Isolation and efficacy of entomopathogenic fungus(Metarhizium anisopliae)for the control of Aedes albopictus Skuse larvae:suspected dengue vector in Pakistan

Objective:To isolate the entomopathogenic fungus Metarhixium anisopliae(M.anisopliae) in the local environment,and evaluate its efficacy against the suspected dengue vector Aedes albopictus in Pakistan.Methods:According to the standard procedure,M.anisopliae was isolated from the dead mosquitoes which were collected from the field or dead after the collection.Bioassay was performed to determine its efficacy.Results:The results indicated that M.anisopliae had larvicidal effect with LC,value 1.09×10~5 and LC_(50) value 1.90×10^(13) while it took 45.41 h to kill 50% of tested population.Conclusions:Taking long time to kill 50%population when compare with the synthetic insecticides,is the only drawback for the use of entomopathogenic fungus but these bio-pesticides are safe for the use.

Recent snow cover variation in the Upper Indus Basin of Gilgit Baltistan, Hindukush Karakoram Himalaya

Mountainous basins like the Upper Indus Basin(UIB) of Gilgit Baltistan(GB) are dependent on seasonal snowmelt and glacier melt. Monitoring of the snow-covered area(SCA) is not only vital for the overall hydrology of the Indus basin but also important to the sustainable agriculture and hydropower system. The snow-covered area in the UIB of GB was investigated for changes over the last 18 years using the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer(MODIS) snow product. The study area was divided into five elevation zones ranging from 877-8564 meters above sea level(m ASL). In contrast to the global cryosphere related studies, SCA in the UIB is slightly increasing. Elevation based SCA analysis also indicated that SCA is slightly increasing in each elevation zone. However, a significant amount of snow is concentrated in areas above 5000 m ASL. Due to the strong correlation between SCA and precipitation, the precipitation data also follow a similar trend. Analysis of the climatic data suggests a statistically significant increase in total monthly precipitation and relative humidity, a slight decrease in mean monthly temperature and a significant upward tendency in monthly solar irradiance data. All these trends in combination with the increasing trend in global precipitation, winter westerly disturbances and orographic precipitation are the important factors behind the slightly increasing SCA in the study area. Our results though constrained by short observation period mainly contribute to the understanding of advancing snow cover and glaciers in Hindukush Karakoram.

Prevalent fecal contamination in drinking water resources and potential health risks in Swat, Pakistan

Fecal bacteria contaminate water resources and result in associated waterborne diseases.This study assessed drinking water quality and evaluated their potential health risks in Swat, Pakistan. Ground and surface drinking water were randomly collected from upstream to downstream in the River Swat watershed and analyzed for fecal contamination using fecal indicator bacteria（Escherichia coli） and physiochemical parameters（potential of hydrogen, turbidity, temperature, electrical conductivity, total dissolved solid, color, odor and taste）. The physiochemical parameters were within their safe limits except in a few locations, whereas, the fecal contaminations in drinking water resources exceeded the drinking water quality standards of Pakistan Environmental Protection Agency（Pak-EPA）,2008 and World Health Organization（WHO）, 2011. Multivariate and univariate analyses revealed that downstream urbanization trend, minimum distance between water sources and pit latrines/sewerage systems, raw sewage deep well injection and amplified urban,pastures and agricultural runoffs having human and animal excreta were the possible sources of contamination. The questionnaire survey revealed that majority of the local people using 10–20 years old drinking water supply schemes at the rate of 73% well supply,13% hand pump supply, 11% spring supply and 3% river/streams supply, which spreads high prevalence of water borne diseases including hepatitis, intestinal infections and diarrhea, dysentery, cholera, typhoid fever, jaundice and skin diseases in children followed by older and younger adults.