Kourosh Azizi; Mohsen Kalantari; Masoumeh Amin
Abstract
Background: Scorpions, as a group of venomous invertebrates, are distributed worldwide including the Middle East. These arthropods are distributed throughout Iran, are dangerous to humans and animals, and can cause severe damages and even death.Methods: In this cross-sectional study, scorpions were collected ...
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Background: Scorpions, as a group of venomous invertebrates, are distributed worldwide including the Middle East. These arthropods are distributed throughout Iran, are dangerous to humans and animals, and can cause severe damages and even death.Methods: In this cross-sectional study, scorpions were collected from different parts in southern Iran such as Kohgiluyeh and Fars provinces using hand catch method with U.V torch. Morphological identification of scorpion specimens was done using specific keys.Results: Besides different species of scorpions, Hottentotta jayakari Pocock, was identified in Amir Oncology Hospital, Shiraz city, Fars province, South of Iran, 1895.Conclusion: Hottentotta jayakari is endemic in tropical regions and its existence in Shiraz with a mild climate seems unexpected. In addition, Amir Hospital is an oncology treatment center and this scorpion was caught on the hospital grounds. It is possible that more species can be identified in this province by conducting more studies.
Zahra Nasiri; Mohsen Kalantari; Masoumeh Amin; Salman Daliri; Kourosh Azizi
Abstract
Background: The prevalence of arboviruses is increasing worldwide. Their vectors are widely distributed in different continents of the world. Despite the importance of the phleboviruses, unfortunately data about the spread of the viruses in human and animal communities is very limited.Methods: This study ...
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Background: The prevalence of arboviruses is increasing worldwide. Their vectors are widely distributed in different continents of the world. Despite the importance of the phleboviruses, unfortunately data about the spread of the viruses in human and animal communities is very limited.Methods: This study is a systematic review of phlebovirus and its vectors worldwide, with emphasis on Middle East countries including Iran. Accordingly, all English language articles which were conducted up to the end of 2020 were found by searching the databases, including Web of Science, PubMed, Google Scholar, Science Direct, and Scopus. Furthermore, the authors used the Strobe checklist to evaluate the quality of the articles.Results: Phlebotomus perniciosus was the main vector of the Tosca virus in the Mediterranean regions such as Italy, France, and Greece. In African counties, Aedes species were more important vectors of phleboviruses, especially Rift Valley fever. As these diseases can easily spread to even uninfected areas of Asia, permanent monitoring is needed to control phleboviruses.Conclusion: Practical methods have been used to control the vectors and hosts of phleboviruses. Some important methods are listed as follows: impregnated bed nets/curtains, residual spraying, repellents, establishment of the robust surveillance of animal and their products, and limited movement of livestock during outbreak time. These methods can minimize the risk of transmission of phleboviral diseases, especially RVF infection.
Jalal Mohammadi; Mohsen Kalantari; Zahra Nasiri; Davood Mehrabani; Hamzeh Alipour; Mohammad Djafar Moemenbellah-Fard; Kourosh Azizi
Abstract
Background: Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is still widespread in tropical and subtropical regions worldwide. The vector of the disease is a sandfly, when infected with Leishmania parasite, can transmit the parasite from humans to other vertebrates. As knowledge about causative agents, vectors, and reservoirs ...
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Background: Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is still widespread in tropical and subtropical regions worldwide. The vector of the disease is a sandfly, when infected with Leishmania parasite, can transmit the parasite from humans to other vertebrates. As knowledge about causative agents, vectors, and reservoirs of VL in Iran is necessary to control the disease, the present review study has focused on the disease elimination status from a health perspective in the country. Methods: In a recent review, various databases, such as Web of Science, PubMed, Scopus, Cochrane Library, Science Direct, Google Scholar, MEDLIB, Irandoc, Magiran, and SID were searched using the keywords “visceral leishmaniasis”, “VL”, “kala-azar”, “causative agent”, “parasite”, “vector”, “reservoir”, and “Iran”, and the retrieved data were extracted and reviewed independently during 2001-2019. Results: 475 published studies were recorded about VL in Iran from 2001 to 2021. 68 articles were later excluded from the study due to duplication after the initial review. Leishmania infantum and L. tropica were the causative agents, and dogs and humans were the reservoirs. The most common vectors were Phlebotomus major, P. kandelakii, P. keshishiani, P. alexandri, P. perfiliewi, and P. tobbi in different country regions. Conclusion: The prospect of eliminating VL in Iran is inadequate. Based on the findings, L. infantum and L. tropica were the causative agents, and humans and the Caninae subfamily were the VL reservoirs in the country. These findings can be added to the literature when health policymakers target preventive measures for VL in Iran.
Mohammad Ansarizadeh; Tayebeh Tahamtan; Mostafa Leili; Masoud Yousefi; Ehsan Gharehchahi; Mohsen Kalantari
Abstract
Background: Among chemical dyes, Azo dyes, as environmental synthetic pollutants, are most commonly used in a bunch of different colors in different industries, especially in textile industry to a large extent. Methods: Due to some limitation and difficulties to remove these pollutants from the environment, ...
