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Southeast Asia is projected to be the fourth largest economy in 2050, where agriculture and food are key sectors contributing to the regional’s GDP. However, ensuring food safety and traceability remains a challenge in the region and this offers ripe opportunity for fraudsters to take advantage of the system. This study aims to provide an overview of consumers’ concern about food fraud in selected countries in Southeast Asia. A cross-sectional online survey was implemented in Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam, yielding 1393 valid responses. Multiple Correspondence Analysis (MCA) was conducted first to reduce the large dataset containing nominal variables. After that, ordered logistic regression was performed to predict food fraud concern, with independent variables being dimensions derived from MCA, total knowledge and experience, and demographic characteristics. We found that respondents from Vietnam and Malaysia were significantly more worried about food fraud compared to other countries. Concerns about food fraud were influenced by increased demand for food fraud control, perceived risks of different types of food fraud, information sources from media and personal networks, information sources from credible organisations, and self-experience of food fraud. Practical and policy recommendations for the region were suggested. This is the first empirical study on consumers’ concern about food fraud in Southeast Asia. The study embodies the UK Global Food Security and UN Sustainable Development Goal No. 2 ethos of providing the growing global population with access to safe food.

Factors contributing to foodborne illnesses in Malaysia were identified as insanitary food handling procedures and lack of hygiene in food preparation area. Food safety at home is a critical point as consumers represent the final step in food preparation and prevention of foodborne diseases. This study aims to investigate the food safety knowledge, attitude and self-reported practices among consumers in Malaysia. An online survey was conducted, and data were analysed using descriptive statistics and exploratory factor analysis. A model linking food safety knowledge and attitude and their direct effects on practices were confirmed using structural equation modelling (SEM). The proposed model fulfilled the goodness of fit indices and is deemed acceptable. Respondents demonstrate good level of food safety knowledge and positive attitudes and self-reported practices. Food safety knowledge has a negative and insignificant relationship with food safety practices (β1 =- 0.284, p>0.05) while attitude significantly affects food safety practices (β1 =0.534, p<0.05). The findings clearly indicate that food safety knowledge does not directly affect food safety practices This is also the first study to provide new empirical findings on thermometer usage among consumers in Malaysia. This study establishes an important point of reference where consumers use visual appearances to determine if food is thoroughly cooked and practice washing raw chicken prior to cooking. Food safety practices at home play a critical role in protecting consumers in reducing risks of foodborne illnesses.

Factors contributing to foodborne illnesses in Malaysia were identified as insanitary food handling procedures and lack of hygiene in food preparation area. Food safety at home is a critical point as consumers represent the final step in food preparation and prevention of foodborne diseases. This study aims to investigate the food safety knowledge, attitude and self-reported practices among consumers in Malaysia. An online survey was conducted, and data were analysed using descriptive statistics and exploratory factor analysis. A model linking food safety knowledge and attitude and their direct effects on practices were confirmed using structural equation modelling (SEM). The proposed model fulfilled the goodness of fit indices and is deemed acceptable. Respondents demonstrate good level of food safety knowledge and positive attitudes and self-reported practices. Food safety knowledge has a negative and insignificant relationship with food safety practices (β1 = -0.284, p>0.05) while attitude significantly affects food safety practices (β1 = 0.534, p<0.05). The findings clearly indicate that food safety knowledge does not directly affect food safety practices This is also the first study to provide new empirical findings on thermometer usage among consumers in Malaysia. This study establishes an important point of reference where consumers use visual appearances to determine if food is thoroughly cooked and practice washing raw chicken prior to cooking. Food safety practices at home play a critical role in protecting consumers in reducing risks of foodborne illnesses.

