ABSTRACT
Purpose: Seasonal rains in Pakistan result in heavy floods across the country, whereby faecal contaminants will be added to the water bodies and cause numerous food‑borne outbreaks. The present study was aimed to determine the prevalence of diarrheagenic Escherichia coli (DEC) strains in the water sources. Materials and Methods: Two hundred water samples collected during (2011–2012) were processed for the isolation of E. coli (EC) strains. EC strains were further analysed for antibiotic susceptibility patterns, and pathogroups‑specific virulence factors stx1, stx2, stx2c, eae, tir, hlyA, bfpA, estA and eltA were detected using multiplex polymerase chain reaction. Results: Thirty‑three percent of the water samples were contaminated with EC pathotypes. Fifty percent (33/66) of the DEC pathotypes were identified as enterotoxigenic EC (ETEC). Seventy‑two percent (13/18) of the enteropathogenic EC (EPEC) strains were identified as typical EPEC and 28% (5/18) as atypical EPEC. Eleven percent (7/66) of the Shiga toxin EC (STEC) isolates carried a combination of stx1 and stx2 genes. Summer was found as a peak season with 47% (31/66) for EC pathogroups’ activities. Eighty‑nine percent of the strains showed resistance against tetracycline. Conclusion: ETEC and EPEC are the primary causes of water contamination in southern regions of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, Pakistan. Firm adherence to the prescribed drugs can decrease trends in antibiotic resistance.
ABSTRACT
Background: The risk factors of many non-communicable diseases including hypertension are similar and include increasing age, a high salt intake, sedentary lifestyle, obesity and tobacco addiction. Due to the epidemiological transition in countries like India, many of these risk factors are on the rise. For the control and treatment of hypertension, these factors must be managed and prevented. Aim: The aim of this study is to determine the prevalence of risk factors of hypertension, and to evaluate the association between these factors and prevalence of hypertension. Materials and Methods: This was a cross sectional study, conducted in the month of December, 2015 at Mirzapur, a village in Aligarh District, Uttar Pradesh. The study population comprised of all the residents of the village ≥ 40 years of age, on the day of survey after prior consent. The data entry and other statistical calculations were done through SPSS version 20 and MS- Excel. Results: The study included 160 people above 40 years of age. The prevalence of sedentary lifestyle was 36.3%, obesity- 23.1% and average salt intake- 7.23 (2.60) grams. The tobacco addiction level, including both smoked and smokeless forms were found to be very high-45.6% in this study. Increasing age and obesity were significantly associated with hypertension. Conclusion: There is a substantial prevalence of risk factors of hypertension in India that may be the reason behind the increase in non-communicable diseases.
ABSTRACT
Of 210 patients in whom percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasties [PTCA] were performed during the period of 2 years (June 1987 to August 1989), 55 had distal lesions. These included 50 males and 5 females with the lesions in left anterior descending [LAD] artery after the origin of the second diagonal branch, circumflex [Cx] artery after the origin of the obtuse marginal [OM], and right coronary artery [RCA] after the acute marginal branch. There were a total of 71 distal lesions, involving the LAD [51%], Cx [20%], and RCA [29%]. The overall success rate with PTCA was 91%. There were 4 acute closures of vessels; all were redilated with balloon angioplasty. One of these was sent for emergency bypass surgery after balloon dilatation. There was no death. With improvement in balloon catheters and guidewires, the feasibility and success of PTCA in distal lesions have increased remarkably, thus expanding the horizon of PTCA.