibiotic resistance, particularly MDR among bacterial pathogens, poses challenges in clinical treatment.

The prevalence and persistent outbreaks of multidrug-resistant (MDR) Salmonella in low-income countries have received growing attention among the public and scientific community. Notably, the excessive use of antibiotics in chicken feed for the purpose of treatment or as prophylaxis in the poultry industry have led to a rising rate of antimicrobial resistance. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the presence of antimicrobial-resistant Salmonella species and its mobile genetic elements from soil and effluent samples of 33 randomly selected poultry farms in Selangor, Malaysia. Salmonella species were isolated on selective media (CHROMagar™ Salmonella). VITEK^® 2 system was used to identify the isolates and their antimicrobial susceptibility. Subsequently, eight isolates were subjected to the whole genome sequencing (WGS). Based on the results, Salmonella spp. was detected in 38.1% (24/63) of samples, with the highest resistance to ampicillin (62.5%), followed by ampicillin/sulbactam (50.0%) and ciprofloxacin (45.8%). Meanwhile, the identified serovars were Salmonella enterica subspecies enterica serovar Weltevreden (S. Weltevreden), S. Jedburgh, and S. Brancaster. The most prevalent resistance genes detected include qnrS1, bla_TEM-176, dfrA14, and tet(A). The IncX1 plasmid, with encoded resistance genes, was also detected in four isolates. Furthermore, mutations in the quinolone resistant-determining regions (QRDR) were discovered, specifically in the gyrA, gyrB, and parC genes. In short, surveillance such as continuous monitoring of antimicrobial resistance and emerging trends in resistance patterns through farm environmental samples could provide information to formulate public health interventions for effective infection prevention and disease control.

Multidrug resistant (MDR) enterococci pose significant public health challenges. However, the extent of resistance in the environment is less explored. This study aimed to determine the antibiotic resistance in a poultry farm environment. Eighty enterococcal isolates recovered from the soil and effluent water of 28 poultry farms in Selangor state were included in the study for further bacterial identification and antibiotic susceptibility testing using a VITEK 2 system. Data were analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) version 27. The resistance rate and MDR of enterococcal isolates were reported. Out of 80 isolates recovered, 72 (90%) exhibited resistance to at least one antibiotic, with 50 isolates (62.5%) being found to be MDR. All linezolid-resistant enterococci (LRE) exhibit MDR, which constituted 40% of resistance among all the isolates recovered from poultry environment. Since linezolid is listed as critically important antibiotics for clinical use by the World Health Organization (WHO), the higher resistance towards it and other critically important antibiotic for human use is a serious concern. Hence, relevant agencies need to investigate the use of clinically important antimicrobials in poultry farms paying special attention towards linezolid or any other antibiotics that can facilitate the development of LRE.

Background: Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) has emerged as a major global public health challenge due to the overuse and misuse of antibiotics for humans and animals. Hospitals are among the major users of antibiotics, thereby having a large contribution to AMR. Objective: The aim of this study is to determine the prevalence of antibiotic-resistant pathogenic bacteria and the level of antibiotic residues in the hospital effluents in Selangor, Malaysia. Methods: A cross-sectional study will be performed in the state of Selangor, Malaysia. Tertiary hospitals will be identified based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria. The methods are divided into three phases: sample collection, microbiological analysis, and chemical analysis. Microbiological analyses will include the isolation of bacteria from hospital effluents by culturing on selective media. Antibiotic sensitivity testing will be performed on the isolated bacteria against ceftriaxone, ciprofloxacin, meropenem, vancomycin, colistin, and piperacillin/tazobactam. The identification of bacteria will be confirmed using 16S RNA polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and multiplex PCR will be performed to detect resistance genes (ermB, mecA, blaNDM-L, blaCTX-M, blaOXA-48, blaSHV, VanA, VanB, VanC1, mcr-1, mcr-2, mcr-3, Intl1, Intl2, and qnrA). Finally, the level of antibiotic residues will be measured using ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography. Results: The expected outcomes will be the prevalence of antibiotic-resistant Enterococcus faecium, Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Acinetobacter baumannii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Enterobacter (ESKAPE) bacterial species from the hospital effluents, the occurrence of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) from the isolated ESKAPE bacteria, and the level of antibiotic residues that may be detected from the effluent. Sampling has been conducted in three hospitals. Data analysis from one hospital showed that as of July 2022, 80% (8/10) of E. faecium isolates were resistant to vancomycin and 10% (1/10) were resistant to ciprofloxacin. Further analysis will be conducted to determine if the isolates harbor any ARGs and effluent samples are being analyzed to detect antibiotic residues. Sampling activities will be resumed after being suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic and are scheduled to end by December 2022. Conclusions: This study will provide the first baseline information to elucidate the current status of AMR of highly pathogenic bacteria present in hospital effluents in Malaysia. International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID): DERR1-10.2196/39022

Background: COVID-19 was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization on 11 March 2020. From the beginning of the pandemic, there was no effective pharmaceutical intervention to halt or hold up the spread of this novel disease. Therefore, most countries, including Malaysia, resorted to break the chain of transmission by restricting population mobility through the implementation of the Movement Control Order (MCO). We aim to determine the population mobility trend across the various phases of the MCO during the COVID-19 pandemic in Malaysia by studying the confirmed COVID-19 cases with the Google mobility data. Methodology: The average mobility percentage changes in Retail and Recreation, Grocery and Pharmacy, Parks, Transit Stations, and Workplaces were the components studied in relation to the various MCO phases and daily COVID-19 confirmed cases. The percentage difference was calculated by subtracting the average percentage changes for each MCO phases from the pre-MCO level. Additionally, the percentage difference was also calculated for inter-MCO phases as well. Results: The average mobility percentage changes reduced most drastically during the MCO phases across all the mobility components as compared to the other phases. The average mobility percentage changes in comparison to the pre-MCO levels across Retail and Recreation, Grocery and Pharmacy, Parks, Transit Stations, and Workplaces was −45.8%, −10.6%, −27.7%, −60%, and −34.3%, respectively. In addition, the average mobility percentage changes increased the most during CMCO as compared to MCO. Discussions: Malaysia implemented multiple measures to contain the COVID-19 pandemic since January 2020, culminating in the execution of the MCO. Though doubts on the effectiveness of the MCO were raised at the early stage of its implementation as mass movements persisted, strict enforcement and improved awareness of the impacts of COVID-19 brought significant improvement in compliance, which has been deemed the main reason behind the decrease in new COVID-19 cases since mid-April of 2020. Conclusion: Based on the downtrends of new and active COVID-19 cases, it can be concluded that the MCO has been effective, provided that compliance to the MCO is maintained. This study could serve to a certain degree to governments and policy makers as a tool to consider the relaxation of the lockdown conditions.