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Background: Among chemical dyes, Azo dyes, as environmental synthetic pollutants, are most commonly used in a bunch of different colors in different industries, especially in textile industry to a large extent. Methods: Due to some limitation and difficulties to remove these pollutants from the environment, the biological filtering method, as the economically and optimal methods, are preferred. Using the Taguchi method and evaluation of such factors in the environment as temperature pH, color density and concentration of salt, we studied the optimal condition of Halomunas PTCC1132 bacteria decolorization in order to compare it with the Aryapress dye removal from aquatic environment. Therefore, 16 experiments were designed according to Array Table in 4 factors and 4 levels. The results were then analyzed using a computer the program named Qualitek-4. Results: The results showed that this salt, loving bacterium Halomonas strain PTCC1714, has the ability of bleaching in a wide range of salts till 20%, pH (5-9) and dye tolerance up to 5 gr/lit (500 ppm), and has the highest rate of decolorization in 100 ppm. Conclusions: According to the results with an optimal growth condition- the temperature of 40c, pH of 7.5, and the salt concentration of 10% up to 93% - the strain was capable of removing the Azo dye Aryapress color with the concentration of 100 ppm which is a considerable amount and can be used in biological treatment of industrial textile sewage.
Leila Izadpanah; Hamzeh Alipoor; Marzieh Shahriari-Namadi; Kourosh Azizi; Mohsen Kalantari; Abouzar Soltani; Masoumeh Bagheri
Abstract
Background: Sandflies are the vectors of at least eight different diseases, the most important of which is cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL). CL is a major public health problem in Iran, with annual cases increasing to more than 20,000 in 2019. Fars Province has the second-highest number of cases with more ...
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Background: Sandflies are the vectors of at least eight different diseases, the most important of which is cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL). CL is a major public health problem in Iran, with annual cases increasing to more than 20,000 in 2019. Fars Province has the second-highest number of cases with more than 3000 cases in 2019 in Iran. This study aimed to survey the fauna and different species of sandflies (Diptera: Psychodidae: Phlebotominae) in Fars Province, southwest Iran. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study. Sandflies were collected in urban and rural regions using the sticky-traps method, and then they were cleared and fixed in puris medium and identified using the pictorial key. Results: A total of 1071 of sandflies were collected. The dominant species consisted of 5 species of Phlebotomus (Ph. papatasi 55.4%, Ph. alexandri 17.4%, Ph.sergenti 5.6%, Ph. caucasicus 1.4%, Ph. ansari 0.46% and 6 species of Sergentomyia (Ser. sintoni 10.8%, Ser. antennata 5.4%, Ser. tiberiadis 1.4%, Ser. tobbi 1%, Ser. baghdadis 0.5%, and Ser. halepensis 0.09%. Conclusion: This investigation showed that Ph. papatasi was the most prevalent species playing a crucial role in the transmission of cutaneous leishmaniasis in Fars Province. Species of Ph. papatasi and Ph. sergenti are the main vectors of CL in Iran. The healthcare system must take steps to control cutaneous leishmaniasis, raise awareness of the disease, and apply effective ways to prevent it.
Mohammad Ebrahimi; Marziyeh Hamyali Ainvan,; Mohsen Kalantari; Kourosh Azizi
Abstract
Background: Scorpions are a group of poisonous invertebrates that are widely distributed in the Middle East countries including Iran. They cause serious injuries and death to humans and domestic animals in Fars province. These arthropods are settled in subtropical regions of the province. Methods: In ...
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Background: Scorpions are a group of poisonous invertebrates that are widely distributed in the Middle East countries including Iran. They cause serious injuries and death to humans and domestic animals in Fars province. These arthropods are settled in subtropical regions of the province. Methods: In this study, a total of 35 out of 430 Mesobuthus eupeus, including 15 males and 20 females, were selected, and then their major morphometric characteristics including the whole body length, pedipalp length, length and width of carapace, leg segments, abdomen, and tail segments, as well as the size of the poison gland, pectinal organ length, and pectinal tooth count were measured using a Collis-Vernier caliper scale. Results: The measurements of different body parts were bigger in females than in males, except that pectinal tooth count in males (26.93mm±.88) was greater than that in females (22.20±1.00). The number of simple eyes on each side did not differ between males and females. Other features showed to be higher for females than males. Conclusion: The results of the main morphometric features showed that the mean scores of the characters, except for the pectinal tooth count, in female M. eupeus species were bigger than those in male ones. The findings of this study are suggested to be used to provide a valid identification key for scorpions in Iran.
Mohsen Kalantari; Qasem Asgari; Khadijeh Rostami; Shahrbano Naderi; Iraj Mohammadpour; Masoud Yousefi; Mohammad Hassan Davami; Kourosh Azizi
Abstract
Background: Anti-Toxoplasma antibodies were identified in female university students referred to Valie-Asr hospital of Mamasani from Azad and Payame-Noor Universities, using serological and molecular methods. Methods: Based on the prevalence and characteristics method, 504 serum samples were collected ...
