Saeedeh Ebrahimi; Marzieh Shahriari-Namadi; Saeed Shahabi; Mohammad Djaefar Moemenbellah-Fard; Hamzeh Alipour
Abstract
Background:Human head lice is one of the most invincible neglected skin diseases. The use of pyrethroid insecticides is a standard method of treating the disease, which leads to lice population resistance in the long run. The main aim of the current survey was to screen the biomarkers of permethrin-associated ...
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Background:Human head lice is one of the most invincible neglected skin diseases. The use of pyrethroid insecticides is a standard method of treating the disease, which leads to lice population resistance in the long run. The main aim of the current survey was to screen the biomarkers of permethrin-associated kdr (knockdown resistance) point mutations through molecular analysis of the human head lice populations in primary school children in the south of Iran. Methods: In an experimental study, Field-collected head lice from infested students were fixed in ethanol, identified using valid taxonomic keys, and processed by PCR for kdr mutant studies. Sequencing partial voltage-sensitive sodium channel gene in different head lice populations was subsequently implemented and compared with the permethrin-resistant diamondback moth, Plutella xylostella (Lepidoptera: Plutellidae) as the gold standard. Results:Human head lice appeared to reflect kdr point mutations in specimens from the city of Shiraz. At least three amino acid mutations at designated sites of D820E, L840F, and N874G, corresponding to replacements of aspartic acid to glutamic acid, leucine to phenylalanine, and asparagine to glycine, are clear in this representative population, respectively. At the same time, only L840F is reported as a new mutant in this survey. Conclusion: The ongoing treatment of head lice infested in school children harboring kdr-mutated or permethrin-resistant mutants in Shiraz is risky, illogical, and contrary to the One Health initiative of the World Health Organization. Health executives should thus immediately take the indispensable steps to prohibit further procurement of permethrin.
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.