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Objective: Different studies have been performed on the prevalence of tick-borne pathogens in different areas of Iran; however, as far as our knowledge, there is no regional meta-analysis available for consideration and estimation of tick species infected with different pathogens in Iran. Methods: In this review, among different databases, a total of 95 publications were included, and the infection of different tick species to different tick-borne pathogens was determined; furthermore, presence of pathogens (with 95% confidence intervals) in tick vectors was calculated separately for each province, using Comprehensive Meta-Analysis version 2 (Biostat, USA). Results: Totally, among all 95 studies, 5 673 out of 33 521 investigated ticks were positive according to different detection methods. Overall estimated presence of pathogens in tick vectors in Iran was 8.6% (95% CI 7.0%-10.6%, P 0.001). Of all 46 species of ticks in 10 genera in Iran, 28 species in 9 genera, including Alveonasus, Argas, Boophilus, Dermacentor, Haemaphysalis, Hyalomma, Ixodes, Ornithodoros, and Rhipicephalus were infected with at least 20 pathogens in 10 genera including Aegyptianella, Anaplasma, Babesia, Borrelia, Brucella, Orthonairovirus [CrimeanCongo hemorrhagic fever virus (CCHFV)], Coxiella, Ehrlichia, Rickettsia and Theileria in 26 provinces of Iran. The presence of pathogens in ticks collected in western Iran was more than other regions. Hyalomma anatolicum (20.35%), Rhipicephalus sanguineus (15.00%), and Rhipicephalus bursa (14.08%) were the most prevalent infected ticks for different pathogens. In addition, most literatures were related to CCHFV and Theileria/Babesia spp. Conclusions: Public health and veterinary professionals should be aware of diagnosing possible diseases or outbreaks in vertebrates.
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Objective: Different studies have been performed on the prevalence of tick-borne pathogens in different areas of Iran; however, as far as our knowledge, there is no regional meta-analysis available for consideration and estimation of tick species infected with different pathogens in Iran. Methods: In this review, among different databases, a total of 95 publications were included, and the infection of different tick species to different tick-borne pathogens was determined; furthermore, presence of pathogens (with 95% confidence intervals) in tick vectors was calculated separately for each province, using Comprehensive Meta-Analysis version 2 (Biostat, USA). Results: Totally, among all 95 studies, 5 673 out of 33 521 investigated ticks were positive according to different detection methods. Overall estimated presence of pathogens in tick vectors in Iran was 8.6% (95% CI 7.0%-10.6%, P 0.001). Of all 46 species of ticks in 10 genera in Iran, 28 species in 9 genera, including Alveonasus, Argas, Boophilus, Dermacentor, Haemaphysalis, Hyalomma, Ixodes, Ornithodoros, and Rhipicephalus were infected with at least 20 pathogens in 10 genera including Aegyptianella, Anaplasma, Babesia, Borrelia, Brucella, Orthonairovirus [CrimeanCongo hemorrhagic fever virus (CCHFV)], Coxiella, Ehrlichia, Rickettsia and Theileria in 26 provinces of Iran. The presence of pathogens in ticks collected in western Iran was more than other regions. Hyalomma anatolicum (20.35%), Rhipicephalus sanguineus (15.00%), and Rhipicephalus bursa (14.08%) were the most prevalent infected ticks for different pathogens. In addition, most literatures were related to CCHFV and Theileria/Babesia spp. Conclusions: Public health and veterinary professionals should be aware of diagnosing possible diseases or outbreaks in vertebrates.
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Objective: To evaluate the susceptibility of Anopheles stephensi (An. stephensi) Liston, the main malaria vector in southern Iran, to WHO recommended insecticides. Methods: Larvae of An. stephensi were collected from three different larval habitats in both urban and rural area of Bandar Abbas city and one rural area in Rudan county southern Iran. WHO standard method was used for evaluation of adult and larval mosquito susceptibility. Bendiocarb, permethrin, lambda-cyhalothrin, deltamethrin as insecticide and temephos and chlorpyriphos as larvicide were used at the diagnostic dosages recommended by WHO. Results: Findings of this study showed all larval populations of An. stephensi were completely susceptible to temephos and candidate for resistance to chlorpyriphos. Adult mosquitoes in rural areas of Bandar Abbas city were resistant to pyrethroid and carbamate insecticides. Conclusion: Comparison of the results of this survey with previous studies indicates that the resistance to pyrethroids and carbamates in this malaria endemic region is increasing. Wide use of pesticides in agriculture is certainly effective in increasing resistance. The inter-sectoral coordination and collaboration in health and agriculture seem to be necessary to manage insecticide resistance in malaria vectors.
