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Background: Cystic echinococcosis (CE) is one of the principal causes of economic loss to the livestock industry because of its morbidity and mortality of food-producing animals and condemnation of important visceral organs. Pakistan being an agricultural country having an extensive livestock sector, is mostly practiced by poor people, which has a fundamental role in the economy. The present study was aimed to conduct a cross-sectional survey and PCR based confirmation of Echinococcus granulosus in sheep, goats, cows, and buffaloes from southern regions (three districts: Lakki Marwat, Bannu, and Karak) of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. During the study, a total of 2833 animals were examined randomly including; sheep (n = 529), goats (n = 428), cows (n = 1693), and buffaloes (n = 183). Hydatid cysts were collected and examined for the presence of protoscoleces using microscopy. Detection of DNA was performed by using PCR and two mitochondrial genetic markers namely; NAD-1 and COX-1 were amplified. Results: The overall prevalence of CE was found to be (9%) among the examined animals. The hydatid cyst infection was highly prevalent in buffaloes (12%), followed by sheep (10%), cows (9%), and goats (5.1%). Cystic echinococcosis was more prevalent (10%; 96/992) in district Lakki Marwat followed by district Bannu (9%; 112/1246) and Karak (7%; 39/595). Female animals were more likely to be infected with CE (11.6%) than male animals (5.3%) (p = 0.001). Similarly, the infection was higher in the older group of animals as compared to younger (p = 0.001). Mostly (52.2%; n = 129) of hydatid cysts were found in the liver, while (64.4%; n = 159) cysts of the infected animals were infertile. PCR based identification confirmed the presence of E. granulosus sensu stricto (s.s) in the study area. Conclusion: Cystic echinococcosis was found to be highly prevalent in southern regions of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and could be a potential threat to human health. Moreover, molecular sequencing and phylogenetic analyses should be carried out in future to identify the prevailing genotype (s) of E. granulosus s.s. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This document is a correction notice for an article titled "A cross-sectional survey of hard ticks and molecular characterization of Rhipicephalus microplus parasitizing domestic animals of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan." The correction states that there were errors in Table 3, specifically regarding the months for the Autumn and Summer seasons. The correct months for Autumn are "Mar, Apr, and May," and for Summer are "Jun, July, and Aug." The table provides information on the prevalence of hard ticks in District Bannu among different domestic animals. The correction is authored by Muhammad Rooman, Yasir Assad, Sadia Tabassum, Samia Sultan, Sultan Ayaz, Muhammad Fiaz Khan, Shahid Niaz Khan, and Rehman Ali. [Extracted from the article]

Background: Cutaneous leishmaniasis is a neglected tropical disease caused by Leishmania spp. and transmitted by female sandflies. Terrorism and counter-insurgency military operations in Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) lead to a large-scale migration of internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and thus, new outbreaks of several infectious diseases such as cutaneous leishmaniasis occurred. This study intended to find the prevalence of cutaneous leishmaniasis in people with cutaneous lesions suspected of having cutaneous leishmaniasis in four remote districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and to assess the participant's knowledge, attitude, and practices about the infection and its control. Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out in four remote districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa including Karak, Lakki Marwat, Tank, and Dera Ismail Khan (D. I. Khan) and a total of 1,674 participants were recruited using a convenience sampling technique. Results: The prevalence of cutaneous leishmaniasis among the participants with cutaneous lesions was 50.4% and the infection was comparatively more prevalent in district Karak. Among participants, 56.8% were male and mostly, 53.8% were under the age of 16 years with 52.8% living in kutcha houses and were from rural areas. Multiple skin lesions were more common, and the face was frequently affected body part. The ratio of participants with lesions older than a month was higher and the majority confronted infections with blood protozoan parasites for the first time. Most participants were unaware of the signs/symptoms of the disease, basic knowledge of the vectors, anthroponotic spread, preventive measures, secondary infections, and reservoir hosts. The use of wood/animal dung as fuel, closeness with reservoir animals, and no use of insect repellents were some of the notable risk factors. Conclusion: Cutaneous leishmaniasis is highly prevalent in the study area and a very low level of awareness was reported among the participants. This study necessitates the planning and execution of regulations and preventive programs, public health education, awareness campaigns, and disease management practices to overcome future incidence of cutaneous leishmaniasis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In tropical and subtropical countries, tick infestation causes major public health problems and considerable financial losses to the livestock industry. This study was aimed to assess the species composition of richness and analyze the phylogeny of Rhipicephalus microplus in the District Bannu of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. Methods: Collected ticks were identified morphologically and DNA extracted from R. microplus was amplified and subjected to sequencing. Results: A total of 3,600 animals were examined among them 1,494 animals were found to be infested with ticks, including 669 cows, 476 buffaloes, 163 goats, and 186 sheep (p = 0.001). Tick infestation was significantly high (43.58%) in animals of age group (<1 year) (p-value = 0.027). Female animals were more (44.05%) infested with ticks than males (34.43%) (p = 0.001). The intensity of infestation was significantly higher in summer (77.49%) (p = 0.001). A total of 5,557 ticks were collected comprising three genera and six species. R. microplus was predominantly prevalent (n = 1,474; 26.52%), followed by Rhipicephalus annulatus (n = 1,215; 21.86%), Hyalomma anatolicum (n = 1,139; 20.49%), Hyalomma marginatum (n = 1,086; 19.54%), and Rhipicephalus turanicus (n = 761; 13.69%), while the least common was Haemaphysalis aciculifer (n = 80; 1.43%) (p = 0.001). Morphologically identified R. microplus species were also analyzed genetically by using two genetic markers 16S ribosomal RNA (16S rRNA) and internal transcribed spacer 2 (ITS2) genes. The phylogenetic study revealed that R. microplus is genetically diversified and clustered in clade B with R. microplus species from China, India, and Pakistan. Conclusion: Ticks infestation was significantly correlated with various factors including age, sex, season, and animal type. R. microplus genetically resembled species reported from India and China. However, major knowledge gaps concerning various species of ticks exist and many areas are still unexplored in Pakistan. Therefore, it is necessary to explore the epidemiological and molecular aspects of various tick species in other regions of southern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]