Iranian Journal of Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine
Year:2010 | Volume:14 | Issue:47|Papers Count:11

Background and objective: Rabies is endemic in most regions of Iran. Statistical analysis of rabies showed that prevalence of rabies in these provinces is more than other provinces of the country. This may be due to geographical condition and possibility of surviving for different reservoirs. The aim of this study is to determine the rate of rabies prevalence, the number of animal bites, the species of the responsible biting animals and evaluation the conclusions of control measures, in north provinces.Materials and methods: Data of human and animal rabies cases the number of post-exposure treatments, and the sort of animal who bites, in north provinces were collected for 10 years. Data analysis was performed by excel program.Results: A total of 1059 of rabies cases in north provinces for ten years (1998-2007) were investigated. The most positive cases, respectively were, bovines, dogs, foxes, Jackals, wolves. In these period 235767 persons bitten by animals and received Post exposure treatments.8 bitten individuals died due to rabies.Conclusion: This survey showed that, rabies is prevalent in geographical condition of north provinces, most of animal rabies cases were in Golestan provinces, the most positive cases occurred in bovines, most of animal bites occurred by dogs (domestic animals) and wild animals respectively fox, Jackal, wolf.Implementation of rabies control, such as activation of Rabies surveillance system, eliminating of stray animals, immunization of owned animals, and educating people, are recommendations which could help to decrease the risk of disease.

Background and Objective: Until yet, there is no investigation in the field of apoptosis feature in UV-light exposed dermotophyte fungi of Epidennophyton floccosum, Microsporum canis and Trichophyton mentagrophytes. So, in this study, we tried to detect the Apoptosis feature in dermatophyte fungi of Epidermophyton floccosum, Microsporum canis and Trichophyton mentagrophytes. Then the results were analyzed by molecular methods.Materials and methods: The colonies of mentioned dermatophytes were irradiated by UV light at the wavelength of 302 nm. To investigate the possible Apoptosis feature, the high molecular-weight DNA was isolated from non-irradiated and irradiated colonies of dermatophytes respectively and then were run through 1% agarose gel.Results: Isolated DNA molecules, showed no differences between DNA banding patterns. By the performed protocol in this project, no feature of Apoptosis was detected in the dermatophyte fungi of Epidermophyton floccosum, Microsporum canis and Trichophyton mentagrophytes.Conclusions: By the help of this UV-irradiation protocol, it is impossible to obeserve the apoptosis feature in dermatophyte fungi of Epidermophyton floccosum, Microsporum canis and Trichophyton mentagrophytes. Maybe the negative tropism of these fungi against UVB is the main reason of no Apoptosis feature.

Background and objective: Occult hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is characterized by presence of HBV infection with undetectable hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg). Surface gene mutants have been reported in a variety of patient groups. Due to limited data regarding these mutations in patients with occult HBV infections; we aimed to determine the surface gene mutations of HBV among high risk patients with occult HBV infection.Materials and methods: 395 patients including 289 patients on chronic hemodialysis and 106 HIV infected subjects were enrolled. HBsAg, anti-HBs, anti-HBc and anti-HCV were tested in all subjects. The presence of HBV-DNA was determined in plasma samples of patients with isolated anti-HBc by real-time PCR. In HBV-DNA positive patients, surface gene region was amplified by nested PCR and surface gene mutations were analyzed after direct sequencing.Results: Insertion of a T residue at position 60 and a G residue at position 89 were seen in two isolates which made their HBs proteins nonfunctional and premature stop codons were observed in 2 other isolates via replacing of T by A at position 44 and G by T at position 28 respectively.Amino acid substitution at amino acid position 207 (S207N) was found in the other isolates.Conclusion: Our study suggested that the "a" region mutations did not playa major role in HBsAg detection and other mutations may be responsible for the existence of occult HBV infection and failure to detect HBsAg by routine laboratory tests.

