Encephalitis is defined by the presence of an inflammatory process of the brain tissue in association with clinical evidence of neurologic dysfunction.1 Meningoencephalitis is an inflammatory process involving both the brain tissue and meninges2 ...

In late March and early April 2009, the outbreak of the novel Influenza A H1N1 virus infection was first detected in Mexico. This virus subsequently caused the 2009 H1N1 flu pandemic. A pandemic is said to occur if a new virus emerges and spreads around the world. In Malaysia more than 15,000 individuals were confirmed to have been infected with this virus during the initial wave of the pandemic ...

Avian influenza or "bird flu" is a contagious disease of animals caused by viruses that normally infect only birds and less commonly, pigs. Avian influenza viruses are highly species-specific, but have on rare occasions, crossed the species barrier to infect humans ...

A flu pandemic occurs when a new subtype of flu virus emerges that has not previously circulated in humans. The present concern is that the current avian flu will change into a form that is highly infectious for humans and spreads easily from person to person. This will mark the start of a global outbreak (a pandemic) ...

Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) is a serious form of Pneumonia, resulting in acute respiratory distress and sometimes death. SARS is caused by a new member of the coronavirus family (the same family that can cause the common cold) ...

Leptospirosis is a rare, severe, and contagious bacterial infection caused by several species of the genus Leptospira, a spiral-shaped microorganism (spirochete) ...

Malaria is a disease caused by plasmodium parasite which is transmitted through the bite of infected Anopheles mosquitoes. Once the parasites (called sporozoites) enter the human body, they travel through the bloodstream to the liver ...

Anthrax is a disease caused by a spore forming bacterium called bacillus anthracis. It affects mainly animals but can cause serious illness in humans if one is exposed to these spores. It can affect the skin, the intestines or the lungs. Anthrax has been developed into a modern biological weapon ...

Leprosy is a slowly progressing bacterial infection caused by Mycobacterium leprae that affects the skin, nerves in the arm and leg, and other organs such as nose and eyes. Leprosy is also known as Hansen's disease ...

Meningococcal meningitis is inflammation of the membranes surrounding the brain and spinal cord and may lead to meningococcal septicaemia (blood poisoning by the meningococcus bacteria). Meningococcal disease is caused by the bacteria Neisseria meningitidis ...

Hand-foot-and-mouth disease(HFMD) is an infection of young children (under the age 10 years old) in which characteristic fluid-filled blisters appear on the hands, feet, and inside the mouth. The throat and tonsils develop small ulcers while the hands, feet, and diaper area develop a rash with characteristic vesicles (very small blisters). This is usually a mild illness with the rash healing in 5 to 7 days ...

Chlamydia is a bacterial infection. It is one of the most common sexually transmitted diseases in Malaysia ...

Chikungunya fever is a viral disease transmitted to humans by the bite of an infected mosquito ...

Genital herpes is a highly contagious sexually transmitted disease caused by herpes simplex virus (HSV) ...

Tuberculosis of the lungs known as pulmonary TB. TB is a bacterial infection caused by tubercle bacilli. TB is an airborne disease which usually attacks the lungs. ...

Most people who are infected with HIV do not know that they have become infected. However, some people may develop fever, sore throat, rash, joint pain, fatigue and enlarged lymph nodes, for a brief period, usually one to six weeks after being infected with HIV ...

Majority of dengue infections are asymptomatic. A person usually becomes symptomatic 5-6 days after the infecting bite ...

Yellow fever is a serious and fatal disease that is transmitted by the bite of the Aedes aegypti mosquitoes that transmit dengue in Malaysia. The mosquitoes usually bite during daylight hours. Yellow fever virus is a member of the Flaviviridae family of viruses. This family contains over 70 related but distinct viruses, of which most are insect-borne. Other major pathogens in this classification include dengue viruses, which are present in most tropical areas and periodically cause large epidemics with severe disease in South East Asia, and Central and south America, and Japanese Encephalitis Virus, which is endemic in much of South East Asia and causes epidemics with high mortality ...