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Objective: To study agents of animal wound myiasis in various geographical districts of Fars province. Methods: This study has been done in Fars province, located in the southern part of Iran. Sums of 10 358 domestic animals have been visited from April 2011 to March 2012. The infected wounds in any parts of animal body were sampled by means of forceps. Results: About 61% of all animal wound myiasis were caused by larvae of Wohlfahrtia magnifica. The most wound myiasis cases due to this species occurred in central part of Fars province. There wasn't any significant difference between sheep and goat in infestation with myiasis (P>0.05). The infestation rate of myiasis in cattle community was 0.86%. Conclusions: The infestation rate of livestock was lower than other works in Iran and some other countries like Saudi Arabia. Chrysomya bezziana has been mentioned as main myiasis agent in Iran. But in this study it cleared that similarly to some European countries, the common animal myiasis agent in Iran is Wohlfahrtia magnifica. Introducing new species as principal agent for myiasis can help public health and animal husbandry policy makers to prepare sufficient and effective control and/or preventive measures for this disease.
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<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To determine the prevalence of ticks on cattle in the mountainous areas of Golestan province and their geographical distribution.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>In total, 498 animals from 25 herds were selected to search for ticks in 2009-2010. Tick collection was carried out during four seasons, twice per season over a period of 12 month from March 2009 through February 2010 in two districts, Azadshahr and Ramian. Meteorological data were obtained from Iran Meteorological Organization. The geographical points recorded using a Garmin eTrex®H GPS.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>A total of 255 ticks were collected from a total of 219 ruminants including 44 sheep, 63 goats, 99 cows and 13 camels in two districts of the mountainous area of Golestan province, including Azadshahr and Ramian. Five species of ixodid ticks were identified: Rhipicephalus sanguineus (66.5%), Rhipicephalus bursa (4.6%), Hyalomma marginatum (19.9%), Hyalomma anatolicum (6%) and Hyalomma asiaticum (4%). The densities of infestations were calculated for sheep, goats, cows and camels 0.9, 0.79, 0.16 and 0.43 respectively. Seasonal activity of each ixodid tick infesting domestic ruminants was determined. The distribution maps showed ixodid ticks on domestic ruminants, and Rhipicephalus sanguineus were dominant species in the area.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Such research provides necessary information for human and animal health service mangers to have a better understanding of prevention and control of vector borne diseases especially during the outbreaks.</p>
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<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study agents of animal wound myiasis in various geographical districts of Fars province.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>This study has been done in Fars province, located in the southern part of Iran. Sums of 10 358 domestic animals have been visited from April 2011 to March 2012. The infected wounds in any parts of animal body were sampled by means of forceps.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>About 61% of all animal wound myiasis were caused by larvae of Wohlfahrtia magnifica. The most wound myiasis cases due to this species occurred in central part of Fars province. There wasn't any significant difference between sheep and goat in infestation with myiasis (P>0.05). The infestation rate of myiasis in cattle community was 0.86%.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>The infestation rate of livestock was lower than other works in Iran and some other countries like Saudi Arabia. Chrysomya bezziana has been mentioned as main myiasis agent in Iran. But in this study it cleared that similarly to some European countries, the common animal myiasis agent in Iran is Wohlfahrtia magnifica. Introducing new species as principal agent for myiasis can help public health and animal husbandry policy makers to prepare sufficient and effective control and/or preventive measures for this disease.</p>
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OBJECTIVES: We aimed to investigate factors associated with colorectal cancer survival in Golestan, Iran. METHODS: We used a population based cancer registry to recruit study subjects. All patients registered since 2004 were contacted and data were collected using structured questionnaires and trained interviewers. All the existing evidences to determine the stage of the cancer were also collected. The time from first diagnosis to death was compared in patients according to their stage of cancer using the Kaplan-Meir method. A Cox proportional hazard model was built to examine their survival experience by taking into account other covariates. RESULTS: Out of a total of 345 subjects, 227 were traced. Median age of the subjects was 54 and more than 42% were under 50 years old. We found 132 deaths among these patients, 5 of which were non-colorectal related deaths. The median survival time for the entire cohort was 3.56 years. A borderline significant difference in survival experience was detected for ethnicity (log rank test, p=0.053). Using Cox proportional hazard modeling, only cancer stage remained significantly associated with time of death in the final model. CONCLUSIONS: Colorectal cancer occurs at a younger age among people living in Golestan province. A very young age at presentation and what appears to be a high proportion of patients presenting with late stage in this area suggest this population might benefit substantially from early diagnoses by introducing age adapted screening programs.
