Study of the current parasitic contamination of the edible vegetables in Isfahan in order to identify preventive measures

Parasites infect man by way of water, soil, edible things and direct contact. Numerous factors such as the economical, social and cultural conditions as well as lack of personal health care are involved in the dissemination of the parasites. Eating of raw vegetables is common among Iranians and provides a rich source of vitamins and essential nutrients but may lead to human contamination if not washed properly. In this study 30 plant farms were selected in Isfahan in order to assess the rate of contamination of the plants. Afterwards 480 samples of the vegetables were collected and examined for cysts, eggs and larvae in Isfahan Research Center. Floatation method was used for detection of the parasite eggs. Finally the results were recorded and analyzed by means of SPSS [Version 11.5]. We found giardia cyst in 7, dicrosoelium egg in 8, hymenolepis egg in 14, ascaris egg in 16, trichostrongylus egg in 10, teania egg in 5 and trichosephalus egg in 6 cases. In fact, egg of ascaris was the most and teania was the least common parasites and fortunately we did not detect any dangerous agent like Entamoeba histolytica. In the recent years, in spite of improvement of health care, economical, social and agricultural conditions in Isfahan, parasitic infections are still prevalent. Using new methods for garbage collection, repair of ego system, preventing domestic and wild animals [like carnivorous animals] from entering into the plant farms and education of people of different social classes will be effective in reducing parasitic and infectious diseases

Fasciolopsiasis: a first case report from Malaysia.

Fasciolopsiasis is a disease caused by the largest intestinal fluke, Fasciolopsis buski. The disease is endemic in the Far East and Southeast Asia. Human acquires the infection after eating raw freshwater plants contaminated with the infective metacercariae. There has been no report of fasciolopsiasis either in man or in animal in Malaysia. We are reporting the first case of fasciolopsiasis in Malaysia in a 39-year-old female farmer, a native of Sabah (East Malaysia). This patient complained of cough and fever for a duration of two weeks, associated with loss of appetite and loss of weight. She had no history of traveling overseas. Physical examination showed pallor, multiple cervical and inguinal lymph nodes and hepatosplenomegaly. Laboratory investigations showed that she had iron deficiency anemia. There was leukocytosis and a raised ESR. Lymph node biopsy revealed a caseating granuloma. Stool examination was positive for the eggs of Fasciolopsis buski. The eggs measure 140 x 72.5 microm and are operculated. In this case, the patient did not present with symptoms suggestive of any intestinal parasitic infections. Detection of Fasciolopsis buski eggs in the stool was an incidental finding. She was diagnosed as a case of disseminated tuberculosis with fasciolopsiasis and was treated with antituberculosis drugs and praziquantel, respectively.

Comparación morfológica in vitro de cercospora caribaea ciferri & chupp y c. henningsii allescher en diferentes medios de cultivo / In vitro morphological comparison of cercospora caribaea ciferri & chupp and c. henningsii allescher in different culture media

Se comparó el desarrollo de cultivos de cercospora caribaea c.henningsii en 8 diferentes medios, incubados a 22ºC durante 20 días, para verificar su influencia sobre el crecimiento radial de ambas especies. Posteriormente se estableció una curva de crecimiento basada en el peso seco de la masa micelial de estos hongos, en el medio que expresó el mayor diámetro de las colonias. Las colonias de c. caribaea, lo alcanzaron (19 mm), en el medio de agar extracto de hoja de mandioca adicionado de extracto vitaminizado piam, mientras las colonias de c. henningsii, lo obtuvieron (12 mm), en el medio agar extracto de hoja de mandioca adicionado de extracto de malta compuesto. El peso seco de la masa micelial de ambas especies obtenida en medio líquido (extracto de hoja de mandioca adicionado con extracto de malta compuesto), demostró después de un periódo lag de 3 días, un crecimiento exponencial hasta el día 12 y una fase de desaceleración hasta el último día de observación (día 36). No se observó en el periódo de tiempo de estudio, la fase estacionaria

Estudios de densidad de hospederos intermediarios de enfermedades tropicales en berreras / Study of density of intermedite hosts of tropical diseases in water cress groves

Se realizan estudios de densidad de los moluscos fluviátiles en 6 berreras. Se observa como las densidades de F. cubensis, hospedero intermediario de la fascioliasis en Cuba, se mantiene con relativa estabilidad. Se corrobora la poca eficacia de P. duryi como agente de control biológico. Se destaca la alta densidad de P. cubensis, la cual parece ejercer cierto efecto regulador sobre F. cubensis, sobre todo en los meses que presentan picos reproductivos (agosto y septiembre). Las densidades de B. havanensis y B. helophila pueden estar afectadas por la densidad de F. cubensis y P. cubensis, que parecen tener cierta influencia en la disminución de la densidad de los pulmonados. Se comparan morfométricamente F. cubensis y P. parvulus y se destaca en el primero uan alta correlación entre el largo y el ancho de la concha (r = 0,9); dicha correlación fue menor en P. parvulus (r = 0,7)