4th One Day Hands-on Workshop on Arthropods and Arbo Diseases.

FAISALABAD October 1: Arthropods are responsible for more than 50 percent of diseases in humans and animals. If steps are taken to control the reservoir hosts, many lives can be saved. It was stated by speakers 4th One Day Hands-on Workshop on Arthropods and Arbo Diseases arranged under the patronage of Prof. Dr. Zulfiqar Ali, Vice Chancellor, University of Agriculture Faisalabad and Convenorship of Prof. Dr. Muhammad Sohail Sajid, Principal Investigator and Chairman of the Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Science (FVS) at he Conference room of the Faculty of Veterinary Science, UAF. The workshop was organized under the research project titled, "Surveillance of arthropods and arthropod-borne diseases of one health significance at the host-vector-environment interface at various agro-geoclimatic zones of Punjab, Pakistan," funded by the Endowment Fund Secretariat, UAF. Prof. Dr. Mazhar Ayaz, Vice Chancellor, Cholistan University of Veterinary Science, Bahawalpur said that diseases spread by arthropods is the great challenge and to control them, experts will have to play their role by implementing modern methods and research. Dr. Shahid Mahmood said that his faculty is making all efforts to create awareness in this regard. And stressed upon the need to joint efforts to address the issue Dr. Muhammad Sohail Sajid said reservoir hosts including rats, sparrows etc play role in diseases spread by arthropods. He said that concrete steps are being taken under the research project. He said that even today, the largest deaths in the world are due to diseases spread by arthropods. He said that they are conducting research for a better future keeping in mind climate change Dr. Zia-ud-Din Sindh, Associate Professor of the Department presented the possible control strategies for the arthropods and challenges of such kind of research. Dr. Muhammad Saqib, Chairman, Department of CMS and Co-PI of the Project demonstrated the results of arthropod-borne pathogens prevalent in the country using molecular tools.