62 research outputs found
Antibiotic resistance: a rundown of a global crisis
No full textBilal Aslam,1 Wei Wang,2 Muhammad Imran Arshad,3 Mohsin Khurshid,1,4 Saima Muzammil,1 Muhammad Hidayat Rasool,1 Muhammad Atif Nisar,1 Ruman Farooq Alvi,1 Muhammad Aamir Aslam,2 Muhammad Usman Qamar,1 Muhammad Khalid Farooq Salamat,5 Zulqarnain Baloch6 1Department of Microbiology, Government College University Faisalabad, Faisalabad, Pakistan; 2NHC Key Laboratory of Food Safety Risk Assessment, China National Center for Food Safety Risk Assessment, Beijing, China; 3Institute of Microbiology, University of Agriculture Faisalabad, Faisalabad, Pakistan; 4College of Allied Health Professionals, Directorate of Medical Sciences, Government College University Faisalabad, Faisalabad, Pakistan; 5Neurobiology Division, The Roslin Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK; 6College of Veterinary Medicine, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China Abstract: The advent of multidrug resistance among pathogenic bacteria is imperiling the worth of antibiotics, which have previously transformed medical sciences. The crisis of antimicrobial resistance has been ascribed to the misuse of these agents and due to unavailability of newer drugs attributable to exigent regulatory requirements and reduced financial inducements. Comprehensive efforts are needed to minimize the pace of resistance by studying emergent microorganisms, resistance mechanisms, and antimicrobial agents. Multidisciplinary approaches are required across health care settings as well as environment and agriculture sectors. Progressive alternate approaches including probiotics, antibodies, and vaccines have shown promising results in trials that suggest the role of these alternatives as preventive or adjunct therapies in future. Keywords: antibiotics, multidrug resistance, evolution, alternative therapie
Selection inversion: a probable tool against antibiotic resistance
No full textZulqarnain Baloch,1,* Bilal Aslam,2,* Saima Muzammil,2 Mohsin Khurshid,3 Muhammad Hidayat Rasool,2 Ke Ma4 1College of Veterinary Medicine, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China; 2Department of Microbiology, Government College University Faisalabad, Faisalabad, Pakistan; 3College of Allied Health Professionals, Directorate of Medical Sciences, Government College University Faisalabad, Faisalabad, Pakistan; 4College of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan, China *These authors contributed equally to this work Abstract: Antibiotic therapy has a dual impact: wanted, in which it immediately inhibits the growth of bacteria and the unwanted, which is responsible for the evolution of antibiotic resistance. The dissociation of therapeutic effectiveness from the possible risk of the antibiotic resistance may be attained by taking the advantage of specific relations between these drugs, and the methods in which mutations associated with resistance against a specific antibiotic may modify these relations or it may increase the sensitivity of the bacterium to the other antibiotics. Although the practical implementation of this notion needs considerable advancement and confirmation that depends upon the improvements in the field of genomics and diagnostics, these interventions propose new paradigms, which may confine or inverse the evolution of antibiotic resistance. Keywords: antibiotic resistance, inversion, mutations, bacteria, evolutio
DETECTION AND MEASUREMENT OF CALCIUM LEVELS IN SELECTED INDIGENOUS MEDICINAL PLANTS OF FAMILIES UMBELLIFERAE, LEGUMINOSAE AND BORAGINACEAE
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Respiratory syncytial virus: an overview of infection biology and vaccination strategies
No full text Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is the foremost cause of lower respiratory tract infections, especially in infants and young children. To date, there is no licensed vaccine available for RSV. Only option to restrain RSV is a prophylactic treatment in the form of monoclonal antibody (palivizumab). However, it is quite expensive and used in few patients with co-morbidities. In ongoing research, virologists contemplate about various vaccine candidates to control RSV infection. This review will help in understating the RSV pathobiology and encompass the advancement on various vaccine candidates that would lead to reduce the incidence, mortality and morbidity. Furthermore, it will lighten up the different avenues which might be useful for the development of novel vaccination approaches. </jats:p
Molecular and Serological Detection of Avian Influenza H9N2 Virus in Asymptomatic Commercial Layers in Faisalabad District, Punjab
