[Prevalence of refractive errors in different ages and gender, in patients examined in optometry clinic of rehabilitation of Shahid Beheshti Medical University in 2008/2009]

Since no study on the prevalence of refractive errors had been performed in this optometry clinic, this study was designed to determine the prevalence rate of refractive errors among the patients examined in this clinic in 2008/2009. In this cross-sectional study, the files of the patients examined in optometry clinic in 2008/2009 were reviewed. Variables included age, sex, rate and type of refractive errors and health of anterior and posterior eye segments. The prevalence rates of myopia, hypermetriopa, astigmatism and emmetropia were 11.83%, 15/38%, 45%, 27/34% respectively. The respective prevalence rates of refractive errors in men and women were: 10.3% and 13.1% for myopia, 16.7%, 15.1% for hypermetropia, 45.6% and 44.5% for astigmatism, and 27.4% and 27.3% for emmetropia. The mean ages of the patients with myopia, hypermetropia and astigmatism were 36.1 +/- 19.36, 41.27 +/- 22.06 and 32.16 +/- 20.98. Respectively Difference of the ratios of the patients with different ages suffering from refractive errors was significant [P<0.0001]. There was no significant difference in the male to female ratio in the patients with refractive errors [P<0.741]. This study showed that the prevalence rate of myopia increased up to the age of 20-30 years but that of hypermetropia decreased, and prevalence rates of myopia and hypermetropia in some age groups increased after the age of 40. In addition, the prevalence rates of refractive errors in different age groups were not similar and gender had no effect on the prevalence of refractive errors. These results are compatible with the results of other studies

Ultrasonographic findings of some ocular structures in Caspian miniature horse

Ultrasonography is a relatively easy, safe and non-invasive examination method which can be used in diagnosis of ocular disorders as complementary to routine ophthalmic examinations. As there has been no collated study undertaken on the normal measurements of ocular structures in Caspian miniature horse, obtaining these measurements could be a benchmark to diagnose some of the diseases and eye problems of this miniature breed. Transpalpebral ultrasonographic scanning of left and right eyes of six Caspian horses was performed using a 10-13 MHz transducer. Qualitative ultrasonographic findings of the eyes were described and measurements of the ocular structures were obtained. Mean +/- standard deviation of the anterior-posterior length of the eye axis, thickness of the lens, depth of the anterior chamber and depth of vitreous were as 32.9 +/- 1.0, 10.8 +/- 0.8, 3.0 +/- 0.5 and 18.3 +/- 1.0 mm, respectively

Infection with Dactylogyrus spp. among introduced cyprinid fishes and their geographical distribution in Iran

In the present study, we reported infection with eighteen species of the genus Dactylogyrus, belong to the family Dactylogyridae from five breeder fish species, including common carp [Cyprinus carpio], grass carp [Ctenopharyngodon idella], silver carp [Hypophthalmichthys molitrix], big head carp [Hypophthalmichthys nobilis] and black carp [Myelopharyngodon piceus] which introduced and imported to iranian freshwaters from Russia, Romania, Hungary and China over the last 40 years. The infection was also found in Carassius auratus gibelio, it is not known when this fish species was introduced into the country. The Dactylogyrus spp. were as follows: Daclylogyrus achmerovi, D. anchoratus, D. aristichthys, D. baueri, D. dulikeity, D. cienopharyngodonis, D. extensus, D. hypophthalmichthys, D intermedius, D. intermedioides, D lamellotus, D. magnihamotus, D nobilis, D. sahuensis, D. suchengtaii, D taihuensis, D. vastator and D wegeneri. Among these, D. vastator and D. anchoratus infecting common carp and D. lamelIatus infecting grass carp are very harmful and were responsible for high mortalities observed in fry and fingerling production in Iran. Uncontrolled import of live fish into the country can lead to transmission of pathogenic monogeneans or other group of parasites to native fishes, causing a great economical and ecological threat to valuable native fishes. For example, transmission of D. anchoratus from common carp to Barbus sharpeyi, an important native fish species, despite of the high host-specificity of monogeneans, indicates the possibility of transmission of exotic monogenean parasites to native hosts. It is strongly suggested that the risk of introducing exotic pathogens along with importing fish or any other living organism to the country, should be assessed well in advance, in order to protect native species and the ecosystem

survey of traditional Iranian food products for contamination with toxigenic Clostridium botulinum

This study aimed to determine the rate of Clostridium botulinum contamination in some traditional Iranian food products [cheese, kashk and salted fish] and evaluate the efficacy of the mouse bioassay method in detection of C. botulinum toxins in these foods. A total of 131 samples [57 cheese, 11 kashk and 63 salted fish] were collected and examined to determine the rate of contamination by C. botulinum. Standard monovalent anti-toxins were used to determine the types of toxin. C. botulinum bacteria were detected in 4.58% of the examined samples [1.52% of cheese and 3.06% of salted fish samples]. While no contamination was detected in the kashk samples, C. botulinum types A and E were found to be dominant in cheese and salted fish samples, respectively. These results indicate-some traditional Iranian foods may be contaminated with different types of C. botulinum, and the consumption of these products, either raw or cooked, may contribute to food-borne intoxications