ABSTRACT
Objective: To reveal the provincial clustering of malaria in Iran between 2005 and 2014 based on the epidemiologic factors and the climatic indicators affecting the disease. Methods: This was a descriptive-analytical study using malaria and meteorological data from the Malaria Elimination Programme of the Ministry of Health and Medical Education and National Meteorological Organization. After standardization, the aggregate data was used to produce 10-year means for each province. The data analysis included grouping the provinces with respect to factors using hierarchical clustering method and Kruskal-Wallis test to examine the difference between clusters using SPSS ver.23. Results: The hierarchical clustering stratified the provinces' in 5 clusters. Kruskal-Wallis H test revealed a significant difference in the incidence rate per 100 000 population (P=0.001), male gender (P=0.001), Iranian nationality (P=0.001), Afghan nationality (P=0.003), Pakistani nationality (P=0.001), urban residence (P=0.006), rural residence (P=0.004), autochthonous cases (P=0.007), average minimum temperature (P=0.001), average maximum temperature (P=0.007), average relative humidity (P=0.011), average pressure level (P=0.038), prevailing wind direction (P=0.023), average wind speed (P=0.031) and average precipitation sum (P=0.002) among the clusters. Conclusions: The results of this study and stratification of the provinces could help health policy makers to better manage malaria by allocating resources accordingly.
ABSTRACT
The German cockroach is an important household insect pest mechanically involved in transmission of a variety of diseases to humans. Different classes of insecticides have extensively been used for its control leading to insecticide resistance development. Hence, for an optimal control of this pest, the status and underlying mechanisms of insecticide resistance should be studied in this group of insects. Adult German cockroaches were collected from Imam and Bouali Cina Hospitals [Sari, Iran] and subjected to bioassay using jar test method. The results were compared to those of a susceptible laboratory strain. Biochemical assays of esterases, monooxigenases and glutathione S-transferase [GST] levels were undertaken on German cockroaches from Imam and Bouali Cina Hospitals and the results were compared to a susceptible laboratory strain. The LT50 values of the three strains were 20.24 +/- 2.2, 19.87 +/- 2.3 and 8.89 +/- 0.26 for permethrin; 19.3 +/- 3.05, 17.6 +/- 0.68 and 8.8 +/- 0.99 for deltamethrin; 19.64 +/- 2.9, 18.66 +/- 3.45 and 8.64 +/- 0.62 min for cypermethrin, respectively. The mean alpha-esterase activity of Imam and Bouali Cina Hospitals and susceptible strains were 6.941 x 10-4, 6.940 x 10-4 and 8.01 x 10-5 nmol/min/mg protein; the mean beta-esterase activity in those strains were 5.8 x 10-4, 4.25 x 10-4 and 7.28 x 10-5 nmol/min/mg protein; the mean content of p450 in the above-mentioned strains were 5.64 x 10-6, 1.89 x 10-6 and 1.2 x 10-6 nmol/mg protein; the mean GST activity were 6.66 x 10-2, 0.102 and 5.72 x 10-2 micromol/min/mg protein, respectively. The LT50 values and also the mean activity of all enzyme groups in field strains were significantly different from those of the susceptible strain, indicating a vigour tolerance to insecticides and pyrethroids in particular. Hence, insecticide resistance monitoring techniques should be put in place and also resistance management strategies and measures should be considered implementing in the area