Background and objectives: Bacteremia is one of the main causes of morbidity and mortality in patients with malignancy. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of aerobic and anaerobic- bacteremia in symptomatic hospitalize patients and determination of antibiotic resistance of isolates.Material and methods: A total of 204 blood samples- obtained from 121 cancer patients- with suspected bacteremia - were examined. The patients were admitted in the oncology wards of Bahonar and Afzalipour hospitals in Kerman. The blood cultures were performed in Bactec media and evaluated for four weeks in aerobic and anaerobic conditions. Identification of isolates and antibiotic susceptibility test were performed by standard methods Results: Twenty three and half percent of blood cultures were positive. The rate of poly bacterial bacteremia cases was 12.5%. The prevalence of G+ and G-- bacteria were 37 (68.5%) and 17 (31.5%) respectively.Coagulase negative (coag--) staphylococci with 20.4%, propionibacterium spp with 18.5% and E.coli with 13% were the dominant bacteria. The coag-- staphylococci were also more prevalence in poly- bacterial bacteremia cases. All staphylococci were methicillin resistant (MRSA). Pseudomonasputida and 57% of isolated E.coli were also multi drug resistant (MDR). A number of Streptococci, Klebsiella spp and Alcaligenes spp were resistant to some antibiotics.Conclusion: Cancerous patients are encountered to various infections. Because of rise -emerging antibiotic- resistant bacteria, standard blood culture and antibiotic sensitivity test is necessary upon accession of initial symptoms of bacteremia.

Background and objectives: Diarrheal diseases remain as an important public health concern.Diarrhea genic Escherichia coli (DEC) is among the most important bacterial enteric pathogens, particularly in developing countries. DEC is classified into 6 categories: enteropathogenic E. coli (EPEC), enterohemorrhagic E. coli (EHEC), enterotoxigenic E. coli (ETEC), enteroinvasive E. coli (EIEC), enteroaggregative E. coli (EAEC), and diffusely adhering E. coli (DAEC). EAEC is a common bacterial cause of diarrhea among travelers' to developing countries, is the second most common cause of (ETEC is the most common cause) and a cause of persistent diarrhea and malnutrition in children and HIV-infected persons living in developing and developed countries.EAEC is increasingly recognized as an emerging enteric pathogen. Because of bad effects of diarrhea especially interference with growth in children, antibacterial treatment is recommended in some cases. But resistance and sensitivity of any strain in any area must be determined.Materials and methods: Therefore in the present study 204 isolates of EAEC identified by multiplex PCR designed for this purpose (AA, aap and aggR) from diarrheal children were checked for the antibiotic resistance pattern. The sensitivity of the isolates was checked for 11 different antibiotics, with disk diffusion assay.Results: The results obtained here, revealed that except for ciprofaxacin (CIP) and Nalidexicacid (NA) for the rest of antibiotics the isolates exhibited resistance. Among typical and atypical EAEC isolates the resistance pattern was not so different and resistant to more than one antibiotic was found to be common phenomenon among these isolates.Conclusion: The results obtained here indicated that the antibiotic usage is not in a regulated and defined manner and this makes a management of infectious diseases a difficult task.

Background and objectives: Urinary tract infection (UTI) is the most common nosocomial infection worldwide. Forty percent of nosocomial infections occur in the urinary tract, and greater than 80% of these infections are secondary to an indwelling urethral catheter. Bacteria causing UTI are one of the antibacterial agent resistance source. In addition, UTI increases the duration of hospitalization and there are medical and financial implications associated with UTIs. The aim of this study was to identify the bacteria caused UTI in catheterized patients and to determine their in vitro susceptibility to antimicrobial agents.Materials and methods: Urine samples were cultured by standard loop method. The 105 CFU/ml cultures were assumed as positive. After identification of bacterial species by biochemical tests, susceptibility of each isolate was assessed by disk diffusion method according to CLSI guidelines.Results: In this study 181 urine samples were bacteriologically analyzed. The bacteria were identified by biochemical tests, the antibiogram was performed. E. coli was the most frequent observed bacteria, followed by Klebsiella spp., Pseudomonas spp. and Enterococcus spp., respectively. This study exhibited high antimicrobial resistance which caused by high antimicrobial consumption among these patients.Conclusion: This study revealed that different kind of Gram negative and Gram positive bacteria causing UTI in catheterized patients. These bacteria have significant roles in nosocomial infections and antibacterial resistance.

