Using the canine hookworm Ancylostoma caninum as model we aimed to investigate the anthelmintic activity of goat's milk in vitro by describing in detail the nature of damage taking place cross sectionally in the worm cuticle after exposure to goat's milk through careful observation by transmission electron microscope (TEM). Adult worms were obtained from routine culling of unwanted dogs from Selayang Municipal Council (MPS) animal detention center, Rawang, Malaysia. Fresh raw goat's milk was used. Worms were cut into 1mm3 slices, fixed in 4% glutaraldehyde, washed with 0.1sodium cacodylate buffer, post fixed in 1% osmium tetroxide, washed again in 1%sodium cacodylate buffer, dehydrated in acetone, embedded in resin, polymerized, ultrathin cross section cut and stained with uranyl acetate before being viewed under transmission electron microscope. Goat's milk resulted in worm cuticular damage in the form of irregularity and significant thinning similarly seen with cysteine proteinases mediated damage. Internal hypodermic changes were also observed in the form of mitochondrial degeneration which appeared as large vacuoles similarly seen in albendazole affected worms. Understanding anthelmintic mechanism through transmission electron micrography has provided critical information in developing novel therapies from natural products. It also provides basis for the consumption of goat's milk as functional food for parasitic worm control.

Introduction: Parasitic worm infection is a global affliction with significant disease burden. The disease however is endemic in the tropics where poverty stricken communities live in substandard living conditions. In Malaysia, the infection is largely limited to Orang Asli (aborigine) and rural communities across the country where prevalence may reach up to 90%. Objective: This study investigates the parasitic worm infection in an aboriginal primary school closely located to Cyberjaya, the modern IT capital of Malaysia. Materials and Methods: 42 pupils from Bukit Cheeding primary school participated in this study and were screened for hel- minth infection by faecal sample examination using Kato-Katz technique. Result: The overall prevalence of soil-transmitted helminth (STH) infection was 59.5%. Majority of pupils were infected with Trichuris trichiura and Ascaris lumbricoides and double infection with Trichuris and Ascaris constituted 16.6% prevalence. None of the pupils were infected with hookworm. The infection rate amongst the males (66.7%) seemed to be higher than the females (46.7%). The mean worm burden for Ascaris lumbricoides was 2495.6 ± 1709 while for Trichuris trichiura was 1093.1 ± 433. Conclusion: Despite the rising affluence in Malaysia's Klang Valley, minority communities such as the aborigine who live side by side to modernity are still plagued with soil-transmitted helminth infection. More efforts are needed to address this problem.