Biogenic synthesis of ZnO-NPs using P. somniferum.

Background Studies on ticks infesting equids are lacking in various parts of the world, including Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), Pakistan. The aim of this study was to investigate the diversity of ticks infesting equids, associated risk factors and rickettsial detection in ticks from equids in KP. Methods Inspection of 404 equid hosts from November 2018 to October 2019 resulted in the collection of 550 ticks. Data on tick-associated risk factors were collected from equid owners by means of a questionnaire. After morphological identification, partial DNA sequences of the tick mitochondrial 16S rRNA gene were used for taxonomic confirmation of species. Partial sequences of the gltA and ompA genes were used for Rickettsia detection in ticks. Results A total of 550 tick specimens were collected on 324 (80.2%) of the equids inspected, of which 161 were horses (50%), 145 (45%) were donkeys and 18 were mules (5%). The ticks were identified as belonging to the following five species: Rhipicephalus microplus (341 specimens, 62% of the total ticks), Rh. haemaphysaloides (126, 23%), Rh. turanicus (39, 7%), Rh. sanguineus (s.l.) (33, 6%) and Hyalomma anatolicum (11, 2%). The most prevalent tick life stage was adult females (279, 51%) followed by adult males (186, 34%) and nymphs (85, 15%). Higher tick infestations were observed on male equids (relative risk [RR] 0.7432, P < 0.0005) and adult equids (RR 1.268, P < 0.0020). Ticks were frequently attached to the axial region of horses (55, 21%), sternum of donkeys (44, 21%) and belly of mules (19, 23%) (P < 0.04). Temporal patterns of tick infestation in association with temperature and humidity were highly significant (P < 0.05). Risk factors, such as animal housing (P < 0.0003), living management (P < 0.006), grazing type (P < 0.01) and location in hilly areas (P < 0.02), significantly enhanced the chances for tick infestation. Tick species analyzed in this study were phylogenetically related to species from Afghanistan, China, South Africa and Taiwan. Partial sequences of the gltA and ompA genes obtained from Rh. microplus and Rh. haemaphysaloides were 100% identical to the spotted fever group pathogen Rickettsia massiliae. Conclusions Equids exposed to significant risk factors were infected by one or more of at least five tick species in KP, Pakistan, and some of the ticks harbored the human pathogen R. massiliae. Graphical abstract

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Objectives: Our objective was to evaluate the effect of Montelukast on the symptoms of asthma and allergic rhinitis (AR), assess its effect on the individual quality of life (QoL), and estimate the proportion of participants having adverse effects. Methods: This prospective, open-label study conducted at Dow University of Health Sciences, Ankle Saria Hospital and Sindh Government Hospital Liaquatabad, Karachi, from August 2018 to September 2019, included patients aged >18 years with a clinical diagnosis of Asthma, AR, or both. Patients were given a 10 mg Montelukast tablet each day and then called for follow-up in the fourth week, where the questions related to the improvement in the symptoms of asthma or AR were asked. Patients were also asked about the improvement in QoL and any adverse effects. Results: A total of 694 patients were registered of which 138(19.8%) had AR, 294(42.4%) had asthma, while 273(39.3%) had both. Mean age was 41.1±14.63 years and 352 (50.7%) were male and 342(49.3%) were females. On a follow-up visit, there was a sufficient improvement in 351 asthmatics (63.9%), and 288 patients with AR (70.1%) overall, strong or marked improvement in the day (n=342,62.3%) and night time (n=331,60.3%) asthma symptoms. Overall improvements in QoL were very good or good in 419 patients. Montelukast was well-tolerated here with adverse effects (like abdominal discomfort, fever, fatigue, headache, rash, and upper respiratory tract symptoms) seen in 125 patients (18.01%). Conclusion: Montelukast was very effective in improving the symptoms and QoL of the individuals suffering from asthma and/or AR. doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.36.7.2657 How to cite this:Zuberi FF, Haroon MA, Haseeb A, Khuhawar SM. Role of Montelukast in Asthma and Allergic rhinitis patients. Pak J Med Sci. 2020;36(7):---------. doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.36.7.2657 This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Toxoplasmosis is a very common and asymptomatic infection caused by Toxoplasma gondii. Pregnant women can develop serious complications if the infection passes to the developing fetus. Primary infection in the pregnant women during the gestation period will result in the development of severe systemic disease with temporary parasitemia and will affect the developing fetus. Several clinical complications can be observed in the congenitally infected children which include mild disease to serious health defects such as mental retardation. The aim of the current study was to determine the seroprevalence among pregnant women in District Charsadda, KP, Pakistan. From various maternity homes and other health care centers 200 random samples were collected. Serum was extracted from the blood and was subjected to the specific serological technique by using Latex Agglutination Kit. Out of 200 random samples collected from pregnant women, 69 (34.5%) were detected positive for the parasite and the remaining 131 (65.5%) were found negative. The seroprevalence of the parasite was also determined in the pregnant women based on various age groups. The infection was more prevalent in the age group of 26-40 years with a total of 54.55% of the total studied population while low seroprevalence of the parasite was recorded in the age group 41-55 years with about 21.87%. However, the age group 15-25 years showed a moderate infection of about 23.63%. Abnormalities were also observed in the newborns of the pregnant women infected with the parasite. From Charsadda 76.1%, 45.1% from Tangi and 72.1% babies from tehsil Shabqadar were born with congenital abnormalities. With proper health care, development and utilization of effective diagnostic and therapeutic strategies the epidemics of the infection can be significantly reduced. The routine serological test is recommended for all the pregnant women.