Background and objective: hepatitis B virus (RBV) infection is one of the most widespread infections in the world A potential problem of hepatitis B immunization is that hepatitis B surface antibody (anti-HBs) titers decline with age. The present study was designed to investigate the persistence of anti-RBs levels in vaccinated children in a low endemic area.Materials and methods: Plasma samples of 938 children between ages of 8 months and 15 years were tested for the presence of anti-RBs.Results: The overall seroprotection rate was 59.6% in vaccinated children. Protective antibody levels can be detected in 65% of one year vaccinees, 30% in 5 years after vaccination, 29% and 24% in 10 and 15 years after vaccination. The mean anti-RBs declined with post-vaccination time (65.66±38.41 mIU/ml in 1 year vaccinees, 59.88±44.37 in 5, 40.37±40.77 in 10 and 37.31±42.91 in 15 years post vaccination). Seroprotection rates decreased significantly with increasing age, due to waning anti-RBs titer over time.Conclusion: Children vaccinated against hepatitis B during infancy may show low levels of antibody during adolescence.Because the issue of booster dosing is still debatable, our data suggest that a booster dose of vaccine may be required in areas where endemicity is low.

Background and objective: Toxoplasmosis is a widely distributed opportunistic infection caused by a protozoan parasite Toxoplasma gondii. The Parasite is a known pathogen in AIDS and immuno-compromised patients. The aim of this article was to determine toxoplasmic infection rate in kidney transplantation recipients and donors.Materials and methods: Serum specimens from 31 kidney recipients and 31 donors were collected and tested for detection of specific anti Toxoplasma antibodies by Enzyme Linked Immuno-Sorbent Assay (ELISA) method.Results: 19 cases (61.3%) of 31 donors' samples and 17 cases (54.84%) from totally 31 recipients' samples were positive for IgG anti-Toxoplasma antibody.Conclusion: According to the relatively high prevalence of positive cases in either recipients or donors, clinical awareness of the potential risks of reactivation of latent infection or occurring of primary infection due to regular administration of suppressive drugs is necessary and Toxoplasmosis should be considered in the differential diagnosis of complications in renal transplant recipients.

Background and objective: Leptospirosis is one of the most widespread Zoonosis in the world with more prevalence in tropical, subtropical and temperate regions. Flat area of Guilan province, along Caspian sea, with humid temperate climate, is a region with ecological situations favor to a high incidence of human leptospirosis. This study is performed to determine the incidence, demographical features, and most clinical signs of Leptospirosis in flat area of Guilan province, Iran.Materials and methods: All collected sera from patients with clinical diagnosis of leptopirosis were studied by a commercial IgM-ELISA kit. Demographic and epidemiological data of patients with positive titer were analyzed.Results: Totally 2045 patients had positive titer.68.9% of them were male, 80.7% were villager, 68.9% were rice farmer, 97.3% had near work experience in rice farm, 27.5% had contact with surface waters, and 28.9% had close contact with animals. Incidence of the disease was more common in Somesara, Rasht, and Lahijan respectively. 40.7% of patients were in 30-50 age group and 35.9% of them were over 50 years old. Average of incidence and mortality were 9.7 and 4.3 respectively. Relationship between age and work in rice paddy with occurrence of the disease was significant. Fever, myalgia, Icterrus and conjunctivitis were most commn symptoms durind hospitalization.Conclusion: leptospirosis is more common in central area of flat region of Guilan and is more frequent in rural regions, from late spring to end of summer, mainly in rice farmers, and is a occupational disease. The common Symptoms of the disease in the area are fever, myalgia, Icterus and conjunctivitis.

Background and objective: AIDS epidemic is in its third decade that is one of the most important causes of illness and death worldwide. This study aimed to assess knowledge in nurses about HIV1AIDS among nurses.Materials and methods: This was a cross-sectiona1, questionnaire base study that was Perform ad among 196 nurses in Imam Khomini Hospital Teharan, Iran. The nurses responded to an Anonymously Self-Administered questionaries’ that consisted of 2 part of demographic and knowledge questions. The data obtained was analyzed with SPSS software, version 16.Result: 196 nurses age 36/63±0/5 took part in the study. the total knowledge level of 66/73% of nurses was good and 38/26% of then was moderate. There wasn't significant different between age, sex and employment year and knowledge level also was significant different among nursing that cared to HIV/AIDS disease.Journal, texts and reeducationa1programs were the main information sources in nurses and 33/16% of respondents had previously cared for patients with AIDS. Many think AIDS to be a disease that there is no treatment (83/67%) and vaccine is for prevented (14/28%) Conclusion: Although the majority exhibited adequate knowledge of basic hiv/aids but there is a need for accelerated HIV1AIDS training of nurses by moderat knowledge.