Leishmaniasis in Sindh, Pakistan: outbreak and review of the literature

Cutaneous leishmaniasis [CL] is endemic in Pakistan and is widely spreading day by day. Earlier, we proposed that leishmaniasis is endemic in Jacobabad, Dadu and Larkana districts of Sindh Province. It was pointed out that the disease is dramatically spreading in the country and warned that if the preventive measures were not taken at right time there would be a serious public health problem in the country. Since then, we have regular watch on the disease. Fresh clinical observations of CL patients who visited our department from 2004 to 2005. This study was conducted in the Department of Dermatology, Chandka Medical College Larkana. A total of 1640 cases of CL were seen during this period. Among the 1640 patients, 470 were residents of different cities of Balochistan Province; and 1170 were the residents of different cities of Sindh Province like Jacobabad, Ratodero, Shahdadkot, Qambar, Warah, Mehar, Dadu, Dokri and Larkana. All the patients were aged between 3 months and 60 years. Seven hundred eighty were males and 860 were females. Duration of the disease ranged from 1 to 12 months. Most of the patients had single lesions but multiple lesions were also seen on the exposed [mainly] and unexposed parts of the body. Clinically, the lesions were classified as dry ulcerative, wet ulcerative, dry papular, nodular, and crusted lesions. Diagnosis was made on the basis of smear test and clinical presentation of the skin lesions. All the cases were treated with the meglumine antimoniate 600 mg/day [adults] and 15 mg/kg/day [children] either intramuscularly for 20 consecutive days or intralesionally for 10 alternate days. Cutaneous leishmaniasis is endemic in the Sindh Province. The molecular characterization and other studies are needed for further evaluation of this disease

Toxoplasma antibodies by indirect latex agglutination tests in zoo animals

Total of 216 animals conserved in Seoul Grand Park were examined on the antibody titers of Toxoplasma by the indirect latex agglutination test, 20 out of 131 cases (15.3%) in mammals, 2 out of 75 cases (2.7%) in birds, and none in reptiles, according to species, 15 out of 68 species (22.1%) in mammals, 2 out of 36 species (5.6%) in birds showed positive antibody titers when the titers of 1:32 or higher were regarded as positive. In mammals, it appeared as positive in 2 out of 6 cases (1 out of 3 species ) in marsupials, 1 out of 15 cases (1 out of 11 species) in primates, 1 out of 1 case in bats, 6 out of 13 cases (5 out of 10 species) in carnivores, 1 in 12 cases (1 species out of 3) in odd-toed ungulates, 9 out of 80 cases (6 species out of 38) in even-toed ungulates, and none in rodents and in whales. In birds, 1 out of 21 cases (1 out of 7 species) in gallinaceous birds and 1 out of 6 (5 species ) in parrots appeared to have the positive antibody titers of Toxoplasma. And, none of reptiles showed positive. Frequencies of positive antibody titers were high in 1: 64, 9 cases in mammals followed by 1: 32, 6 cases, 1: 128, 3 cases, and 1: 256, 2 cases, respectively. Two positive cases in birds appeared to be 1: 64.