Iranian Journal of Arthropod-borne Diseases

BACKGROUND: In this study, we determine the vector competence of Musca domestica with reference to the transmission of susceptible and resistance bacterial strains in hospitals and slaughter house in Sanandaj City, west Iran. METHODS: Totally 908 houseflies were collected to isolate bacteria from their external body based on standard procedures.Antibiotic susceptibility testing was performed by Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion method on Mueller Hinton agar based on recommendations of CLSI (formerly the National Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standards)...

BACKGROUND: Culex pipiens complex shows variations in morphological and biological characters including different biological forms and has medical and veterinary importance. Because of having morphological variations, sometimes it is not easy to separate this species from Cx. quinquefasciatus and Cx. torrentium. The aim of this study was to identify the Culex pipiens complex species in order to use in control programs in the future. METHODS: This study was carried out in two randomly selected rural villages in Yazd County, eastern Iran using dipping technique from April to October 2009...

BACKGROUND: Use of bed-net continues to offer potential strategy for malaria prevention in endemic areas. Local communities are indispensable during design and implementation stages. METHODS: A cross-sectional study of 192 randomly selected inhabitants was carried out in malarious zone, Siahoo direstrict, Hormozgan Province, southern Iran. In addition, we monitored human landing periodicity of main malaria vectors and as well as self-protection of inhabitant in the study area for a period of one transmission season between April to October 2006...

BACKGROUND: Regarding to the significant of the possibility of the malaria epidemic and nuisance of mosquitoes during the active season, the fauna and some ecological activities of mosquitoes in related to tree holes were investigated from April to December 2009 in Neka county of Mazandaran Province, northern Iran. METHODS: Larval collection was carried out from natural, artificial breeding places, and tree holes inside the forest in Neka County, Mazandaran Province in 2009...

BACKGROUND: A molecular survey was conducted to investigate the presence of pathogenic Borrelia persica species causing the tick borne relapsing fever (TBRF) in Takistan district Qazvin Province, western Iran. METHODS: A number of 1021 soft ticks were collected from 31 villages including previously reported infected and none-infected TBRF cases and individually examined for the presence of B. persica DNA by conventional PCR targeting the 16S rRNA. RESULTS: A total of 1021 soft ticks of three species of Ornithodouros tholozani (120: 11...

BACKGROUND: Since organophosphorus pesticides are widely used for industry and insect control in agricultural crops, their fate in the environment is very important. Pesticide contamination of surface water has been recognized as a major contaminant in world because of their potential toxicity towards human and animals. The objective of this research was to investigate the influence of various parameters including the influence of time, power, and initial concentration on degradation of diazinon pesticide...

BACKGROUND: Haematophagous females of some phlebotomine sandflies are the only natural vectors of Leishmania species, the causative agents of leishmaniasis in many parts of the tropics and subtropics, including Iran. We report the presence of Phlebotomus (Larroussius) major and Phlebotomus (Adlerius) halepensis in Tonekabon (Mazanderan Province) and Phlebotomus (Larroussius) tobbi in Pakdasht (Tehran Province). It is the first report of these species, known as potential vectors of zoonotic visceral leishmaniasis in Iran, are identified in these areas...

We report a case of human nasal myiasis caused by flower fly larva in a 14-year-old rural girl in Central Province of Iran. Entomological studies on larva showed the larva as Eristalis tenax which is a rarely cause of nasal myiasis. This is the first reported case of E. tenax larva causing human nasal myiasis in Iran.

We report a case of human urogenital myiasis in an 86-year-old rural man with a penil ulcer and numerous alive and motile larvae from urethra and glans penis. Entomological studies on adult flies showed the larvae were Lucilia sericata and Wohlfahrtia magnifica. The clinical presentation and treatment strategies are discussed.

BACKGROUND: Ticks are the main vectors for transmission of different pathogens to human and animals. This survey was performed to find out distribution of ticks, which infested the domestic ruminants in Yazd Province, central Iran during year 2008-2009. METHODS: A total number of 30 villages from both mountainous (20%) and plateau (80%) regions of the province were selected randomly. Ticks were colleted from the body of infested animals and transported to the laboratory of Medical Entomology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences and then were identified to space level using valid identification key...

BACKGROUND: Indoor residual spraying (IRS) is functioned as national interventions against malaria in southeastern foci of Iran and deltamethrin WP one of the insecticides have been used since past decade. In this study, the residual activity of the wettable granule (WG) was studied on different surfaces in hut scale trial against Anopheles stephensi in Iranshahr District, southeastern Iran. METHODS: Three dosages of 25, 40 and 50 mg a.i./m(2) of deltamethrin WG 25% formulation were applied on plaster, cement, mud, and wooden surfaces using Hudson(®) X-pert compression sprayer having 10 litters capacity...

