Abstract
Dengue is an endemic mosquito-borne viral disease prevalent in many urban areas of the tropic, especially the Southeast Asia. Its presence among the indigenous population of Peninsular Malaysia (Orang Asli), however, has not been well described. The present study was performed to investigate the seroprevalence of dengue among the Orang Asli (OA) residing at the forest fringe areas of Peninsular Malaysia and determine the factors that could affect the transmission of dengue among the OA. Eight OA communities consisting of 491 individuals were recruited. From the study, at least 17% of the recruited study participants were positive for dengue IgG, indicating past exposure to dengue. Analysis on the demographic and socioeconomic variables suggested that high seroprevalence of dengue was significantly associated with those above 13 years old and a low household income of less than MYR500 (USD150). It was also associated with the vast presence of residential areas and the presence of a lake. Remote sensing analysis showed that higher land surface temperatures and lower land elevations also contributed to higher dengue seroprevalence. The present study suggested that both demographic and geographical factors contributed to the increasing risk of contracting dengue among the OA living at the forest fringe areas of Peninsular Malaysia. The OA, hence, remained vulnerable to dengue.
Highlights
Dengue is a mosquito-borne viral disease that causes an estimated 390 million infections annually of which 96 million resulted in clinical manifestations [1]. e disease is caused by dengue virus (DENV), which is transmitted by the Aedes sp. mosquitoes. ere are four dengue virus serotypes: dengue type 1 virus (DENV-1), dengue type 2 virus (DENV2), dengue type 3 virus (DENV-3), and dengue type 4 virus (DENV-4)
Ethics Approval and Consent to Participate. is study was approved by the Ethics Committee of the University Malaya Medical Centre (UMMC; MEC Ref. 824.11) and the Department of Orang Asli Development or locally known as the Jabatan Kemajuan Orang Asli (JAKOA), Ministry of Rural and Regional Development Malaysia
Activities such as the opening of oil palm and rubber plantations, timber extraction, and eco-tourism have resulted in substantial land surface changes in many tropical and subtropical regions of the world
Summary
Dengue is a mosquito-borne viral disease that causes an estimated 390 million infections annually of which 96 million resulted in clinical manifestations [1]. e disease is caused by dengue virus (DENV), which is transmitted by the Aedes sp. mosquitoes. ere are four dengue virus serotypes: dengue type 1 virus (DENV-1), dengue type 2 virus (DENV2), dengue type 3 virus (DENV-3), and dengue type 4 virus (DENV-4). Dengue is a mosquito-borne viral disease that causes an estimated 390 million infections annually of which 96 million resulted in clinical manifestations [1]. E disease is caused by dengue virus (DENV), which is transmitted by the Aedes sp. All four DENV serotypes circulate in most of the dengue-endemic regions such as in Indonesia, Vietnam, ailand, and Malaysia. Dengue was thought to have originated from the sylvatic cycle where the virus circulated among nonhuman primates and the tree top-dwelling Aedes sp. In the endemic human cycle, dengue is transmitted mainly by the vectors A. aegypti and A. albopictus [4, 5]. A. albopictus has been suggested to bridge the sylvatic and urban cycle of dengue due to their abundance in the rural and forested areas in comparison to A. aegypti [6, 7]
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