Subject(s)
Humans , Cohort Studies , Colorectal Neoplasms , Mass Screening , Proportional Hazards Models , Surveys and QuestionnairesABSTRACT
Tick-borne diseases are of the most important diseases in the world including Iran. This survey was conducted to understand the eco-epidemiology of tick-borne hemoparasitic diseases in Qazvin province, Iran, using Geospatial Information System [GIS]. DNA samples were extracted from livestock blood samples collected from different regions of Qazvin province. 18S rRNA-based PCR targeted Theileria/ Babesia species were done. Initial parameters for mapping the local tick-borne hemoparasitic diseases and raster files were obtained from Iran Meteorological Organization and Iranian Space Agency. Mapping of the parameters in relation to prevalence of these diseases were done. Statistical analysis was used for weighting parameters ranking and predicting spatial distribution in different climatic zones. Vapor pressure, precipitation, and altitude are of several environmental factors correlated with tick abundances. Based on the generated maps and the results of this survey, some predicting results could be used for predicting tick-borne diseases and their control. 9.7% of ruminant blood samples [N=16] were infected with protozoa pathogens from the genera Theileria and all of the specimens were negative regarding to Babesia genera. Results showed that prediction of a very high prevalence of Theileria/ Babesia species and mapping endangered area is possible in different parts of Iran. Based on the environmental conditions, key factors exist for host-seeking and range expansion of ticks
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Malaria is considered a major health problem in Iran. There are different methods for vector control. In this study we tested the larvicidal effects of some Iranian plants. The methanolic extracts of 11 plants were prepared with percolation method. The larvicidal activities of them against malaria vector, Anopheles stephensi were studied using World Health Organization standard method. All LC[50] values of methanolic extracts of plants that we screened were lower than 300 ppm. The methanolic extract of aerial parts of Lawsonia inermis and Stachys byzantine showed high larvicidal activity with LC[50] values 69.40 ppm and 103.28 ppm respectively. The results obtained from this study suggest that the methanolic extracts of these plants have larvicidal effects against Anopheles stephensi larvae and could be useful in the search for new natural larvicidal compounds
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Hypertension is an important global health concern claiming 7.1 million lives annually. Literacy, as an essential element of the health education, and its relationship with health has previously been studied. However, few studies have been conducted on the association between literacy and health outcomes. To assess the association between educational level and hypertension, awareness and hypertension control in the north of Iran were the main objectives of this study. The present study was a population-based cross-sectional study carried out on 3497 subjects aged 15-65 years using stratified and cluster sampling. Interviewers recorded the data using a multidimensional questionnaire, including blood pressure level. Blood pressure was measured three times with 5-minute intervals and defined based on JNC-7. Totally, 21.2% [741 cases] of our patients suffered from hypertension and illiterate people were significantly more aware of their disease [P=0.011]. Among the aware group, at least 89.6% [435 cases] used one method to control their disease; this however was not statistically significant among the educational levels. Control of hypertension was significantly greater in college educated group than in illiterate group [32.4% vs. 68.8%; P=0.001]. Logistic regression analysis revealed that illiteracy is a risk factor for hypertension [P<0.001]. In spite of the fact that awareness in illiterate people was high, the rate of hypertension control was low in this group. Prevention, detection, treatment, and control of hypertension especially in illiterate people should receive high priority.
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Bait-trapping appears to be a generally useful method of studying fly populations. The aim of this study was to construct a new adult flytrap by some modifications in former versions and to evaluate its applicability in a subtropical zone in southern Iran. The traps were constructed with modification by adding some equipment to a polyethylene container [18× 20× 33 cm] with lid. The fresh sheep meat was used as bait. Totally 27 adult modified traps were made and tested for their efficacies to attract adult flies. The experiment was carried out in a range of different topographic areas of Fars Province during June 2010. The traps were able to attract various groups of adult flies belonging to families of: Calliphoridae, Sarcophagidae, Muscidae, and Faniidae. The species of Calliphora vicina [Diptera: Calliphoridae], Sarcophaga argyrostoma [Diptera: Sarcophagidae] and Musca domestica [Diptera: Muscidae] include the majority of the flies collected by this sheep-meat baited trap. This adult flytrap can be recommended for routine field sampling to study diversity and population dynamics of flies where conducting of daily collection is difficult
