cross-sectional study of the seroprevalence and flock-level factors associated with ovine and caprine brucellosis in southeastern Iran

This cross-sectional study was conducted to estimate seroprevalence and to identify flock-level factors associated with seropositivity to brucellosis in small ruminants in Kerman province, southeastern Iran. In October-November 2011, serum samples were randomly collected from 1767 sheep and 1233 goats, older than 18 months, from 300 flocks. The sera were initially screened for the presence of anti-Brucella antibodies using the Rose-Bengal test; those found to be positive were then examined by Wright and 2-mercaptoethanol Brucella agglutination tests. A questionnaire was used to collect data on flock-level factors likely associated with the within flock seroprevalence of brucellosis. The associations were statistically evaluated for significance in multivariable logistic models. Sixty three flocks [21.00%; 95% CI: 16.80-26.60] had at least one seropositive animal. The mean within-flock seroprevalence was 3.10% [95% CI: 2.60-3.90]. The presence of newly purchased animals [OR=3.42; 95% CI: 1.35-8.65] was significantly associated with seropositivity. Our findings highlight the role of animal movement among flocks in the epidemiology of brucellosis in this region. Thus, a control program for brucellosis in the region is suggested to impose appropriate restrictions on animal trade and improve knowledge of livestock owners about quarantine principles for newly purchased animals

Investigation of genetic causes of intellectual disability in Kerman province, south east of Iran

Intellectual disability [ID] has a worldwide prevalence of 1-3% and results from extraordinary heterogeneous. To shed more light on the causes of ID in Kerman Province, in Southeast Iran, we set out in 2008 to perform systematic clinical studies and homozygosity mapping in large Iranian families with ID. Fifty seven families with a minimum of two mentally retarded children from Kerman Province were initially tested for metabolic disorders, by Tandem mass spectrometry. Fragile X testing and standard karyotyping were performed for all probands of families. Cases with autosomal recessive [AR] pattern of inheritance and microcephaly were subjected to homozygosity mapping by using several microsatellite markers for known MCPH loci. Three out of seven families with X-linked pattern of inheritance were positive for fragile X syndrome. Chromosome abnormality was not observed in any of dysmorphic patients and all families were negative for metabolic tests. Among the remaining 50 families of AR ID, six were found to be microcephalic, of which 2 linked to two MCPH loci [33.3%]. The rest 4 families were not linked to any of the known loci. The results of this study showed that ID with microcephaly comprised 12% of ID cases in Kerman Province. In two families with apparent linkage to the MCPH5 and MCPH6 locus, mutation screening was not successful, which might indicate that either the mutation is located in the regulatory sequences of the gene or that there might be another genes present in these regions, which is mutated in such cases

[ effects of electromagnetic field on fertility and mouse gonads in preimplantation stage]

Considerable attention is focused on the effects of the electromagnetic field [EMF] due to its wide-ranging use in everyday life. Appliances and various equipments are sources of electromagnetic fields with a wide-range of technical characteristics. In this study we investigated the effect of EMF [50 Hz, 0.5 mT] on fertility and mouse gonads in preimplantation. Materials and Methods: Eighty female mice were divided in to 2 groups the control group was not exposed to EMF, while the case group was exposed to 4 hours per day, to 50 Hz and 0.5 mT EMF 6 days a week, for 2 weeks. On the 8th day of exposure, female mice in both groups were superovoulated and mated overnight. Next morning females with a vaginal plug were identified as pregnant mice at the time of implantation, the pregnant mice were sacrificed and blastocysts were subsequently obtained from these mice by flushing the uterus horns. The samples of ovaries in all groups were taken and were processed for light microscopic studies, and the data was compared using t-test [SPSS, considering, and P < 0.05], significant. Results: The mean number of pregnant mice decreased in the EMF group [50%] as compared to the control group [67.5%], difference not significant. The mean number of fetuses per pregnancy was 9 +/- 4.8 in the control group and 5.5 +/- 5.7 in the experimental group, with significant decrease between the means of the 2 groups [P < 0.03]. The analysis of the size of monolayer primary follicle in the EMF exposed groups did not show significant decrease compared to the control group [12.33 +/- 1.53, 12.17 +/- 1.79 and P>0.810]. Although the total number of follicles, number of monolayer primary follicles and corpus luteum, increased in comparison to control group following there was no significant differences between them. Conclusion: The findings indicated that the EMF, following short periods of exposure, has negative effects on female mice fertility, whereas histological studies showed no changes in ovaries