Cystic Echinococcosis (CE) is a significant zoonotic parasitic disease caused by Echinococcus cestode parasites, affecting a variety of animals, including humans and wildlife, with serious implications for public health. In Pakistan, CE continues to pose a considerable public health challenge, impacting the livestock sector and wildlife conservation due to its economic and socio-cultural ramifications. This study aimed to examine the frequency of lesions indicative of Echinococcus cysts in livestock across several slaughterhouses in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), with the data collection occurring from May 2022 to February 2024. A total of 1120 animals, including 455 buffaloes, 295 cows, 200 sheep, and 170 goats, were assessed. The overall CE prevalence was found to be 5.7% (95% CI: 4.3–7.0%; 63 out of 1120), with the highest frequency in buffaloes (6.6%; 95% CI: 4.3–8.9%) and the lowest in goats (2.9%; 95% CI: 0.4–5.5%). Female animals demonstrated a higher infection rate (6.3%; 95% CI: 4.4–8.1%) compared to males (4.7%; 95% CI: 2.8–6.7%), with the liver being the most frequently affected organ (55.0%; 95% CI: 41.7–66.3%). Additionally, a survey of 200 respondents revealed that 74.5% of farmers were unaware of CE, and only 14.5% were taking preventive measures against parasites. These findings suggest a potential decline in the prevalence of this parasitic disease, likely due to advancements in veterinary services and modern farming practices.

Cashmere goats produce high-value fine fibers derived from secondary hair follicles; however, the molecular mechanisms underlying this trait remain incompletely understood. In this study, comparative transcriptome sequencing was performed on skin tissues from Inner Mongolian cashmere goats and normal goats to characterize gene expression differences associated with cashmere fiber production. High-quality RNA-seq data with strong mapping efficiency and reproducibility were obtained across all samples. Differential expression analysis identified 1543 significantly differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between cashmere and normal goats, including genes involved in hair follicle morphogenesis, epidermal differentiation, cell proliferation, and extracellular matrix organization. Multivariate analyses showed a clear transcriptomic separation between fleece types, indicating that fleece phenotype is the primary driver of variation in global gene expression. Functional enrichment revealed significant involvement of the Wnt, MAPK, and PI3K–Akt signaling pathways, and several biologically relevant regulators of hair follicle development and hair cycle control, including FGF5, SOX9, LHX2, and VDR, were differentially expressed. Gene fusion events were rare and showed no group specific patterns, whereas alternative splicing was widespread, with exon skipping as the predominant splicing event in goat skin. Overall, these results provide quantitative transcriptomic evidence linking signaling regulation, follicle development, and structural differentiation to secondary hair follicle activity and cashmere fiber formation, offering candidate genes and molecular pathways for functional validation and molecular breeding in cashmere goats.

This study evaluated the effects of three commonly used imported infectious bronchitis (IB) vaccines on the health and production of broilers. Two hundred and forty day-old Ross-308 broiler chicks were randomly allotted to four groups (six replicates of ten birds each). The control group received no vaccine administration, while groups IB4-91, IBMa5C, and IBH-120 were vaccinated against IB vaccines on days 7 and 21. The vaccine used in Group IB4-91 was from Nobilis®, Vety-Care Pvt Ltd, in group IBMa5 from Nobilis®, and in group IBH-120 from Medivac, Hilton Pharma. Growth performance parameters (feed intake, body weight gain, feed conversion ratio) were not significantly different (p>0.05) among the groups throughout the 35-day trial. However, immune response and mortality were significantly influenced by vaccine type. Group IB4-91 showed a significantly higher antibody titer (p=0.032) and achieved 0% mortality, which was significantly lower (p=0.030) than the other groups. In contrast, control, IBMa5, and IBH-120 all displayed 3.33% mortality and exhibited mild to moderate respiratory symptoms, with post-mortem findings revealing tracheal and lung congestion. It is concluded that while the tested imported vaccines did not impact growth, the IB4-91 vaccine provided superior protection, as evidenced by the highest antibody titers and the complete absence of mortality.