BACKGROUND: Linguatula serrata is one of well known members of Pentastomida which infects both human and animals. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of L. serrata in mesenteric lymph nodes, livers and lungs of camels slaughtered in Tabriz area, Iran. METHODS: Mesenteric lymph nodes (MLNs), livers and lungs of 140 one-humped camels slaughtered in Tabriz, north-west of Iran were investigated for nymphs of L. serrata from July 2007 to June 2008. The organs were examined macroscopically and then a tissue digestion method was also done for investigation of liver and lung of the camels that had infected MLN...

BACKGROUND: Carbaryl (1-naphthyl-N-methyl carbamate) is a chemical in the carbamate family used chiefly as an insecticide. It is a cholinesterase inhibitor and is toxic to humans and classified as a likely human carcinogen. In the present study, the degradation of the carbaryl pesticide was investigated in the laboratory synthetic samples of tap water, in the effect of sonolysis and photolysis processes. METHODS: This study was conducted during 2006-7 in Chemistry and Biochemistry of Pesticides Laboratory in Tehran University of Medical Sciences (TUMS) in Iran...

BACKGROUND: Pediculus capitis (Anoplura: Pediculidae) or head louse is an obligate ectoparasite transmitted mainly through physical contact. This study was conducted to survey the prevalence of head lice infestation rate and some risk factors in Primary School pupils, in Khajeh City East Azerbaijan Province, Iran METHODS: We selected 20 primary schools of Khajeh City during 2008 and 2009. Totally 500 pupils including 200 boys and 300 girls from all grade 1-5 were selected by multistage, systematic random sampling in rural areas of Khajeh City and were examined for lice...

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was that the past five years data were collected to analyze the situation of malaria and health facilities in this area for better understanding malaria problem and to find solutions. METHODS: In this retrospective study data of the last 5 years were obtained from health center of Bandar Abbas, published papers and reports, weather forecasting organization of the city and annual reports of Hormozgan official authorities. An excel databank was created and analysis was conducted using this software...

BACKGROUND: The aim was to evaluate the relapse risk of vivax malaria in patients who received radical treatment in Hormozgan Province, a malarious area located on southeast of Iran. METHODS: A total of 95 symptomatic vivax malaria infected patients were enrolled in urban health centers of Bandar-Abbas, Minab, Bandar-Jask and Bashagard districts of Hormozgan Province, southeast of Iran from January 2008 to March 2009 for consideration as a case- series study. DNA was extracted from parasite infected whole blood samples...

BACKGROUND: Cutaneous leishmaniasis due to Leishmania major has become a hot topic in Iran. The objective of this study was to determine some ecological aspects of sand flies in the study area. METHODS: Sand flies were collected biweekly from indoors and outdoors fixed places in the selected villages, using 30 sticky paper traps from the beginning to the end of the active season of 2006 in Kerman Province, south of Iran. The flies were mounted and identified. Some blood fed and gravid female sand flies of rodent burrows and indoors were dissected and examined microscopically for natural promastigote infection of Leishmania parasite during August to September...

BACKGROUND: Biting habit of mosquitoes plays an important role in the epidemiology of mosquito-borne diseases. Mosquitoes use a set of elaborate sensory modalities to find their preferred hosts by exploiting cues emanating from a nearby host. It has been suggested that the chemical profile of skin can provide further support for anthropophilic mosquito species to find their suitable hosts. This study aimed at revealing the value of skin emanation for a zoophilic species like Anopheles stephensi as a model...

BACKGROUND: Cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) is a widespread tropical infection which has a high incidence rate in Iran. The aim of this study was to determine some epidemiological aspects of disease in Northern Khorasan Province, Iran. METHODS: From 2005 to 2008, data concerning 1453 patients with CL were collected and analyzed from the different districts of health service registry of the province. The statistical analyses were carried out with SPSS version 12.0 for windows...

BACKGROUND: Rodents play important role as host of ectoparasites and reservoir of different zoonotic diseases. The aim of this study was to asses the infestation of commensal rodents with ectoparasites in Bandar Abbas, a port city located in the northern part of the Persian Gulf in Iran. METHODS: Rodents were captured using live traps during the study period in year 2007. After transferring the rodents to the laboratory, they were identified and then their ectoparasites were collected and mounted for species identification using appropriate systematic keys...