[Hygiene status in urban bakeries of Bandar Abbas in 2012]

Introduction: Bread, the staple food for most people in the world, especially the Middle East, including Iran has particular importance from nutritional, health, and social points of view. It is critical to pay attention to the hygiene status of production and consumption of bread. This study was done to investigate the hygiene status and consumption of baking soda in the bakeries of Bandar Abbas, Iran, in 2012

Methods: This is a descriptive study conducted in Bandar Abbas, Iran. The study population consisted of all types of bakeries in the urban area. To check the status of health and personal hygiene of bakeries, the check list of Iranian Ministry of Health was used. PH in the samples was tested based on the method presented by Institute of Standards and Industrial Research of Iran [No. 37]. The pH of each specimen was measured in triplicate separately, and the average value was recorded as the pH of bread produced in that bakery

Results: In terms of health status, 6.4% of bakeries were at good level, 27.9% at moderate and 65.7% at weak level. Totally, 14.2% of bakeries used baking soda in their bread production, mostly with Lavash [21%] and Taftoon[16%] breads

Conclusion: According to the results of this study, health status, particularly, personal hygiene, was not desirable. Moreover, baking soda consumption was also common in bakeries. Hence, control of health status and avoiding baking soda consumption in the bakeries are necessary

Vector ecology and susceptibility in a malaria-endemic focus in southern Islamic Republic of Iran

This study aimed to carry out a malaria situation analysis, species composition and susceptibility levels of the main malaria vector, Anopheles stephensi, to different insecticides in Bashagard. A longitudinal survey was conducted in 2 randomly selected villages in Bashagard. Malaria vectors were sampled by dipping method for the larvae and hand catch, night-biting catch, total catch, and shelter pit collection for the adults. Standard WHO susceptibility tests were used for a variety of insecticides on F1 progeny of An. stephensi reared from wild-caught females. In total, 693 adult anopheline mosquitoes and 839 third and fourth-instar larvae were collected and identified. They comprised 7 species; the most abundant adult and larvae anopheline mosquito was An. Dthali [40.7% and 30.5% respectively]. An. Culicifacies[24.2%] and An. Stephensi [16.7%] were the next most common species for adult mosquitoes. An. Stephensi was fully susceptible to malathion and pyrethroid insecticides but resistant to DDT and tolerant to dieldrin

Human extensive head skin myiasis

Chrysomya bezziana Villeneuve is the most important fly, which produces myiasis, exists as an obligate ectoparasite in the animals, and afflicts human. Poor hygiene and working in contaminated areas particularly during warm seasons provide a situation to infest by this parasite. Infestation in human and livestock are often observed in wounds, normal body orifices such as eyes, ears, nose, and mouth. The manifestations include pruritus, pain, inflammation, redness, eosinophilia, and secondary bacterial infections and rarely death. A 5-year-old boy with severe headache and agitation symptoms was followed up. After physical examination and endoscopy, larvae of third instar fly were obtained from his scalp. Our precise identification indicated that the flies were the C. bezziana. This is the second report of the human scalp myiasis caused by C. bezziana in Iran. This study confirmed that the old world screwworm fly was distributed in the southern of Iran and probably could be one of the most important agents of myiasis in this area