[Evaluate the frequency of foot and mouth disease viral carriers in slaughtered sheep in Mashhad industrial abattoir using RT-PCR]

Background: Foot -and- mouth disease [FMD] is endemic in Iran. Molecular techniques for diagnosis of persistent infection or carrier animals have shown a potential ability to improve the detection of a low genome copy number in samples

Objectives:The purpose of this study is to evaluate the frequency of foot and mouth disease viral carriers in slaughtered sheep in Mashhad industrial abattoir using RT-PCR

Methods: Samples were isolated from tonsil of 94 slaughtered sheep analyzed by RT-PCR experiment for the detection of FMD, identification of FMD virus serotypes and at the end nucleic acid sequencing were performed

Results: The results showed that the 23 samples [24/5 percent] were positive for the presence of FMD virus RNA, of which 89.9% of cases are type O and 3 cases of FMD samples did not respond. The results of the 1D genome sequencing of the nucleic acid virus showed that FMD virus of sheep [O/IRN/100/2010Sheep], has 92/02% similarity with the virus [O/IRN/67/2001-2005] and 88/42% similarity with the virus [O/IRN/15/2004-2008]

Conclusions: This study showed that the percentage of FMDV sheep carriers in Mashhad slaughterhouse was remarkable. Estimation of the frequency of carrier state in cattle and small ruminants is recommended as a monitor of control plan in the region

National guidelines for outbreak investigation: an evaluation study

This paper reports an independent epidemiological study to evaluate the validity of the results of an official investigation into an outbreak of gastroenteritis at a university campus in Yasuj, central-south Islamic Republic of Iran. The official report of the outbreak by the Department for Disease Control at the provincial health centre found only 65 cases over a 5-day period, all females, living in the student halls of residence. This contrasts with a questionnaire survey of 963 students at the same university, which found 395 students [192 males and 203 females], living in residences and at home, who reported at least 1 gastrointestinal symptom over a 12-week period. Within this period at least 2 outbreaks occurred. Such a large discrepancy between the official report and the current study suggests that the health services and the public may have been misled about the proper response to the outbreak.

[Survey the quality of life in Guilan university students]

The Quality of Life [QOL] is the very important concept according to its mediating role in mental health in recent years. Because of the students are the future managers, investigating the QOL among them is important. Survey the QOL in Guilan University Students. In this descriptive and analytic study 226 students who were selected by multiple stage randomized cluster sampling completed WHOQOL-BREF questionnaire. Data was analyzed by t-test and pearson correlation. The Findings showed that 4% of students had very good QOL, 34% had good QOL, 51% had medium level of QOL and 11% of students had low level of QOL. There was a significant difference between some dimension of QOL [medicine, somatic pain, environmental health, social care, financial resources and negative affect]. According to the results, it suggested to measure and produce health-psychological services in various situations for improvement the level of quality of students life

Steady-state pharmacokinetic analysis of vancomycin in Iranian pediatric patients

Large inter-individual variability has been reported for vancomycin pharmacokinetics in pediatric patients. On the other hand, the pharmacokinetic parameters of vancomycin should be known in order to individualize its dosage regimen. Therefore, this study was designed and conducted to assess the steady-state vancomycin serum concentration and pharmacokinetics in a population of Iranian pediatric patients. Vancomycin serum concentration at steady-state was determined in 62 children who were treated with vancomycin intermittent intravenous infusion. Also individual steady-steady pharmacokinetic parameters [total body clearance, apparent volume of distribution and elimination half-life] were determined in 30 patients who had both peak and trough vancomycin levels assuming one-compartment model. Calculated pharmacokinetic parameters were compared among patients with different underlying diseases and also with the results of similar studies that used one-compartment pharmacokinetic model for description of serum concentration of vancomycin at steady-state. More than half of the measured vancomycin serum concentrations were outside the recommended therapeutic range. Median trough concentration was significantly lower in critically ill patients as compared to patients of other disease categories. Although critically care patients showed greater values of apparent volume of distribution and also vancomycin clearance, no statistically significant difference of the calculated pharmacokinetic parameters could be detected among different groups of patients. While calculated volume of distribution for patients of this study was greater than those of similar studies, this difference could not be considered statistically significant in the majority of disease categories. It may be concluded that design of vancomycin dosage regimens according to the recommended and general guidelines in literature [e.g. based on patient creatinine clearance] could not result in the desired therapeutic serum concentrations in the study population

Variation of the chloroquine resistance transporter [crt] gene in chloroquine-resistant and chloroquine-sensitive plasmodium berghei

The emergence and spread of chloroquine resistant Plasmodium falciparum in the world stimulated some investigators to consider different aspects of chloroquine resistance in human and rodent Plasmodia. Using animal Plasmodia, particularly primate and rodent Plasmodia can be useful model for human Plasmodia studies. In this study we have tried to consider and compare the sequence of chloroquine resistance transporter [crt] gene among chloroquine-resistant and chloroquine-sensitive strains of Plasmodium berghei. This experimental study was performed at the Malaria Laboratory of School of public health. DNA was extracted from two strains of P. berghei which their resistance and sensitivity had been demonstrated in mice with treatment by chloroquine. By using specific primer for crt gene some parts of this gene were amplified by PCR, and obtained fragments were then sequenced and compared. There were considerable differences in crt gene between two strains. Sequenced 1212 bp of crt gene fragment in the two strains showed 43 differences at nucleotides level and 16 differences in presumed coding amino acids. crt can be addressed as a considerable gene which involves in induction of resistance to chloroquine in P. berghei, as P. falciparum. The results increased such a promise that considering crt gene in chloroquine-sensitive and chloroquine-resistant P. berghei can prepare suitable and helpful fields for more understanding the molecular aspects of chloroquine-resistance in Plasmodia and reversing the effectiveness of 4-aminoquinolines particularly chloroquine for treatment of drug resistant Plasmodia

[Spinal subdural abscess: 4 cases report during ten years in Tehran Children Medical Center]

Bacterial abscesses involving the spinal canal are associated with a high morbidity and mortality. Most frequently, these lesions are found in the epidural, rarely in the subdural spaces. Spinal subdural abscess is rare. The exact incidence of the spinal subdural abscess [SSA] is unknown and the most affected region is the thoraco-lumbar spine. The timing for MRI is very important when the clinician notices these symptoms in the patient. Early diagnosis and emergent treatment is vital to prevent the formation or progression of neurologic deficits. Although the most common bacterial source is Staphylococcus aureus, bacterial sources were proteus and E.coli in the patients. In this report, we presented four patients with SSA in the thoraco lumbar region. Over the last 10 years, four cases of spinal subdural abscess were admitted and treated at Tehran Children Medical Center. All of four cases were under 3 years old and surgically and medical treated. All four patients were received antibiotics for a period of 4-6 weeks and showed remarkable recovery