Brucellosis is an important zoonotic disease of animals and humans caused by bacteria of the genus Brucella. Brucellae are Gram-negative intracellular bacteria which infect a wide variety of animals including goats, sheep, buffaloes, cows, pigs, and wildlife. The objectives of this study were to determine the seroprevalence and spatial distribution of brucellosis in Central Punjab, Pakistan. A total of 1083 blood samples of goats, sheep, buffaloes, and cows were collected from 38 villages of four districts (Kasur, Faisalabad, Lahore, and Okara) of Punjab, Pakistan, and screened for brucellosis by Rose Bengal Plate test (RBPT) and PCR confirmed. Epidemiological, demographic data and GPS coordinates for every sample were collected. By using interpolation of the Aeronautical Reconnaissance Coverage Geographic Information System (Arc GIS), a surface plot was generated applying inverse distance weight (IDW). It was found that 35 (3.23%) serum samples were positive for brucellosis. In eight (61.5%), six (75%), seven (87.5%), and eight (89%) villages, positive goats, sheep, buffaloes, and cattle were detected, respectively. In general, older animals are more often positive for brucellosis. In goats bucks were more often RBPT positive than females while in sheep, buffaloes, and cattle more females were positive. The spatial distribution of brucellosis shows that it is widely distributed in the western region of the study area in goats and in the South-West region in sheep. Similarly, for buffaloes it is restricted to the south-east and north-west regions, and in cattle brucellosis is present in western region of study area only. Reflected by this study, brucellosis poses a risk for livestock in developing countries due to lack of awareness by officials, owners, and consumers, and control measures are missing. A risk map of brucellosis was generated to develop effective strategies for awareness rising and to improve the quality of control programs in Pakistan.

Brucellosis is a neglected zoonotic disease, and occupations with a high risk of infection exist. Limited information is available on brucellosis for these employees at high risk in Pakistan. A total of 459 persons with high-risk occupations, i.e., 211 abattoir workers, 63 milkers, 52 dung cake makers, 44 veterinarians, 44 shepherds, and 45 veterinary students of the districts Kasur and Lahore, Pakistan, were tested in this study. Blood samples and information on place of residence, gender, age, urbanicity, type of occupation, socioeconomic status, contact with animals, consumption of raw milk, contact to women who had a miscarriage, contact to aborted animal fetus or abortion material, pregnancy, miscarriage history, or intrauterine fetal death were collected. Serum samples were examined using Rose Bengal tests for anti-Brucella antibodies and seropositive samples were subjected to genus-specific qPCR for the detection of DNA. Data were analyzed using chi-squared and binary regression. Twenty (4.35%) persons were seropositive for anti-Brucella antibodies. Out of these, 18 (90%) were tested positive by Brucella genus-specific qPCR. Positive sera were more often found in Lahore district (8.3%) than in Kasur district (3.1%). Persons older than 36 years were more often seropositive. Persons involved in the handing of milk and in contact with animals were more often seropositive. Contact with women who had had a miscarriage was also a significant factor for seropositivity for brucellosis. Place of residence, gender, age, urbanicity, and contact with animals were identified as potential risk factors in the present study. The present study confirmed that brucellosis is an occupation hazard for abattoir workers, milkers, dung cake makers, and veterinarians in the districts of Lahore and Kasur of Punjab, Pakistan. The study shows the need for strategies for safety at work to minimize the risk of infection. Raising awareness for the prevention and use of proper personal protection equipment during the slaughtering and treatment of animal is highly needed.

Background: Coxiella burnetii, the etiological agent of Q (query) fever, provokes abortions in ruminants and is suspected to cause adverse pregnancy outcomes in women. Infection of pregnant women is linked with high mortality and morbidity of the fetus and the mother is at high risk to acquire chronic Q fever. This research was conducted to evaluate the prevalence of Q fever in women and to detect associated risk factors in four districts of Punjab Province, Pakistan. Methods: A total of 297 blood samples were obtained from 147 pregnant and 150 non-pregnant women of the districts Okara, Jhang, Chiniot and Faisalabad of Punjab, Pakistan. Data related to risk factors and demographic parameters were collected using a questionnaire. Serum samples were screened for phase I and phase II specific IgG antibodies for antigens of phase I and phase II using ELISA tests. Univariate and binary regression were used to analyze important risk factors of Q fever. Results: Twenty-five serum samples (8.4%) were found seropositive for Q fever. Seventeen women were positive for Phase-I and twenty-one were positive for phase-II antibodies. Highest and statistically significant (p < 0.05) seroprevalence of 17.1% was observed in Faisalabad. Age, urbanicity, living status, pregnancy status, abortion history, occupation, and consumption of tap water were positively correlated (p < 0.05) with Q fever, while being aged, urbanity, low income, contact with animals and consumption of tap water was identified as potential risk factors. Conclusions: Q fever is prevalent in women of Pakistan. There is a need for an awareness program about the importance of C. burnetii infections and prevention strategies in women during pregnancy to minimize adverse pregnancy outcomes.

İn this study research was conducted to investigate the accumulative ability and devastating effect of Chromium sulfate (CrSO₄) and Cadmium chloride (CdCl₂) on the growth of earthworm (EW), Pheretima posthuma. An experimental trial conducted in the Labortory of the Department of Zoology, Wildlife and Fisheries, University of Agriculture Faisalabad. After acclimatization, earthworms reared in jars were divided into five groups with three replicates, Group A controlled, Group B was given 200mg/kg CrSO₄, Group C was given 300 mg/kg CrSO₄, Group D was given 200mg/kg CdCl₂, Group E was given for 300mg/kg CdCl₂ treated-soil, respectively. The flame spectrophotometer was used for the quantification of absorption of heavy metals. After 30 days post-exposure, the highest Cr accumulation (8.88±0.07 mg/kg ) was detected in group C while highest accumulation of Cd (7.81±0.09 mg/ kg) was detected in group E. Furthermore, it was noted that these significant accumulations resulted in weight and length reduction. The highest weight reduction (-1.23±0.02g) was observed in group C while the lowest weight reduction (-1.15±0.01g) was observed in group E. Similarly, the highest length reduction (-1.82±0.03cm) was observed in group C while lower length reduction (-1.745±0.24cm) was noted in group E. It was evident that Cr has a more deleterious effect on earthworm growth than Cd. The control showed weight gain (0.26±0.05g) and length gain (1.98±0.27cm). The result of the study were statistically significant (P<0.05). Taken together, it was concluded that earthworm has great potential for bio-accumulation of available heavy metals (Cd and Cr) in the soil and Cr has a higher potential for bio-accumulation than Cd. Although earthworm has a great tendency to survive in a heavy metal environment, their body mass is reduced due to heavy metal toxicity. This study aims to understand the storage of heavy metals in earthworms and to investigate their bioaccumulation ability. This study aims to how heavy metals are stored in earthworms and investigate their capacity for bioaccumulation.