The current study aimed to assess the microbial quality of municipal (tap) and ground (borehole) water in Karachi, Pakistan. A health survey was also conducted to assess possible health risks of the drinking water. Fifty water samples (n = 25 each of tap and ground water) were collected from various locations of five administrative districts of Karachi for bacteriological analysis. In addition, a survey was conducted to assess the impact of drinking water on the health of city residents. Microbiological analysis results showed the presence of total coliform in 48 out of 50 (96%) tested samples. The total viable plate count at 37 °C was >200 CFU/ml in the majority of the collected samples which exceeded the permissible limit set by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Pakistan Environmental Protection Agency. To evaluate the health risk of contaminated water, a total of 744 residents were interviewed. The information acquired from this field work revealed a high prevalence of waterborne diseases in the order of diarrhea and vomiting > skin problems > malaria > prolonged fever > eye problems and jaundice. To solve water and environmental problems, awareness and regular monitoring programs of water management and safe disposal of waste have been suggested.

Mental health is the most neglected health sector in Pakistan, and the majority of citizens have limited or no access to primary and secondary psychiatric services. The incidence of schizophrenia (SCZ) has increased at an alarming rate in Pakistan, relative to that of other psychiatric disorders. While numerous studies have investigated SCZ, few have addressed the issue about the Pakistani population. In the present review, the researchers discuss current data integral to the prevalence, pathophysiology, and molecular genetics of SCZ; treatment approaches to the disease; and patient responses to drugs prescribed for SCZ in Pakistan. Most Pakistani patients exhibit poor responses to antipsychotic drugs. Based on our review, the researchers hypothesize that genetic dissimilarities between Pakistani and Western populations contribute to such poor responses. Consequently, an understanding of such genetic differences and the provision of personalized treatment may simultaneously aid in improving SCZ treatment in Pakistan.

Exposure to toxic chemicals appears to be one of the major factors in the onset of Schizophrenia. Present study was designed to find out the association of socioeconomic , clinical and heavy metals such as chromium (Cr), lead (Pb) copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), iron (Fe), manganese (Mn) selenium (Se) and arsenic (As) as the principle environmental factors that appear to impact schizophrenic condition in Pakistani population. In this study we have tried to expose some factors such as drug abuse, marital status, education, monthly income that could be related to the disease. These parameters were not investigated before in Pakistani subjects. A self-made questionnaire was developed to collect and record the history of patient's social and economical status. The level of transition metals in the whole blood was also measured by using Inductive couple plasma optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES). Present study has found higher levels of Cr, Pb, Zn, Se, As and Cu and lower levels of Fe and Mn in the blood of newly diagnosed (ND) patients when compared to the controls. While comparing ND with the patients who were on medication (Old Diagnosed) we, found lower level of these metals except for copper in ND. However no significant differences were observed between any trace metal levels between the studied groups. The survey concludes that economic status, marital status and illegal drugs are significantly associated with schizophrenia. Pakistani men who use cannabis are significantly higher in numbers when compared to women in acquiring the psychiatric symptoms.

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The Neuregulin 1 (NRG1) gene has been associated with schizophrenia in several populations, and all four types of NRG1 genes are linked with neurotransmitters activities. In this study for the first time we have demonstrated an association between NRG1 mutation and schizophrenia in Pakistani population. We examined the relationship of three genetic variants SNPs: rs3924999, rs2954041 and rs35753505 of NRG1 gene with the onset of disease. Genomic DNA samples were obtained from the blood of 100 patients and 80 matched controls. All three NRG1 SNPs were genotyped by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism method and further confirmed by DNA sequencing. The SNPs frequencies were estimated by Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium and Chi-square tests. Our study established a significant association of rs35753505 with schizophrenia but no association with rs3924999 and rs2954041. The frequency of risk allele C was significantly higher (62.5%) in rs35753505 patients when compared to controls (28.13%). Genotype frequency by Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium for SNPrs3924999 in patients was GG 77.4%, GA 21.12% and AA 1.44% and showed no association with the disease. Similarly, no genotype association was observed in rs2954041: GG 92.98%, GT 6.89%, TT 0.13% of NRG1. However, one unexpected G allele, 100% guanine (G) with no adenine (A) was found to be present in SNP rs35753505 in both patients and controls. This is an interesting finding that both cohorts display only allele G peak but no peak for allele A in the electropherogram for this SNP. Our results suggest that SNP rs35753505 of NRG1 plays an important role in conferring susceptibility to the schizophrenia in a Pakistani population.