Insecticide susceptibility status and major detoxifying enzymes activity in Anopheles subpictus from Kasur, Pakistan.

Anopheles subpictus s.l. Grassi (Diptera: Culicidae) is a malaria vector in South Asia, where insecticides are the mainstay for vector control interventions. Information on any variation in metabolic enzyme levels in mosquitoes is helpful with respect to adapting alternative strategies for vector control. The scarce data on the biochemical basis of insecticide resistance in malaria vectors of Pakistan limit the available information for vector control interventions within the country. The insecticide susceptibility status and its biochemical basis against dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) (4%), deltamethrin (0.05%) and permethrin (0.75%) in An. subpictus s.l. collected from all Tehsils of district Kasur were evaluated. For this purpose, a World Health Organization susceptibility bioassay was performed followed by the detection of altered metabolic enzyme activity using biochemical assays. Similarly, a significant difference in knock-down effect was observed among field collected and susceptible strain against all insecticides 24 h post exposure. The overall mean mortality rates of DDT, deltamethrin and permethrin were 27.86% [95% confidence interval (CI) = 29.65-26.06], 44.89% (95% CI = 46.23-43.54) and 78.82% (95% CI = 80.16-77.47), respectively. The biochemical assays revealed an elevated level of metabolic enzymes in the field population. The results provide evidence of resistance against organochlorine and pyrethroid groups in a field population of An. subpictus s.l. from district Kasur mediated by multiple metabolic mechanisms, including acetylcholinesterases, esterases, cytochrome P450 and glutathione S-transferases.

Antibody Prevalence and Risk Factors for Toxoplasma gondii Infection in Women from Multan, Pakistan.

Toxoplasma gondii infections are prevalent in humans and warm-blooded animals. Maternal infections during pregnancy may have devastating consequences for transplacentally infected neonates. This study was conducted to examine the seroprevalence of antibodies to T. gondii in pregnant women of childbearing age and determine risk factors associated with pregnancy history, pet ownership, social and cultural factors at Nishtar Hospital, Multan. Samples were collected from 403 women and examined using a commercially available enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The overall prevalence of antibodies to T. gondii was 17.6% (71) in the 403 samples collected from women. Antibodies to T. gondii were present in 19.4% (45) of 232 pregnant women and 15.2% (26) of the samples from 171 non-pregnant women. This study identified miscarriage history, pet ownership, type of residence, marital status, source of drinking water and eating habits as significant (P < 0.05) risk factors associated with the presence of antibodies to T. gondii infection. Seroprevalence was not significantly different (P > 0.05) in women from different ethnic groups based upon lifestyle and culture.

Recovery of Schistosoma haematobium ovum from Labeo rohita: first report from Pakistan.

Schistosomiasis, also known as bilharzia, is a parasitic disease caused by trematodes from the genus Schistosoma that can infect humans and animals. S. mansoni, S. japonicum, and S. mekongi all causes intestinal schistosomiasis except S. haematobium that causes urinary schistosomiasis. It is only specie which effects urinary system, it can affect liver, heart, lungs also but very rarely. Schistosoma haematobium is endemic to over 50 countries in Africa and the Middle East and Western Asia and may be fatal in HIV positive people. A number of reports from the African countries like Nigeria have been reported. A few cases are reported but in Pakistan it has never been reported before in native people. It is first time reported in Pakistan in the intestine of Rahu (Labeo rohita). The purpose of this study is to elaborate the approach of zoonotic agent by various other routes including the commonly available fish.