Aims: New therapeutics are needed to ease the prevailing waterborne disease, and one of the alternatives is by exploring the natural compounds with antimicrobial properties. Duckweed, Lemna sp. is recorded as a medicinal herb that known to have antifungal and antibacterial activities towards several fungi and bacteria. Suitability of duckweed (Lemna minor) as an antibacterial resource against selected waterborne bacteria were evaluated in terms of its antibacterial activity and toxicity. Methodology and results: Antibacterial activity of the duckweed methanolic extract was tested against 11 selected waterborne bacteria using disc diffusion, minimum inhibition concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) assay. Brine shrimp lethality assay was used to determine the toxicity of this extract. The lethal concentrations of plant extract resulting in 50% mortality of the brine shrimp (LC50) were then determined. Conclusion, significance and impact of study: Results showed that duckweed extract exhibited bacteriostatic and bactericidal against the selected bacteria activity at the concentration of MIC = 1.8-2.0 mg/mL and MBC ≥ 2.0 mg/mL. This study shows that methanolic extract of L. minor may contain bioactive compounds against bacteria and potential therapeutic effect. The crude extract is slightly toxic and may not safe to be used in high concentration but is valuable in further study as a potential antitumor agent.

Probiotics have been widely known to have the ability to improve the immune system of livestock and aquatic animal. The present study was carried out to evaluate the effect of dietary supplementation of two probiotic isolates of Enterococcus faecium on hematological parameters of juvenile African catfish, Clarias gariepinus during pre- and post-challenge with aquatic pathogen, Aeromonas hydrophila. The probiotics were previously isolated from vegetable wastes (mung bean sprouts, Vigna radiate and cucumber, Cucumis sativus) which have been fermented for 7 days. The experimental fish (270 tails) with an average weight of 5.13 ± 1.03 g were distributed and divided randomly into i) control (30 tails), fed with commercial diet ii) E1 (30 tails), fed with diets supplemented with 108 CFU/ml of E. faecium isolated from fermented cucumber, iii) E2 (30 tails), fed with 108 CFU/ml of E. faecium isolated from fermented mung bean sprouts. The feeding trial was conducted for 50 days. All experimental groups were then challenged with A. hydrophila (1.5 × 106 CFU/mL) via intraperitoneal injection on day 51. Prior to challenge, blood samples were collected from five fish randomly selected from each group on the day 51 (pre-challenge). After 72 hours of post-challenge, blood samples were again collected from five fish from each groups. The hematological parameters such as total erythrocyte count (RBC), total leucocyte count (WBC), packed cell volume (PCV), hemoglobin (Hb), the derived blood indices of mean corpuscular volume (MCV) and corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC) were examined. Hematological profiles of pre- and post-challenge infected juvenile catfish were compared with the control groups. The RBC, Hb, WBC, PCV, MCV and MCHC of fish fed with probiotics showed higher significant difference (P<0.05) as compared to control groups during pre- and post-challenge of pathogen. The high level of RBC and WBC during pre- and post-challenge showed the capability of the probiotic

Aeromonas hydrophila is ubiquitous in aquatic habitat but frequently causes ulcerative disease known as red sore disease, red rot disease and motile Aeromonas septicemia (MAS) disease in cultured and feral fish. The disease is common worldwide and resulted in million dollar economic losses in the freshwater fish farming industry. Thus, this study was carried out to identify morphological, biochemical and physiological characteristics of A. hydrophila isolated from clinically infected freshwater fish in the state of Selangor, Malaysia. All sampled fish showed non-specific clinical signs such as skin hemorrhages, sunken eyes and fin rot. Forty isolates of A. hydrophila were isolated from 150 wild and farmed fishes by direct streakings from skin, kidney, spleen and liver and overlaid onto trypticase soy agar. Species of fish sampled were Black tilapia, Oreochromis mossambicus(n=30); Red hybrid tilapia,Oreochromis sp.(n=30); Jade perch,Scortum barcoo(n=25); Javanese carp,Puntius gonionotus(n=10); River carpLeptobarbus hoevenii(n=10), River catfish,Pangasius pangasius(n=10); Climbing perch,Anabas testudineus(n=10); African catfish,Clarias gariepinus(n=20) and Louhan,Cichlasomasp. (n=5). All isolates were identified using commercial kit, API 20E in combination with Gram staining, oxidase, catalase, vibriostatic agent, NaCl tolerance, temperature tolerence and hemolytic activity. Morphologically, all isolates were short rods, Gram negative and motile. The biochemical tests showed positive results for oxidase, catalase, ONPG, ADH, LDC, citrate utilization, indole production, gelatinase and Voges Proskauer. Besides, negative results were obtained from ODC, H2S, urease, TDA. Acid was produced from glucose, mannitol and arabinose. No acid production from inositol, sorbitol, rhamnose, saccharose, melibiose and amygdalin. All isolates grew in 0% and 3% NaCl. The bacterial isolates also grew at 22ºC and 37ºC. All isolates showed β-hemolysis on horse blood agar. Furthermore, A. hy

