BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Malaria is an arthropod-borne infectious disease transmitted by the mosquito Anopheles and claims millions of lives globally every year. Reasons for failure to eradicate this disease are multifactorial. The seasonality of the malaria is principally determined by climatic factors conducive for breeding of the vector. We aimed to study the relationship between climatic variability and the seasonality of malaria over an eight-year duration. METHODS: This was a retrospective medical chart review of 8,844 confirmed cases of malaria which presented to The Indus Hospital, Karachi from January 2008 to November 2015. Cases were plotted against meteorological data for Karachi to elicit monthly variation. RESULTS: A secular incline and seasonality in malaria cases over the duration of eight years was seen. More cases were reported in the summer, rainy season compared with the other three seasons in each year. There was significant association with specific climate variables such as temperature, moisture, and humidity. CONCLUSION: There is a marked seasonal variation of malaria in Karachi, influenced by various environmental factors. Identification of the 'the concentrated period' of malaria can be helpful for policymakers to deploy malaria control interventions.
Endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) have been known to adversely affect the endocrine system leading to compromised functions of hormones. The presence of these compounds in everyday products such as canned food, water bottles, plastics, cosmetics, fertilizers, kid's toys and many others goods is a greater concern for general population. The persistent and long-term use of EDCs has deleterious effects on human reproductive health by interfering with the synthesis and mechanism of action of sex hormones. Any change during the synthesis or action of the sex hormones may result in abnormal reproductive functions which includes developmental anomalies in the reproductive tract and decline in semen quality. The present paper provides an overview of the EDCs and their possible impact on male reproductive health with major focus on semen quality which leads to male infertility.
