Knowledge and practice of residents about malaria in southeast Iran (1994).

A survey was undertaken between November 1994 and January 1995 to assess the knowledge and practice with respect to malaria of 1946 randomly selected households in endemic urban and rural areas of Hormozgan, Kerman and Sistan and Baluchistan Provinces, southeast Iran. Knowledge of inhabitants was relatively poor in the study area despite activities to control the disease there for more than 35 years. Mean scores of the knowledge of the residents of the villages having access to primary health care (PHC) services was significantly lower than that under the services of the mobile teams which may reflect the insignificant attention which has been devoted to health education by PHC workers with respect to malaria and malaria control. An educational campaign directed at increasing the knowledge should result in greater acceptance of residents of personal protection methods and vector control and drug treatment programmes.

Anopheles culicifacies in Baluchistan, Iran.

Anopheles culicifacies (probably species A) is the main vector of malaria in Baluchistan, southeastern Iran. Adult mosquitoes were collected during 1990-92 by five methods of sampling: knock-down pyrethrum space-spray indoors, human and animal bait (18.00-05.00 hours), pit shelters and CDC light traps, yielding 62%, 3%, 6%, 4% and 25% of specimens, respectively. Whereas spray-catches comprised c. 70% gravid and semi-gravid females, light trap catches were mostly (c. 60%) unfed females, while females from pit shelters comprised all abdominal stages more equally (13-36%). An.culicifacies populations peaked in April-May and rose again during August-November. Densities of indoor-resting mosquitoes were consistently greater in an unsprayed village than in villages subjected to residual house-spraying with propoxur, malathion or pirimiphos-methyl. Monthly malaria incidence generally followed fluctuations of An.culicifacies density, usually with a peak in May-June.

A review of malaria in Iran, 1975-90.

Since 1958, when the malaria eradication program officially started in Iran, great strides has been made in controlling the disease in most of the country. However, because of certain technical, operational and administrative problems, malaria is still highly prevalent in southeastern Iran, affecting 6% of the population. The situation of malaria in Iran from 1975 through 1990 is discussed in detail, with particular emphasis given to the epidemiological characteristics and vector transmission factors in each region of the country.

The response of Plasmodium falciparum to chloroquine and mefloquine in Bandar-Abbas and Minab areas, Hormozgan Province, southern Iran.

In-vivo and macro and micro in-vitro assessments of the response of P. falciparum to chloroquine and mefloquine were carried out in the malarious areas of Bandar-Abbas and Minab, Hormozgan Province, southern Iran, during 1986-1987. The susceptibility tests indicated a considerable resistance of P. falciparum to chloroquine in Bandar-Abbas but almost satisfactory sensitivity of the parasite to the drug in Minab. A rather high number of the chloroquine-resistant cases were found among Afghans and Pakistani immigrants and tourists who most probably have introduced and established the resistant strains of the parasite in such malarious areas in Iran. In the micro in-vitro test, P. falciparum was generally sensitive to mefloquine in both Bandar-Abbas and Minab. However, in a few sporadic cases the growth of the parasites occurred in the presence of rather higher doses of the drug, up to 3.2 mumol/l blood, which could be considered to result from innate mefloquine tolerant or resistant strains of P. falciparum in the areas studied.

Imported cases of chloroquine-resistant falciparum malaria in Iran.

Six imported cases of chloroquine-resistant Falciparum malaria have been studied since October 1984. In five cases including two Iranian men, returned from India, two Afghan and one Bengalee immigrants came to Iran through Pakistan, recrudescence occurred following treatment with chloroquine. In these five cases resistance of P. falciparum to chloroquine was clinically (by the in vivo test) at R1 level in all patients. The resistance was also confirmed by the macro in vitro susceptibility test which was carried out in four of them. These five chloroquine-resistant cases were treated, one with Sulfadiazine-Pyrimethamine, three with Quinine-Sulfadiazine-Pyrimethamine and one with Sulfadoxine-Pyrimethamine (Fansidar) successfully. In the sixth case who was a Pakistani tourist the parasites showed resistance in the macro in vitro test, but apparently responded to chloroquine treatment in three days. It seems the resistance in this case was also at R1 level as other cases.