Ayoob Asma

Sujet de thèse, sous la direction de M. Mashkour (UMR7209 BioArch) et Fabienne Audebert (BOREA)

Financement: bourse Eiffel

The Feeding River; Aquatic-Derived and Fish Zoonotic Parasites and Their Origins Along The Lower Indus Valley (Sindh, Pakistan): Long-Term Human Impact and Implications for Public Health

The Indus River has sustained Pakistan’s economy and culture for thousands of years and provides food resources to rural populations. It can also serve as a transmission route for zoonotic diseases. Waterborne zoonotic parasites can infect humans through contact with contaminated water or by consuming water, freshwater shellfish, or fish. These aquatic parasites also affect aquatic ecosystems, aquaculture, and fisheries. 

In humans, these infections can cause gastrointestinal disorders and, in severe cases, lead to serious illness. Parasitic diseases are a public health problem in Pakistan, where access to sufficient, high-quality water is limited. Sindh, where many rural communities depend directly on the river, was the province hardest hit by the 2022 floods, which severely degraded water quality. How aquatic zoonotic parasites circulate between water, animals, and people in the lower Indus River basin both today and in the past, remains to be documented. 

My research aims to document the current status of waterborne parasitic infections along the lower Indus Valley and to trace the history of parasitic infections in this region. Sindh is Pakistan’s second-most populous province, and many rural communities located on its floodplains depend on the river’s water resources. 

For the current phase of my research, I will focus on zoonoses in Pakistan by studying parasites found in aquatic environments, both in the water itself and in crustaceans and fish consumed as food. 

For the historical component, I will explore the sediments of Chanhu-daro, a major urban center of the Indus Valley Civilization, which has been excavated since 2015 by the French Archaeological Mission in the Indus Basin. Hydraulic structures designed for water storage and sanitation have been identified there, and fish and turtles played an important role in the local diet. The sediments will be analyzed using standard protocols for paleoparasitology and optical microscopy. The project combines parasitology, paleoparasitology, and archaeozoology within a “One Health” approach. 

This project will aim to determine whether the distribution of zoonotic parasites follows a gradient related to water quality, seasonal flow, and, possibly, fish species, and will assess the potential presence of zoonotic parasites in Chanhu-daro. As a pilot study, it will provide data on aquatic parasites currently present in Sindh and offer a long-term perspective on the interactions between humans, animals, and their environment, with implications for the management of zoonotic diseases and public health in Pakistan and comparable regions.