Grouper Iriovirus (GIV) is one of the most devastating viral diseases of marine and cultured groupers worldwide. In the current study, 5 presumptive Malaysian GIV isolates were characterised through PCR amplification of the major capsid protein (MCP) gene and phylogenetic analysis of the sequences. The sequences from the five GIV isolates showed 100% homology with each other and a close relationship with grouper iridovirus isolate (GIV_Tn_352), which was clustered in group 1 together with King grouper iridovirus isolate (KGIV_Cy_346), Singapore grouper iridovirus (SGIV), and Crimson snapper iridovirus isolate (CSIV). The phylogenetic tree also showed different degree of relatedness with other Ranavirus strains which were obtained from the blast of GIV MCP gene in the NCBI database. This study confirmed the GIV isolates from Malaysia are related to other isolates that were reported previously.

The most common strategy to treat in aquaculture disease is the use of antibiotics, however, such utilization has been accounted to have antagonistic impacts like accumulation of drugs in tissues, development of drug resistance and immunosuppression. One of the most promising methods of controlling diseases in aquaculture is strengthening the defence mechanisms through therapeutic administration. Vitex trifolia, Strobilanthes crispus, and Aloe vera have been reported to have better antimicrobial activity in vitro against Streptococcus agalactiae. However, there is no report on the application of the extracts on the treatment of Oreochromis sp. The objective of the study was to assess the effectiveness of diet supplementation of selected plant extract for 14 days as disease treatment. In red blood cell (RBC), haemoglobin (Hb), mean corpuscular volume (MCV), white blood cell (WBC), alanine transaminase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) showed significant differences between treatment and control. RBC, Hb and WBC levels of the infected group were significantly higher (P<0.05) than those of the control group indicating improve defence system in the fish fed with V. trifolia, S. crispus, and A. vera. These results suggested that of methanolic mixed herbal to applying S. agalactiae infected Oreochromis sp had a synergistic restorative effect on the haematological variables.

This study was conducted to evaluate the ability of motile Aeromonas species (MAS) to induce clinical symptoms and some pathological changes in juvenile red hybrid tilapia. A standard dose of infection was selected based on predetermined LD50. Infected fish were observed for any clinical sign and symptom for 96 hours. Samples of liver, spleen and kidney were collected for histopatological changes due to Aeromonas hydrophila infection. Clinical signs of fish included abnormal swimming behaviour and loss of balance. Most of infected fish suffered from haemorrhagic eyes and lesions on the body surface. Some of the them also developed bilateral exophthalmia. Histopathological changes were observed in kidney, liver and spleen. The infected liver showed severe congestion of hepatic veins and vacuoles formation while anterior kidney manifested degeneration of excretory tubules and glomeruli followed by severe haemorrhages and hyaline droplets degeneration. Spleen on the other hand showed tissues degeneration and vacuoles formation. All targated tissues also showed deposition of haemosiderin pigments followed by proliferation of melanomacrphage centres. Development of such symptoms was associated with the infection with Aeromonas hydrophila. The current study has shown that MAS could serve as the primary cause of severe infection not only in red hybrid tilapia but may also infected other freshwater fish species.The results of histological analysis of various tissues indicates a direct correlation between disease infection and histopathological disorders observed in the tissues.

