ABSTRACT
Objective: To determine the knowledge, attitude and practice of healthcare workers in Kermanshah Province about Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF). Methods: This study was conducted in 2014 on healthcare personnel in different job categories including physicians, nurses, midwives, laboratory staff and network health staff of Kermanshah Province by direct interview. Results: A total of 367 respondents who had more than 5 years of experience in their jobs were interviewed. Among them 91% of physicians and nurses, 97% of midwives and health workers and 96% of laboratory staff stated that they had not been confronted with CCHF patients so far. Regarding knowledge, 76% of physicians, 78% of nurses, 77% of midwives and 58% of laboratory staff believed that the disease is remediable. Most of the interviewed participants stated that the disease pertains to people who are in close contact with domestic animals, but they did not consider their own occupations as one of the risk factors. More than 70% of the respondents believed that the disease may exist in the province or their work field. Generally, the knowledge about CCHF was inadequate, with nurses having the lowest level of knowledge. Conclusions: Knowledge of Kermanshah healthcare staff about CCHF was poor, especially nurses in a high risk job category. Therefore, it is necessary to conduct specific training programs for the disease identification, transmission, prevention, and treatment as well as the use of personal protection and safety devices.
ABSTRACT
The German cockroach, Blattella germanica is a major hygienic pest and mechanical vector for pathogenic agents in hospitals and residential areas. The development of insecticide resistance is a serious problem in controlling of this pest. Toxicity of four commonly used insecticides [permethrin, cypermethrin, malathion and chlorpyrifos] against two hospital- collected strains of the German cockroach was investigated. Topical bioassay methods were carried out for detecting insecticide susceptibility of adult male cockroaches. For each insecticide, four to six concentrations resulting in >0% and <100% mortality were used. Three to six replicates of 10 cockroaches per concentration were conducted. The differences between LD[50] [microg/g] values were considered statistically significant only when the 95% confidence intervals did not overlap. Two hospital- collected strains of the German cockroach showed low to moderate levels of resistance to chlorpyrifos, permethrin, malathion and cypermethrin based on resistance ratios compared with susceptible strain. The low level chlorpyrifos resistance suggesting this insecticide may still provide adequate control of these strains. While the obsereved moderate levels of resistance to cypermethrin could imply developing resistance to this compound
ABSTRACT
The German cockroach, Blattella germanica [L], is a worldwide hygienic pest that is very difficult to control. Extensive usage of insecticides may develop resistance to variety of insecticides, causing failure to control. This study was designed to determine resistance of hospital-collected strains of the German cockroach to carbamate and organophosphorous insecticides. The insecticide resistance status in nine hospital- collected strains of the German cockroach, Blattella germanica [L.] gainst two carbamate insecticides [bendiocarb, carbaryl] and two organophosphorous insecticides [malathion, chlorpyriphos] were detected using glass jar test method. For detection of resistance in adult males the susceptibility level of each field strain was compared with standard susceptible strain based on the mortality rate obtained from exposing them to a single discriminating dose. The results of mortality test of four insecticides on adult males of susceptible strain demonstrated the discriminating doses for chlorpyriphos [6.63 mg/m2], bendiocarb [66.34 mg/m2]and carbaryl [390.11 mg/m2] respectively. The lowest and highest discriminating doses belonged to chlorpyriphos and carbaryl respectively. Among nine adult males strains two strains were resistant to bendiocarb and two strains were resistant to carbaryl. Some strains also showed a wide range of tolerance to malathion and chlorpyriphos. The study proposed the carbamate insecticides [bendiocarb and carbaryl] did not have efficacy for control of German cockroach due to development of resistance in the strains. Our results showed that the resistance to organophosphorous insecticides is developing, consequently, the usage of these insecticides is not recommended. Investigation on chlorpyriphos resistance mechanisms is suggested for the possibility of rotational usage of this compound with pyrethroid insecticides could be evaluated