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

Epidemiological aspects of visceral leishmaniasis in Baft district, Kerman province, southeast of Iran

Visceral leishmaniasis [kala-azar] is an endemic disease in some areas of Iran. A cross-sectional study was conducted for sero-epidemiological survey of visceral leishmaniasis [VL] in Baft district from Kerman Province, southeast of Iran. Blood samples were collected from children up to 12 years old and 10% of adult population from Baft villages with a multi-stage randomized cluster sampling. In addition, blood samples were collected from 30 domestic dogs from the same areas. All the collected blood samples were tested by direct agglutination test [DAT] for the detection of anti-Leishmania antibodies in both human and dog using the cut-off value of >/= 1:3200 and >/= 1:320, respectively. Parasitological, molecular, and pathological were performed on infected dogs. Chi-square and Fisher exact tests were used to compare sero-prevalence values. From 1476 collected human serum samples, 23 [1.55%] showed anti-Leishmania antibodies at titers of 1:800 and 1:1600 whereas 14 [0.95%] showed anti-Leishmania infantum antibodies at titers of >/= 1:3200. No statistically significant difference was found between male [1.18%] and female [0.69%] sero-prevalence [P=0.330]. Children of 5-8 years showed the highest sero-prevalence rate [3.22%]. Seven out of 30 domestic dogs [23%] showed anti-Leishmania antibodies at titers >/= 1:320. Leishmania infantum was identified in five infected dogs by nested -PCR assay. It seems that visceral leishmaniasis is being endemic in southern villages of Baft district, southeast of Iran

[Identification of nonresponsive isolates to glucantime in patients with cutaneous leishmanaisis in bam]

Background and Aims: Cutaneous leishmaniasis [CL] is a prevalent disease worldwide including Iran. In Iran Leishmania tropica and Leishmania major are two causing factors of cutaneous leishmaniasis and Bam is one of the old and well-known focuses of CL. The objective of the present study was to identify the resistant isolates to meglumine antimoniate [MA] for implementation of future control measures in Bam

Methods: This work has been conducted during 2009-2010 in the city of Bam and Kerman School of Medicine. From a total of 2126 patients with CL, 235 patients [11.1%] were resistant against MA [Glucantime] of whom 51 ones were randomly selected. Skin scrapings were taken for direct smear preparations and culture media and Nested-polymerase chain reaction [PCR] were used for species identification

Findings: In this study, 122 males [51.9%] and 113 females [48.1%], resistant to MA were identified that shows no significant difference between the two sexes. With a significant difference most of the resistant patients were in the age group 11-21 years [29.4%], followed by 10 years [21.6%] and the lowest were in the age group 55 years [5.9%]. Most of the lesions were on face [55.5%], the majority had one lesion [64.5%] and 33.3% received MA intra -lesionally. According to the results of PCR, all 51 isolates were Leishmania tropica

Conclusion: To our knowledge this is the first study that is carried out on the resistant patients to MA in Bam. Since the incidence of this disease and drug resistance have been increased after the earth quake of 2003, further studies to identify genetic variants of resistant isolates in order to use new alternative drugs are required

[ prevalence of cutaneous leishmaniasis in the city and suburb of Mohammadabad, Jiroft district and identification of parasite species by nested-PCR, 2008]

Cutaneous leishmaniasis [CL] is a health problem in the world, including Iran. The objective of this study was to assess the epidemiology of CL and determination of the causative parasite species in the city and suburb of Mohammadabad, Jiroft district. This descriptive and cross-sectional study was performed in census manner. Diagnosis was based on direct smear microscopy and Nested-PCR technique was applied for the identification of species. Overall, 3516 individuals consisting of 1743 females [49.6%] and 1773 males [50.4%] were physically examined for the presence of active lesion or scar. The prevalence rate was 6.2% in female and 4.5% in male subjects with a significant difference [P<0.05]. Most of the infection was in the age group of 11-20 years [10.5%] and the lowest was in the age group of 21-30 year [3%]. Most of the lesions were on the face [47%] and the majority [64%] had one lesion. Based on Nested-PCR technique all examined cases were Leishmania tropica. This study has been conducted for the first time in north of Jiroft district in proximity of Bam district. Increasing rate of this disease after the earthquake and in accordance with the epidemic condition in the city of Bam is due to the frequent traveling of people to this rural area

Spatial distribution and molecular identification of leishmania species from endemic foci of south-eastern Iran

Cutaneous leishmaniasis constitutes a major public health problem in many parts of the world including Iran. The primary objective of this study was to identify Leishmania species in endemic districts of Kerman Province, south-eastern Iran. This study was conducted by random sampling as cross- sectional descriptive between 2008 and 2010. Overall, 203 skin scraping smears were taken from the patients. Nested -PCR was performed to amplify variable minicircle fragments of Leishmania kDNA. Bam was the most infected district [71.1%], followed by Kerman [14.7%], Jiroft [5.4%], Baft [2.7%], Sirjan [1.6%], Shahr-e Babak [1.5%] and others [3.0%]. L. tropica was the most common species identified [194 cases, 95.6%], while L. major was found in only 9 cases [4.4%]. Of 203 identified patients, all species in Bam [l07 cases], Kerman [32 cases], Jiroft [l6 cases] and Shahr-e- Babak [l1 cases] were detected as L. tropica, whereas infected subjects in Baft and Sirjan showed L. tropica or L. major. Characterization of Leishmania species resulted in generation of 750 bp and 560 bp fragments, corresponding to those of L. tropica and L. major, respectively. L. tropica is the main species [95.6%] caused ACL in endemic areas of Kerman Province; however L. major is present in low level [4.4%]