Mapping the distribution of the important rodents reservoir in Iran

Far from the economic importance, rodents can play an important role in distribution of some infectious diseases, called Rodent borne diseases. These diseases are also considered as zoonosis. Some of these diseases can transmitted from other animals to humans, but rodents considered as the reservoir host of Rodent borne diseases. Knowledge on rodents' reservoir and their distributions will provide a clue for people who work in the field such as farmers and soldiers. The importance of rodents and plague has been uncovered to people particularly in wartime. The experiences of the Imposed War also indicated the widespread of exposure of fully trained military units to cutaneous leishmaniasis; it was due to the trench construction and destruction of rodent borrows and nests near the endemic areas in Shoosh [hills of Do-salak]. Apart from the name Do-salak, which refer to the endemicity of cutaneous leishmaniasis in Persian word, there are other diseases indicate the role of rodents reservoirs during the wartime such as plague, tick- borne relapsing fever, murine typhus and some parasitic diseases.However, the prevention of such diseases should be started in peacetime with increase in knowledge particularly in geography and biology of rodents among peers and practitioners who work in the military medicine teams. Although a Comprehensive study that had conducted by Etemad in 1977, provided a baseline information in Iran, but there is still need for updating the information. The aim of this study is mapping the distribution of 17 important species rodents using ArcGIS software. In this approach, we provided distribution maps for 17 medically important species of rodents in the country

Mapping epidemiologically important reservoirs of snail transmitted parasites in Iran

fresh water snails are intermediate host of many parasitic worms with importance in Medicine and Veterinary. Hundred thousand Dollars are waist because of Fascioliasis in Iran annually and schistosomiasis was one of the important diseases of Iran in near past decades. Veterinary important termatoda are prevalent in Iran too. Fresh water snails of Iran are studied from past decades, but there is not any documentation about Medical Malacology after elimination of Scistosomiasis in Iran. This Manuscript tries to gathering and clarifies existence and prevalence of important snails of Iran. All manuscripts, dissertations and thesis and data about freshwater snails were studied and the list of fresh water snails of Iran was prepared and criterion of these snails was studied from certified texts and documents. For mapping the distribution of snails ArcGIS 9.3 were used. About 20 Genus of Fresh water snails may see in Iran, some other fresh water snails without Medical or Veterinary importance and some other slogs or brackish water snails may see too. Distributional map of Important snails are presented. Prevention of snail transmitted parasites, except schistosomiasis, is not based on mollusciciding operations; indeed, it's based on interrupting the life cycle of parasite. So knowledge of ecological capacity of local nature is basic need for preventing approaches. Snails in Iran are distributed on their biological criteria and spread around the country. Presented mapping of snail may use for better understanding of pattern and epidemiology of snail transmitted disease. This is the first publication on distribution of snails in Iran

[Assessment of parasitologic and ecologic aspects of melanoids snails in Bandar Abbas, Iran]

Melanoids was previously found in Hormozgan province. In Khuzestan province, up to 2.9% of these snails were infected to cercaria of trematodes, but there was not any report about its parasitologic aspects in Hormozgan province. This study was performed to find ecological and parasitological aspects of Melanoides tuberculata in Hormozgan province, south of Iran. In this descriptive study, 223 snails were collected from 6 points in Bandar Abbas district. Upon diagnosis of 208 snails as Melanoides tuberculata in laboratory, they were crushed and their probable cercaria was checked out by a dissecting microscope. The data were analyzed using Geographic Information System [GIS] and other ecological information of the region. From 208 Melanoids snails, 43 cases [20.67%] were infected with trematodes larval stage. These cercarias were classified as Gymnocephalus and Xiphydiocarcaria. It is possible that in special situations, these parasites infect the people