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The main aim of this study is to determine the central obesity trends during the period from 2006 to 2010 among 15-65 years old people in Northern Iran. This was a population-based cross-sectional study conducted on 6466 subjects who had been chosen by a multi stage cluster random sampling within five steps. The subjects were randomly chosen from 325 clusters and each cluster included 20 cases. Central obesity was defined as waist circumference >/= 102 cm and >/= 88 cm in men and women, respectively. Compared to 2010, the mean waist circumference in 2006 changed from 87.2 cm to 88.1 cm in men [p=0.237], and from 90.3 cm to 88.6 cm in women [p=0.045]. The comparison between 2006 and 2010 revealed that the prevalence of central obesity slightly decreased, 6.8% and 2.4% in urban women and men, respectively. Generally, the mean of waist circumference significantly decreased in urban women [by 0.069 cm in each year; p=0.020]; however, the decrease of waist circumference in urban men was not significant [0.006 cm decrease each year; p=0.915]. The prevalence of central obesity declined among both males and females in the urban area; however, there was an attenuated increasing trend in the rural area. The disparity of trends between the two regions should be considered for further study
Subject(s)
Humans , Male , Female , Waist Circumference , Adult , Cross-Sectional Studies , Urban Population , Rural PopulationABSTRACT
Golestan Province, at the western end of the Asian esophageal cancer [EC] belt in northeastern Iran, was reported to have one of the highest worldwide rates of EC in the 1970s. We have previously shown a declining incidence of EC in Golestan during the last decades. This study reports additional new results from the Golestan Population-based Cancer Registry [GPCR]. The GPCR collected data from newly diagnosed [incident] cancer cases from all 68 public and private diagnostic and therapeutic centers in Golestan Province. CanReg-4 software was used for data entry and analysis based on the guidelines of the International Agency for Research on Cancer [IARC]. Age-standardized incidence rates [ASR] of cancers were calculated using the 2000 world standard population. From 2004 through 2008, 9007 new cancer cases were reported to the GPCR. The mean [SD] age was 55.5 [18.6] years, and 54% were diagnosed in men. The ASRs of all cancers were 175.3 and 141.1 per 100,000 person-years for males and females, respectively. Cancers of the stomach [ASR:30.7], esophagus [24.3], and lung [15.4] were the most common cancers in males. In females, breast cancer [ASR:26.9] was followed by malignancies of the esophagus [19.1] and stomach [12.4]. The diagnosis of cancer was based on histopatho-logical reports in 71% and on death certificate only in 9% of cases. The EC incidence rate continues to decline in Golestan, while the incidence rates of stomach, colorectal, and breast cancers continue to increase
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The main objective of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of the obesity and the related risk factors in the north of Iran. This was a population-based cross-sectional study that enrolled 2495 interviewers recorded the data using a multidimensional questionnaire including anthropometric indexes. Body mass index equal to or greater than 25 was considered as overweight and that of 30 and 40 as obese and pathologic obese respectively. SPSS 16.0 software was used for statistical data analysis. Mean age of the subjects was 39.2[95% CI: 38.6, 39.8] yr. Mean body mass index was 25.3 [95%CI: 25.0, 25.6] kg/m[2] for men and 27.5 [95% CI: 27.2, 27.9] kg/m[2] for women. The prevalence rates of overweight, obesity and pathologic obesity were 29.9% [745/2495], 22.5% [561/2495] and 1.8% [44/2495] respectively. The prevalence of obesity was higher in urban residents than rural ones, 27.3% versus 18.9% respectively [P<0.001]. The prevalence rates of obesity and pathologic obesity were much higher in women than men were, 30.3% versus 15.4% and 3.0% versus 0.6% respectively [P=0.001]. The odds ratio estimate was 1.68 [95% CI: 1.40, 2.02] for urban area compared to rural area; 2.60 [95% CI: 2.14, 3.15] for females compared to males; 5.95 [95% CI: 1.44, 2.84] for age group of 55-65 years compared to age group of 15-24 years; 1.76 [95% CI: 1.17, 2.64] for illiterate people compared to those who had academic education; 1.98 [95% CI: 1.13, 2.49] for poor people compared to people with high economic level. The prevalence of obesity and overweight is very high in the north of Iran, hence is a signal of serious health problem, and should be the focus of special attention
Subject(s)
Humans , Male , Female , Prevalence , Risk Factors , Cross-Sectional Studies , Surveys and Questionnaires , Body Mass Index , Obesity , OverweightABSTRACT
Esophageal and gastric cancers are among the most common and fatal cancers. These are diagnosed at the latest phase and the prognosis is too poor. Due to the importance and high incidence rate of the upper gastrointestinal cancers in Golestan province, this study was conducted to explore the overall survival rate of these patients in rural area of this region. In this descriptive cross-sectional study, a total of 121 pathologically confirmed esophageal or gastric cancers, with rural place of residence, were retrieved from the cancer registry at the health department in Gorgan. After conducting interview with patients or their relatives, analysis of their sociodemographic and clinicopathologic features was performed. The median survival rate was compared regarding age groups and gender using Kaplan-Meier statistical test. Male to female ratio in esophageal and gastric group were 1.2 to 1 and 3.8 to 1, respectively. Short-term survival rates were 54.76% and 26.2% for esophageal cancer and 66.6% and 37.5% for gastric cancer. Collected information regarding patients' sociodemographic and clinicophathologic factors did not have significant association with patients' survival in both esophageal and gastric cancers. The mean survival rate in patient with gastric and esophageal cancers according to age and gender was not significant. This study showed that the overall short-term survival rates for upper gastrointestinal cancers are very low in Golestan province. Therefore the need for intervention the need and allocating more diagnosis and therapeutic resources for upper gastrointestinal cancers are required