JOURNAL OF ISFAHAN MEDICAL SCHOOL (I.U.M.S)
Year:2023 | Volume:41 | Issue:746|Papers Count:3

Background: Vaginal infections of mothers during pregnancy can be a threat to the health of the fetus and also increase the chance of abortion. This study aimed to investigate the frequency distribution of Streptococcus agalactiae in the vaginal secretions of women with a history of abortion compared to the control group.Methods: In this descriptive-analytical study, a total of 220 samples of vaginal secretions from women who had abortion and controls were collected. Bacterial isolates were identified using culture and biochemical methods. Then, the antibiogram test of the isolates was performed using the disk diffusion method in Kirby-Bauer agar.Findings: In the present study, 20 isolates of Streptococcus agalactiae (3.64% in the control group and 14.54% in the abortion group) were isolated from vaginal secretions samples. The isolates had the highest sensitivity to the antibiotics Ceftriaxone (30 μg) and Vancomycin (30 μg) and the highest resistance to Clindamycin (2 μg) and Tetracycline (30 μg). Based on the results of the demographic characteristics of the patients, the highest frequency of abortion belonged to blood groups A+ and B+. Urinary tract infection in 55%, vitamin D deficiency in 60%, and stress led to abortion in 75% of women infected with S. agalactiae.Conclusion: S. agalactiae was observed in the vagina of women with a history of abortion, 3.5 times more common than healthy women. Factors such as the high stress of patients, deficiency of vitamin D levels, and frequent urinary infections during pregnancy can lead to an increase in the risk of abortion in women. The highest resistances were observed in Beta-lactam (Penicillin), Macrolides (Erythromycin), Lincosamides (Clindamycin), and Tetracycline antibiotic groups.

Background: Free-living amoebae are widely distributed protozoa. It is an opportunistic amphizoic protozoan and can accidentally infect humans. The identification of the amoebae could help to prevent and control the disease. This study was conducted to isolate and identify Acanthamoeba and Naegleria from the drinking water of Qazvin by using morphological and molecular methods.Methods: In this study, 120 drinking water samples were taken from both hot and cold waters in different parts of Qazvin, Iran. The samples were cultured to isolate and identify positive specimens. PCR amplification was conducted to confirm the isolated species of the Acanthamoeba and Naegleria. Evaluation of pathogenicity was conducted by osmo-tolerance and thermo-tolerance assays. Statistical analysis was performed, and P < 0.05 was considered significant.Findings: According to the morphological and molecular analysis, 27 (22.5%) of water isolates were positive for FLA (Free-living amoeba). Among the positive isolates, 16.7% and 5.84% of the specimens were identified as Acanthamoeba and Naegleria respectively. The statistical analysis showed a significant difference between distributions of the amoeba in drinking water. The results of pathogenicity assays demonstrated that 55% of Acanthamoeba was a pathogen.Conclusion: The present study recommended that more attention should be paid to the proper treatment of drinking water for public health.

Background: A decline in fertility followed by an increase in the aging of the population is one of the demographic crises. The healthy fertility program aims to increase the overall fertility rate above the replacement level of the programs of the Ministry of Health. Since the preservation and sustainability of the environment is one of the factors affecting the fertility rate. This review study was designed to investigate healthy fertility and environmental sustainability.Methods: In this narrative review in the electronic databases Web of Science, Scopus, PubMed, Science Direct, SID, Magiran, and IranMedex, articles related to healthy fertility and the environment, without language restrictions between the years 2000- 2023, were reviewed. Original descriptive research studies were quality-assessed based on the STROBE checklist. After careful examination of the studies, the contents of the articles were categorized into three areas.Findings: The effects of environmental instability on fertility can be divided into three categories of consequences, which include "female infertility"; "male infertility" and "reduced success of assisted reproductive methods".Conclusion: The instability of the environment with the pollutants that it imposes on the digestive and respiratory systems of humans through air, water, and soil can affect healthy fertility and intensify the decrease in childbearing rates. Therefore, the focus of reproductive health experts and population and health policy makers to increase education and awareness of environmental risk factors seems necessary.