Vibriosis has become one of the most important bacterial diseases in marine cultured organisms in recent years. This study was focusing on isolation and identification of Vibrio spp. isolated from diseased seabass (Lates calcarifer), tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) and seawater from Sri Tujuh lagoon in East Coast of Malaysia; also determination of antibiotic resistance patterns among Vibrio spp. Vibrio species isolated from diseased seabass in Pantai Sri Tujuh, Tumpat, Kelantan were screened for their antibiotic sensitivity patterns by Kirby-Bauer method. A total of 47 isolates belonging to three different species were identified which are V. parahaemolyticus, V. vulnificus, and V. alginolyticus. In this study, high incidence of erythromycin, chloramphenicol and sulfamethoxazole resistance was observed among the Vibrio isolates, whereas all isolates were susceptible to oxytetracycline. Vibrio isolates were 96% resistant to one or more different classes of antibiotic, and 17 different resistance patterns were identified. The MAR index of 0.4 indicating the Vibrio spp. in these farmed fish might have been indiscriminately and continuously exposed to those antibiotics during culturing stages of the fish. This study showed that multidrug-resistant Vibrio spp. were common in diseased seabass and tilapia cultured at Sri Tujuh lagoon. These essential findings suggested involvement of seafood in transmission of these pathogen to human. In addition, oxytetracycline can be used as a treatment to combat vibriosis in diseased seabass and tilapia.

Iridovirus is the causative agent of grouper iridovirus infection (GIV), which causes severe epizootics resulting in large-scale mortalities and huge economic losses in cultured and marine fishes worldwide. The current study evaluated the gross and histopathological lesions, and molecular detection of GIV in naturally infected grouper farms in Malaysia. A total of 150 moribund fish showing different clinical signs, presented to the Aquatic unit were used for this study. The fish were necropsied and visceral organs (spleen, kidney, heart, liver, intestine, brain, eyes, gills, and some parts of skin with ulcer) were collected and fixed in 10 % buffered formalin for histopathological processing and evaluation. Molecular detection of the virus was done by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Grossly, the groupers had ulceration on the operculum and close to the caudal fin with hemorrhages on the margin of the caudal fin. In some fish, there was necrosis of the caudal fin, sloughing of the epidermis, dermal ulceration and popeyes Histological sections showed large basophilic cytoplasmic inclusions and vacuolations in the cytoplasm of hepatocytes. Basophilic or eosinophilic enlarged cells with the presence of mononuclear cellular infiltrations were seen in the kidney, liver, eye and gills, which is the distinctive feature of this disease. PCR detection showed positive amplification from 27 groupers. Based on the gross, histopathological and molecular detection GIV infection was established.

Herbs and herb mixtures have been used as a growth promotant in livestock and aquaculture production. The objective of the study was to evaluate the effect of a dietary herbal mix comprised of Vitex trifolia (VTE), Strobilanthes crispus (SCE) and Aloe vera (AVE) on the growth performance, disease resistance and histology of Oreochromis sp. for 60 days. The fishes were divided into i) control, infected fish, fed with normal diet and infected fishes treated with different herbal-mixed supplementation diets of ii) VTE and SCE iii) SCE and AVE iv) AVE and VTE. All experimental groups were challenged using with Streptococcus agalactiae (1 × 107 cfu/mL) via intraperitoneal route on day 46. On day 46th (pre-challenge) and 60th (post-challenge), five fish were randomly chosen from each tank for each experimental and control groups to blood collection. The cumulative mortality and survival rate were assessed every day. Tissues from kidney, liver and spleen were examined. The fish supplemented with herbal-mix with the combination of VTE and SCE and AVE and VTE showed improved growth performance. For haematological assays, RBC, Hb, and WBC were higher (P<0.05) in fish supplemented with these herb mix, while the alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) were significantly affected by mixed-herbal supplementation. Histopathological examination of the organs revealed no negative effects in tissues. In conclusion, this study suggested that methanolic extracts of herbal mix composed of V. trifolia, S. crispus and A. vera extracts were effective as growth promoters and bacterial disease treatment in Oreochromis sp. when supplemented in daily diet.