No full textThe present study aimed at measuring the antibody titres against H9N2 influenza viruses and its molecular detections in asymptomatic commercial layers from Faisalabad district of Punjab, Pakistan. Overall 120 blood samples, 24 tissue samples from each organ (trachea, lung and intestine) were collected from the 12 commercial layer flocks selected randomly at the age of 35-50 weeks without any direct clinical manifestation of avian influenza. Serum collected from 120 birds was tested for antibodies against H9N2 by using Haemagglutination Inhibition assay. Calculated geometric mean titers of 5.37 revealed the infectivity of the flock with H9N2 Influenza virus. To investigate the presence of virus in the study population, trachea, lung and intestine tissue samples were processed for RNA isolation and subjected to molecular detection of H9 gene of H9N2 subtypes using one step Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR). Out of 24 samples taken from each organ, 22, 21, and 18 samples from trachea, lungs, and intestine showed viral RNA, respectively. Taken together, results showed that the H9N2 is endemic and widely distributed in asymptotic layers. Furthermore results indicated that H9N2 subtype may survive in layers without showing any symptoms.No Full Tex
CRISPR-Cas system: a potential alternative tool to cope antibiotic resistance
No full textAntibiotic exposure leads to massive selective pressures that initiate the emergence and spread of antibiotic resistance in commensal and pathogenic bacteria. The slow process of developing new antibiotics makes this approach counterintuitive for combatting the rapid emergence of new antibiotic resistant pathogens. Therefore, alternative approaches such as, the development of nucleic acid-based anti-bacterial treatments, anti-bacterial peptides, bacteriocins, anti-virulence compounds and bacteriophage therapies should be exploited to cope infections caused by resistant superbugs. In this editorial, we discuss how the newly popular CRISPR-Cas system has been applied to combat antibiotic resistance.Full Tex
Assessment of heavy metal tolerance and biosorptive potential of Klebsiella variicola isolated from industrial effluents
No full textAbstract Heavy metal contamination now a day is one of the major global environmental concerns. Textile effluents of Faisalabad Pakistan are heavily contaminated with heavy metals and demands to explore native microorganisms as effective bioremediation tool. Study aimed to isolate heavy metal tolerant bacteria from textile effluents of Faisalabad Pakistan and to evaluate their biosorptive potential. Out of 30 collected samples 13 isolates having metal tolerance potential against Ni and Co were screened out. Maximum tolerable concentration and multi metal resistance was determined. A native bacterial strain showing maximum tolerance to Ni and Co and multi metal resistance against Ni, Co and Cr at different levels was selected and named as Abuzar Microbiology 1 (AMIC1). Molecular characterization confirmed it as Klebsiella variicola which was submitted in First fungal culture bank of Pakistan (FCBP-WB-0688). ICP-OES revealed that it reduced Ni (50, 49%) and Co (71, 68.6%) after 24 and 48 h, respectively. FT-IR was used to analyze functional groups and overall nature of chemical bonds. Changes in spectra of biomass were observed after absorption of Ni and Co by K. variicola. SEM revealed morphological changes in bacteria in response to metal stress. Both metals affected bacterial cell wall and created pores in it. However effect of Ni was more pronounced than Co. It was concluded that K. variicola, a native novel strain possessed significant heavy metal tolerance and bioremediation potential against Ni and Co. It may be used in future for development of bioremediation agents to detoxify textile effluents at industrial surroundings
Assessment of heavy metal tolerance and biosorptive potential of Klebsiella variicola isolated from industrial effluents
No full textCross-sectional epidemiological investigations of Giardia lamblia in children in Pakistan
No full textABSTRACT BACKGROUND: The prevalence of Giardia lamblia in Pakistani children is currently unknown. The aim here was to evaluate the prevalence and risk factors of Giardia lamblia in children exhibiting diarrhea. DESIGN AND SETTING: Cross-sectional study at different district healthcare hospitals in Pakistan. METHODS: A total of 800 samples were collected from children aged 0-10 years. Information regarding personal data, demographic data and supposed risk factors was collected through a structured questionnaire. Giardia lamblia was detected through direct microscopy and antigens through the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). RESULTS: The prevalence of Giardia lamblia was 2.75% through direct microscopy and inflated to 9.5% through ELISA. The demographic factors positively associated with occurrences of giardiasis were age (P = 0.035; odds ratio, OR = 1.96; 95% confidence interval, CI = 1.094-3.533), mother’s educational level (P = 0.031; OR = 2.67; 95% CI = 1.186-6.045) and father’s educational level (P = 0.004; OR = 3.56; 95% CI = 1.612-7.899). Similarly, among the supposed risk factors, rural residency (P = 0.032; OR = 1.76; 95% CI = 1.098- 2.851), absence of proper sewerage system (P = 0.000; OR = 6.60; 95% CI = 4.029-10.841) and unavailability of safe drinking water (P = 0.000; OR = 4.08; 95% CI = 2.207-7.547) were the factors strongly connected with giardiasis. Abdominal discomfort was a prominent clinical sign with 46% frequency. CONCLUSION: Various risk factors were associated with occurrences of Giardia, thus emphasizing the importance of parents’ education, safe drinking water and proper sewerage systems for Pakistani children’s health
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