epidemiological and clinical study on scorpionism in hospitalized children in Khuzestan, Iran

Scorpion sting is a public health problem in Khuzestan, South-West Iran. The aims of the current study were to monitor the hospitalized children, due to scorpion sting, and releasing more clinical and epidemiologic data related to scorpionism in this Province. In this retrospective study, the data of scorpion sting victims, among the hospitalized children in Abuzar Children Hospital of Ahvaz Jundi Shapur University of Medical Sciences, was analyzed from the points of epidemiological and clinical aspects in 2006. The scorpion species of 18 files out of 57 were recognized accurately, using Farzanpay key of Iranian scorpions, asAndroctonus crassicauda [Scorpionida: Buthidae] and Hemiscorpious lepturus [Scorpionida: Hemiscorpiidae]. The most scorpionism emergencies among the children in the Khuzestan should be paid to those species. However, H. lepturus sting emergencies are in the top of attention among the children

Interactions between entomopathogenic fungus, metarhizium anisopliae and sublethal doses of spinosad for control of house fly, musca domestica

Metarhizium anisopliae strain IRAN 437C is one of the most virulent fungal isolates against house fly, Musca domestica. The objective of this study was to determine the interaction of this isolate with sublethal doses of spinosad against housefly. In adult bioassay, conidia of entomopathogenic fungus were applied as inoculated bait at 105 and 107spore per gram and spinosad at 0.5, 1 and 1.5 microg [A.I.] per gram bait. In larval bioassay, conidia were applied as combination of spore with larval bedding at 106 and 108 spore per gram and spinosad at sublethals of 0.002, 0.004 and 0.006 microg [AI] per gram medium. Adult mortality was 48% and 72% for fungus alone but ranged from 66-87% and 89-95% in combination treatments of 105 and 107 spore/g with sublethal doses of spinosad respectively. The interaction between 105 spore/g with sublethals exhibited synergistic effect, but in combination of 107 spore in spite of higher mortality, the interaction was additive. There was significant difference in LT50 among various treatments. LT50 values in all combination treatments were smaller than LT50 values in alone ones. Larval mortality was 36% and 69% for fungus alone but ranged from 58%-78% and 81%-100% in combination treatments of 106 and 108 spore/g medium with sublethals of spinosad respectively. The interaction was synergistic in all combination treatments of larvae. The interaction between M. anispliae and spinosad indicated a synergetic effect that increased the house fly mortality as well as reduced the lethal time

case report of Sarcoptes scabiei infection in Ahwaz, Iran

The prevalence of Sarcoptes in rural areas has been investigated by many investigators. Sarcoptes infestation in areas with poor education and hygienic is higher than urban areas. In this study, one severe case of Sarcoptes scabiei infestation is described from a four months old child. Confirmation of scabies was done by clinical examination of child and by the identification of the mite by microscopically examining scrapings from the scabies lesions. The prevalence of scabies is high in children in rural regions, suggesting that it is a serious public health problem. This phenomenon may be due to the fact that certain environmental conditions such as overcrowding, poor personal hygiene, poverty, and ignorance, which are conducive to the spread of scabies, tend to be quite common in rural regions. Control programs should be put in place and implemented in an integrated manner, by reducing over crowding, and by improving health education, personal hygiene, treatment and surveillance among high-risk populations

Side effects of IGR cyromazine on nasonia vitripennis [hymenoptera: pteromalidae] a parasitic wasp of house fly pupae

Combination of cyromazine as an Insect Growth Regulator [IGR] and Nasonia vitripennis [Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae] a parasitic wasp may be an effective tool for reducing the house-fly populations in poultry houses and livestock farms. This study was conducted to assess the side effects of the IGR cyromazine on the level of parasitism and numbers and the longevity of emerged N. vitripennis parasitoids from house fly pupae. Cyromazine treated cloth target was used as the contaminating method of the parasitoids which was applied in this research study. The Weibull distribution showed that there was no significant difference among controls and cyromazine treated targets for longevity data. There was no significant effect of cyromazine on the level of parasitism of N. vitripennis using ?2 test. One-way ANOVA showed that the actual numbers emerging were significantly higher in the control than in two cyromazine treatments; however, it is a useful phenomenon because of reducing the hyperparasitism. There is a good consistency between using N. vitripennis and 1.1% or 0.9% cyromazine treated targets. Therefore cyromazine treated targets can be applied as a safe delivery vehicle for applying the cyromazine IGR in the poultry houses and livestock farms in an Integrated Pest Management [IPM] program

Identification of cutaneous leishmaniasis agents by nested polymerase chain reaction [Nested-PCR] in Shush city, Khuzestan province, Iran

Leishmaniasis is a common parasitic disease worldwide. Leishmania tropica and L. major are two common cause of cutaneous leishmaniasis in Iran. The aim of this study was determination of the cause of cutaneous leishmaniasis in Shush city, Khouzestan Province, Southwest Iran. One hundred samples were collected from patients at the age of 1-80 year with documented cutaneous leishmaniasis referred to the health centre and a private medical diagnostic laboratory at Shush City. DNA was extracted from slid samples by phenol- chloroform- Isoemil alcohol method, and subjected to Nested-PCR as template. k DNA of the parasites were amplified by CSB1XR and CSB2XF in the first round of PCR and 13Z and Li R primers for the second round. After PCR, electrophoresis of products was performed and 750bp band from L. tropica and 560bp band from L. major were detected. A total of 100 cases comprising 47 females and 53 males were studied. The highest infected age group was under 10 years with a rate of 42% and the lowest rate was 4% at the age group of above 40 years. The results of PCR electrophoresis indicated that 90[90%] cases were L. major and 10 [10%] L. tropica. The predominant species in this area was L. major. It is concluded that Nested PCR is a reliable test for diagnosis and identification of Leishmania species and can apply in epidemiological investigations

effects of oral application of cyromazine and triflumuron on house-fly larvae

Accumulations of large quantities of wastes [manure, used litter, dead birds] which are excellent medium for fly-larvae over poultry houses provide breeding places for different groups of fly pests, with house-flies being the dominant species. This project is a comparative lab study. In this research project the larvicidal effects of cyromazine and triflumuron were studied as two Insect Growth Regulators [IGRs] to reduce the fly population using oral application. Both IGRs had a significant effect on larval mortality compared with their controls among the concentrations [P< 0.01, Fisher's LSD with Bonfferoni correction] including a dose-dependent relationship. Comparisons among LC[50] and LC[90] values, using fiducial limits, showed that cyromazine was significantly more toxic to the larvae of the two strains than triflumuron. It is concluded that cyromazine should be used in a larvicidal programme to control house-fly rather than triflumuron