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Background: Anti-Toxoplasma antibodies were identified in female university students referred to Valie-Asr hospital of Mamasani from Azad and Payame-Noor Universities, using serological and molecular methods. Methods: Based on the prevalence and characteristics method, 504 serum samples were collected from female university students, during 2015, and evaluated by Enzyme-Linked Immun-Sorbent Assay (ELISA), Modified Agglutination Test (MAT), and Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) based on B1 gene for detection of Toxoplasma gondii. The data were analyzed using SPSS 19 software. Results: Out of 504 studied female students, 27 (5.36%) and 36 (7.14%) cases were found to be positive for anti-Toxoplasma IgG antibodies by MAT and ELISA, respectively. Moreover, 5 (0.99%) cases were found to be positive for anti-Toxoplasma IgM. PCR detected the Toxoplasma DNA in 58 out of 504 (11.51%) samples. Conclusions: Findings of the current study revealed that Toxoplasma was a common infection among female university students in Mamasani district in Fars province. Seronegative individuals are at risk for the disease, as well as congenital toxoplasmosis in later stages of their life. Preventive measures should be taken to reduce the rate of infection.
Ehsan Saki; Abouzar Soltani; Mohammad Djaefar Moemenbellah-Fard; Mohsen Kalantari; Hedayat Dorzaban; Kourosh Azizi
Volume 6, Issue 1 , January 2018, , Pages 2-7
Abstract
Background: Fipronil systemic insecticide and integrated vector management (IVM) leading to control and/or reduction of zoonotic cutaneous leishmaniasis (ZCL) cases were evaluated in the studied endemic foci of Fars province, southern Iran, during 2016 to 2017. Methods: Based on available data on disease ...
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Background: Fipronil systemic insecticide and integrated vector management (IVM) leading to control and/or reduction of zoonotic cutaneous leishmaniasis (ZCL) cases were evaluated in the studied endemic foci of Fars province, southern Iran, during 2016 to 2017. Methods: Based on available data on disease circumstances collected from Center for Disease Control (CDC) of Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, incidence of disease, and demographics of the natives, five villages were randomly selected among those with high and medium CL infection in Kharameh area. All villagers were checked by physical examination and the incidence rates of ZCL cases were recorded. IVM interventions were implemented. Indeed, these procedures consisted of fipronil systemic insecticide poison baits, indoor residual spraying (IRS), outdoor spraying of the patients’ houses, and the thermal fogging (three times) during peak periods of sand flies’ activities. Results: After interventions, the incidence rates of ZCL decreased by 2.55% in Mehrabad village, in which all IVM methods were implemented. Similarly, the incidence of disease was reduced by 4.89% in Sofla and Moezabad villages, using exclusively fipronil poison baits. Besides, these incidence rates declined by 1.15% in two control villages of Soltan-Shahr and Abshor, where examination of the rodent reservoir hosts was performed. Conclusion: Fipronil and IVM methods were advantageous in reducing the incidence rates of leishmaniasis, but it seems that the use of fipronil systemic insecticide as a poison bait against reservoir rodent was significantly more effective (P-Value=0.01).
Zahra Soltani; Mohammad Reza Fakoorziba; Mohammad Djafar Moemenbellah-Fard; Mohsen Kalantari; Mohsen Akbarpour; Hossein Faramarzi; Kourosh Azizi
Volume 3, Issue 4 , October 2015, , Pages 160-164
Abstract
Background: Cutaneous Leishmaniasis (CL) is endemic in many parts of Iran. This study was conducted to investigate the fauna and some biologic factors of sand flies and detect CL vector(s) in Kharameh district which is one of the most important foci of the disease in Fars province, southern Iran. Methods: ...
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Background: Cutaneous Leishmaniasis (CL) is endemic in many parts of Iran. This study was conducted to investigate the fauna and some biologic factors of sand flies and detect CL vector(s) in Kharameh district which is one of the most important foci of the disease in Fars province, southern Iran. Methods: To identify the fauna, a total of 1549 sand flies were collected from April 2014 to March 2015. To determine the monthly activity, sand flies were collected from indoor and outdoor areas of the lowland and the highland regions. Results: Ten species of phlebotomine (four Phlebotomus spp. And six Sergentomyia spp.) were identified and Phlebotomus papatasi was the dominant species (53.45%). To determine the sand flies naturally infected by Leishmania spp., 188 female sand flies (145 P. papatasi, 29 P. sergenti, and 14 P. alexandri) were subjected to polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay. Two (13.16%) specimens of P. papatasi were found to be positive for Leishmania major. Conclusions: To the best of our knowledge, this is the first PCR detection of L. major within naturally infected P. Papatasis and fly as the main vector in this region of south Iran.