Prevalence of antibiotic resistance pattern in shigella isolates procured from pediatric patients at Faisalabad - Pakistan.

Shigella infection (shigellosis) is an intestinal disease caused by a shigella isolates belongs to a family Enterobacteriacea. Watery diarrhea, abdominal pain and tenesmus are the prominent symptoms of shigella infection. The present study was designed to determine period prevalence and antimicrobial susceptibility of Shigella species recovered from stool specimens obtained from diarrheal paediatric patients under 5 years of age. This cross-sectional study was carried out for a period of six months (Jan to June, 2016). All Shigella isolates were identified based on colony morphology, microscopic characteristics, and biochemical characteristics. After applying Kirby Baur disc diffusion method only 22 (18.96%) stool specimens were found positive for Shigella isolates among the 116 stool specimens. The isolates were also found susceptible to Levofloxacin (72.72%), Azithromycin (59.09%), and Cefotaxime (40.90%). However, the said isolates were resistant to Lincomycin (100%) and Penicillin-G (100%), followed by Amoxicillin (95.45%) and Oxacillin (95.45%). The chi-square test was used to check the close association among antimicrobial agents used and as highly significant (p-value < 2.2e-16). Based on antimicrobial susceptibility findings, Levofloxacin, Azithromycin and Cefotoxime were found effective for the control of shigellosis.

Antinociceptive, physiologic and biochemical effects of electroacupuncture combined with xylazine in hybrid goats.

OBJECTIVE: To elucidate the antinociceptive, physiologic and biochemical effects of electroacupuncture (EA) and xylazine in hybrid goats. STUDY DESIGN: Prospective experimental study. ANIMALS: A total of 30 female hybrid goats aged 1-2 years and weighing 25 ± 2.9 kg (mean ± standard deviation). METHODS: The goats were divided into five groups and administered xylazine (0.1 mg kg-1; group XYL.1), xylazine (0.3 mg kg-1; group XYL.3), EA (group EA), EA + xylazine (0.1 mg kg-1; group XYL.1-EA) and 0.9% saline (0.3 mL; control group CON). Nociceptive threshold and serum glucose concentration were measured at time 0 and at 15, 30, 45, 60 minutes and 24 hours after treatment. Nociceptive threshold was measured by passing potassium ions through the skin using potassium iontophoresis. Mean arterial pressure (MAP), heart rate (HR), respiratory frequency (fR) and rectal temperature (RT) were recorded at times 0 and at 5, 10, 15, 20, 30, 45, 60 minutes and 24 hours. Repeated-measures analyses were performed for each response variable; p < 0.05 was considered significant for all analyses. RESULTS: Antinociceptive effects in groups XYL.1 and XYL.3 were increased significantly at 15-60 minutes compared with group CON. Antinociceptive effect was higher in group XYL.1-EA than groups XYL.1 or EA at 15-60 minutes (p < 0.05). No significant difference in the nociceptive threshold was recorded in groups XYL.1-EA and XYL.3, except at 30 minutes. HR, MAP, fR, RT values were higher in group XYL.1-EA than in groups XYL.1 or XYL.3. Serum glucose concentration was higher in group XYL.3 at 15-60 minutes than in CON. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: The XYL.1 and EA combination was effective for antinociception with minimum physiologic alteration, suggesting that the combination may be a new and effective strategy for pain relief during clinical procedures in goats.

Effect of feeding different levels of discarded date palm (Phoenix dactylifera) on digestibility, milk yield, and composition in Damani sheep.

Poor quality feed and lack of feed resource conservation in Pakistan are the major constraints influencing livestock production systems in the country. In the current study, we endeavored to ascertain the most favorable utilization of discarded date palm in sheep nutrition. Sixteen multiparous Damani sheep (average weight = 26 Kg) in the 2nd month of lactation were randomly distributed into four equal groups i.e., A, B, C, and D. They were fed with experimental rations supplemented with 0%, 10%, 20%, and 30% discarded date palm on dry matter (DM) basis, respectively, to investigate its impact on feed intake, digestibility coefficient, milk yield, and composition. The dry matter intake (DMI) significantly increased (P < 0.05) in groups C and D. Significant differences in dry matter digestibility (DMD) were noted among groups with mean values 50.2%, 56.4%, 65.2%, and 72.2%, respectively. Daily milk yield recorded for the groups was 842.00, 854.50, 921.00, and 960.00 (ml/day), respectively, showing a significant increase in groups C and D. However, investigating the mineral profile of milk, only calcium (Ca) and copper (Cu) were significantly (P < 0.05) increased in dates fed groups. In conclusion, significant utilization of discarded date palm can be achieved through incorporation of these wastes in small ruminant rations to get significant increases in DMI, DMD, and milk yield (MY), calcium (Ca) and copper (Cu) levels of milk.

Incidence and Drug Resistance of Zoonotic Mycobacterium bovis Infection in Peshawar, Pakistan.

Prevalence of zoonotic Mycobacterium bovis (bTB) disease in human population is underreported from the North of Pakistan. Here, we report on the proportion of human bTB disease among the overall TB patients, drug resistance pattern of bTB isolates, and knowledge, attitude, and practices (KAP)-based analysis of bTB disease. For this purpose, sputum samples from a total of 300 clinically diagnosed TB patients and 100 randomly selected school children suspected of pulmonary TB were processed by culture as well as polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for isolation, identification, and confirmation of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (mTB) and bTB species. Isolates of bTB were processed for drug susceptibility tests. Data on KAP regarding TB were obtained on a pretested questionnaire. Sputum-based PCR results indicated that 288/300 (96%) were confirmed as mTB, while 12/300 (4%) were found as bTB diseases. Interestingly, none of the school child was declared positive for either mTB or bTB. Notably, 274/300 (91.3%) positively cultured samples were identified as mTB, 13/300 (4.3%) as bTB, while 5/300 (1.7%) as mixed containing both. Importantly, except one, all of the bTB isolates were found resistant to pyrazinamide. Surprisingly, most of the bTB isolates (~70%) were found resistant to a broad range of first- and second-line anti-TB drugs. SplitsTree and recombination analysis indicated no evidence of intergenic recombination. Finally, residence, occupation, presence of animals at home, and sleeping alongside animals were found significantly associated with occurrence of bTB disease. To the best of our knowledge, we report for the first time on the high (4%) burden of bTB disease in human TB patients in Peshawar, Pakistan.