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Human hydatidosis is an important public health issue in India and many other developing countries. There is lack of data related to occurrence of this disease in certain risk groups. The present study was therefore designed to assess the seroprevalence of human hydatidosis among occupational risk groups in Punjab (India). One hundred and forty nine human serum samples from dog handlers, veterinarians/para veterinarians, dairy farmers, patients with liver disorders, HIV positives and control group (visiting hospital for other problems) were collected and analyzed using a commercially available enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The results revealed that 23 (15.43 %) subjects were seropositive for human hydatidosis. High seropositivity were recorded in dog handlers (30 %), followed by the other risk group populations. Relative risk of being infected was found to be 4.80 times high in dog handlers when compared to control group population. Future studies must be planned to determine the significance of these findings and the status of human hydatidosis in India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The elemental concentration of uranium in the samples collected from the ground water and the canal water in the Bathinda district of Punjab state, India, have been investigated using X-ray fluorescence technique. The residues obtained after drying the water samples were analysed using the energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectrometer consisting of Mo-anode X-ray tube equipped with selective absorbers as an excitation source and an Si(Li) detector. The uranium concentration values in significant fraction of the shallow ground water samples from the hand pumps is found to be above the permissible level of 15 ppb recommended by World Health Organisation for the drinking water, and its values in the canal water samples are below 5 ppb. To investigate the flyash from the coal-fired thermal power plants as a possible source of ground water contamination, the water samples collected from the surroundings of the power plants and the flyash samples were also analyzed. The results rule out flyash as a source of uranium contamination. Agrochemical processes occurring in the calcareous soils in the region are the favoured potential source of uranium contamination of the ground water. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on the study which analyzes the qualitative improvement in the family planning services among sterilization acceptors in Punjab, India. The study indicates that variables schedule caste and non-schedule caste, average number of children and total number of male and female children were selected at the time of accepting sterilization. Results show that during the range of 16 years, the percentage of sterilization acceptors increased among schedule castes. However, the average number of living children at the time of sterilization or completed family size among subpopulations have declined.

The queries made by Rathore in the preceding Letter to Editor (J Radioanal Nucl Chem, 2013) regarding the 'Studies of ground water contamination in Punjab state in India using X-ray fluorescence technique' by Alrakabi et al. (J Radioanal Nucl Chem 294:221-227, 2012. doi: ), are responded. The points raised by Rathore are important in case of sensitive analytical techniques, where only a small fraction (~few hundred μL of water) of the water sample collected in the container is effectively used as analyte. The biasing due to chemical speciation and physical escape of element of interest becomes significant in such rapid techniques if the ionic species of interest in the analyte are not stabilised using suitable additives. In the reported study based on X-ray fluorescence technique, the analyte used for elemental analysis was obtained by drying about 500-1000 mL of water sample. Adequate precautions were taken to minimize possibility of element of interest to escape or adhere to the bottle surface or lost as residue. The onsite acidification of collected water sample to pH 1 with reagent-grade nitric acid for sample preservation is not a pre-requisite in the procedure followed. The contribution of particulate matter to the reported concentrations of uranium was estimated to be insignificant. Also, the query related to effect of co-precipitation of uranium with formation of CaF is found to be inconsequential. The comment made by Rathore (J Radioanal Nucl Chem, 2013) stating that 'proceeding further in the measurement of uranium is a waste of time and has no meaning and results and discussion have no meaning too' is extraneous. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]