A survey of public restrooms microbial contamination in Tehran city, capital of Iran, during 2019.

INTRODUCTION: Daily use of public restrooms may have a significant impact on spreading infectious diseases. Human society could be affected by spreading of transitional infectious diseases through feces, urinary tract infection and poor personal hygiene. According to the World Health Organization reports, plenty of people's developed diseases caused by contaminated public restrooms that may result in severe health problems. METHODS: This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted on 7,482 samples that were collected randomly in 6 months (spring and summer 2019) in different regions of Tehran. The Data were obtained by analyzing 804 restroom's indoor and outdoor handles, 1062 toilet faucet, 826 washbasin taps, 1,062 toilet hoses, 804 flush tank levers, 643 soap dispenser bottoms, 643 liquid soaps, 99 bar soaps, 169 toilet papers and paper towels, and 50 hand dryer machines. Samples which were tested, based on bacteriology standard methods. RESULT: 7,482 samples were gathered of which 6,678 contaminated cases (89.25%) were observed and 804 cases (10.75%) were found non-contaminated. Escherichia coli with 28.48% and Pseudomonas with 0.39% were the most and the least common bacteria, respectively, in this study. CONCLUSION: The required tests to identify the bacteria that cause contamination through the use of public restrooms have been done. It is essential to inform the public of the mentioned items and teach how to prevent infectious diseases.

Focus on the provincial inequalities in energy consumption and CO2 emissions of Iran's agriculture sector.

Analyzing and understanding the driving factors behind CO2 emissions is noticeable due to increasing the awareness about CO2 emissions, and it is a highlight in Iran's agriculture sector because of the increasing amount of CO2 emissions, inefficient government policies, and rising fossil energy consumption in last decade. By considering the regional differences to investigate this aim, the Theil index and Kaya factor used to analysis the provincial inequality in CO2 emissions, energy consumption, and identify the driving factor. Using the Theil approach helps us to find out the inequality trend in CO2 emissions and energy consumption and also inequality across different provinces. In that way, the Kaya identity applied to analyze the factor behind the inequality in CO2 emissions. The empirical result shows some points, primary, according to the criteria and weights in the grouping methodologies, the GDP, due to the lower level of contribution in within-group inequality, is better than the population. Further, by assessing the inequality in the consumption of different forms of energy and CO2emissions across the provinces, most of the inequality was related to within-group, and the Theil trends are decreasing in gas and electricity; this trend is unclear and fluctuated in petroleum products and increase in CO2 emissions. Secondly, the first and second phases of subsidizing targeting have reduced the consumption and inequality of petroleum products and CO2emissions in the short term. Still, the inequality in CO2 emissions continues to increase recently. Thirdly, the national inequality in CO2emission mainly attributed to energy factors across provinces, and an increase in the energy inequalities helps to explain the CO2 inequality increase.

Co-infection with Enterobius vermicularis and Taenia saginata mimicking acute appendicitis.

In this report, we describe an unusual case of verminous appendicitis due to Enterobius vermicularis and Taenia saginata in a 29-year-old woman from Iran. The histopathological examinations and parasitological descriptions of both worms found in the appendix lumen are discussed. The removed appendix exhibited the macroscopic and microscopic features of acute appendicitis. Antihelminthic therapy was initiated with single doses of praziquantel for the taeniasis and mebendazole for the enterobiasis, and the patient was discharged.

Increased hair shedding may be associated with the presence of Pityrosporum ovale.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Although the available data show that hair loss is an important cosmetic problem worldwide, the pathogenesis of common hair shedding is not fully understood. The aim of this study was to evaluate the association between hair shedding and cutaneous Malassezia infection. Malassezia fungi have been the suspected cause of dandruff for more than a century. Previously referred to as Pityrosporum ovale or P. orbiculare, these fungi are now known to consist of at least seven species. METHODS: Over a 4-year period, we obtained 300 hair samples from medical students. Based on the clinical history and a hair-pull test, the participants were divided into two groups: normal subjects and subjects with hair shedding. The students' scalp skin was gently scraped, smeared on a slide, colored by methylene blue, and observed under 10x magnification. RESULTS: All participants who had positive smears with >or=3 P. ovale organisms per low-power microscopic field (10x) were defined as 'carriers.' Seventy-six percent of students were Malassezia carriers. The prevalence of positive smears was significantly higher among subjects with hair shedding than among normal subjects (89.92% vs 9.52%, p<0.001). Furthermore, participants with positive smears had a significantly higher frequency of hair loss complaints and positive hair-pull tests. CONCLUSION: The proportion of subjects who were carriers of Malassezia yeasts was significantly higher in the group with hair shedding, and our results therefore raise the possibility of a relationship between this unicellular organism and hair loss. Our study findings should be explored in a larger series of patients.

Prevalence of intestinal parasitic infections and their relation with socio-economic factors and hygienic habits in Tehran primary school students.

School age children carry the heaviest burden of morbidity due to intestinal parasitic infections. Our objective was to determine the prevalence of these infections in primary school children living in Tehran and their association with socio-economic factors and hygienic habits. In September 1998, a total of 19,213 subjects were invited to participate. Data on health and socio-economic status and health-related behaviours, collected via questionnaires, physical examinations and stool sample analyses, were available for 19,209 persons, with a participation rate greater than 99.99%. All participants were subjected to three methods of microscopic examinations on the stool sample and an adhesive cellophane tape slide evaluation. The prevalence rate of intestinal parasitic infection among the students was 18.4%. Coinfection with two or three parasites was seen in 2%. With increase in educational level of parents (especially mothers), the infection rate of children was decreased. Girls showed a significantly higher positive rate than boys. Using piped water, correct method of washing vegetables and increase in the economic score of the family, resulted in a decrease in the infection rate. According to the results, low level of education and consequently poor socio-economic and hygienic condition of families appear to be powerful determinants of infection.