الشورى في الاسلام

Counseling is a vital pillar of Islamic Shariah by which teachings of Islam are interpreted to solve the modem day problems. It plays a crucial role in highlighting and resolving the collective issues of Muslim Ummah. The West has risen to this power and status because their thinktank body works actively. They have the current situation under their scrutiny and thus hold a guiding light for their nations. It is hightime for the Muslim Ummah to act proactively for the solution of multiple problems being faced by the Muslim Ummah. A think-tank body of the Muslim Ummah may not only unite the Muslim Ummah but it may pave the way for glorifying the Muslim Ummah. Such a think-tank shall give representation to the Muslim scholarly community.

Serodiagnosis, Epidemiology and Economic Importance of Hypodermosis in Goats in Balochistan

Hypodermosis, caused by warble fly Przhevalskiana silenus (Order: Diptera, Family: Oestridae), is an endemic parasitic infestation of goats in Pakistan. The larvae of this fly, obligatory parasite of their hosts, are economically very important causing severe losses to leather industry. This infestation is also responsible for growth retardation, carcass depreciation and production losses in milk and meat. Keeping in view the importance of this infestation, studies were designed on serodiagnosis, epidemiology and economic importance of hypodermosis in goats in northern uplands of Balochistan, Pakistan, with the objectives to diagnose warble fly infestation at early stages through serology for better control and eradication strategies, to study different epidemiological factors (age, sex, breed, temperature, humidity and rain fall) contributing goat warble fly infestation, to compare seroprevalence over the prevalence based on clinical examination and to study the economic importance of hypodermosis in the study area. The duration of the study was one year (April 2011 to March 2012) and the most prevalent breed of goat i.e. khurasani breed in uplands of Balochistan was involved in the study which was compared with the non-descriptive breed of goat. In the first experiment, a total of 1440 sera samples were processed by commercial ELISA kit (IDEXX hypodermosis serum antibody test) method. The infestation was detected in May (summer) while the infestation is usually detected in the months of October until February (winter) by clinical palpation method when warbles appear on the backs of the animals. ELISA based seroprevalence showed the highest mean percentage (48.45 % ± 16.14) of goat hypodermosis. In the second experiment on epidemiology, the mean percentage was 15.94 % ± 5.65 by clinical palpation method in the field. In the slaughter house and skin market studies, the mean percentages were 9.07 % ± 3.90 and 7.16 % ± 3.39, respectively, while the mean intensity was 16.19 ± 3.04 holes per skin. Analysis 1of data by Pearson Chi-square test (χ2), revealed highly significant differences (P<0.05) in the overall prevalence of hypodermosis in the fields, slaughter houses and skin markets district-wise. The prevalence was significantly higher in the field animals than the slaughtered animals. Month-wise highest prevalence was noted in January and lowest in October in the field animals. Age-wise prevalence was highest (P<0.05) in the age group of 1-2 years as compared to < 1 year and > 2 years of age groups whereas no significant difference (P<0.05) was observed sex-wise and breed-wise. The life cycle of warble fly in naturally infested goats was studied from April 2011 to March 2012. First instars larvae (L1) were observed in subcutaneous tissues from mid of May to mid of July in slaughter houses of the study areas, second instars larvae (L2) from mid of July to November and third instars larvae (L3) were palpated in the field animals from December until the end of February. The pupal period was observed in early spring in the months from March to mid April while the adult fly activity season (Oviposition period) was observed in early summer from mid April to mid May. In the third experiment, the overall loss due to skin damages by warble fly infestation was calculated as Pak. Rupees 7578625.49 (Pak. Rs. 7.57 million = US$ 77530.69, US$ 1= Rs. 97.75) annually. Based on the early detection studies, it is concluded and recommended that the best time for the treatment of goat warble fly infestation in uplands of Balochistan is in the months of June and July when first larval instars are still in migratory stage and not yet have caused damage to the skin while the farmers usually treat their animals against warble fly in the winter season when they observe the warbles on the back of the animals but at that stage the larvae have damaged the skins of the animals.