Journal of Zoonotic Diseases
Volume:8 Issue: 1, Winter 2024

One of the most common methods to observe the indicators of hydatid cyst disease in human societies is to check the annual occurrence rate of confirmed cases in health centers or cases that have undergone surgery. Kenny disease applied Cystic Echinococcosis (CE). The main goal of this study is to systematically review statistical data related to CE between 2003 and 2023 in Fars province, one of the most populated provinces in the southwest of Iran. The results show that the highest prevalence of serology and surgery in this province is related to the age group below 50 years. Among the 299 positive cases detected by ELISA in serology, the prevalence rate among men is 55.85% and 44.14% among women. In 905 surgical cases, 51.60% were men, and 48.4% were women. In general, the obtained results show no significant relationship between the genders of people, but there is a relationship between age and the prevalence of the disease. The changes in this disease during these 20 years have not fluctuated much, and from this point of view, better measures can be taken to control this disease. Teaching the life cycle and transmission methods of this parasitic disease to humans in human societies is very important in preventing this parasitic disease.

The protein C-type lectin is secreted by the secondary-stage larve of Toxocara canis (T. canis). Its antigenic characteristics have been the subject of research. The recombinant pET-32a (+) plasmid containing the 660 bp sequence of T. canis C-type lectin gene was successfully synthesized, cloned, and expressed in Escherichia coli (DE3+). Serum samples were collected from 56 pet owners. Forty-four samples were negative and twelve samples were positive which were performed with a commercial ELISA kit. The same samples were also tested using dot blot and Western blot analysis prepared with recombinant CTL antigen (rCTL). The expression was confirmed by Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate (SDS-PAGE) and Western blot. The study results revealed that two samples, which tested negative in the ELISA analysis, were found to be positive when using the recombinant C-type lectin (rCTL) antigen in both dot blot and Western blot analyses. The overall test results showed a high level of agreement between the three methods, with Kappa coefficients of 1 and 0.9 for the comparisons. This indicates the potential of using recombinant CTL antigen, to detect positive samples that may be missed by E-S Antigen. The recombinant rCTL demonstrated higher sensitivity than the excretory-secretory Antigens, indicating its potential for improved serodiagnosis of human toxocariasis. The study proposes that the rCTL could be further evaluated in supplementary studies to improve and develop the diagnostic kits for toxocariasis.

Cryptosporidium is one of the major causes of diarrhea in animals and humans worldwide. The purpose of this research was to estimate the prevalence of Cryptosporidium infection and investigate the predisposing factors of infection in lambs in the suburbs of Mashhad, eastern Iran.  In this research, a total of 400 fecal specimens of lambs aged 5-90 days were taken by rectal examination and mixed with the same volume of 2.5% potassium dichromate until further examinations. In the lab, thin fecal smears were prepared from the specimens and stained using the modified Ziehl-Neelsen technique. The stained smears were examined under 40X and 100X magnification. In addition, anamnestic, epidemiological, management, and hygiene measures data, including age, sex, breed, rectal temperature, fecal consistency, herd number, keeping with other animals, type of pen, type of bedding, colostrum consumption, source of drinking water were recorded in questionnaires and analyzed. In the current research, the intensity of infection was determined. In microscopy, 11% of the examined smears scored positive. The lowest intensity of infection was recorded in 38.63%, the average intensity of infection was found in 47.7%, and the highest intensity of infection was found in 13.63% of samples. Cryptosporidium infection was significantly influenced by some analyzed factors, including younger age, absence of colostrum intake, mud wall of the pens, and non-tap water consumption. The present study showed that the infection of lambs with Cryptosporidium is significant in the suburbs of Mashhad, although in most cases, the intensity of contamination was moderate.

Brucellosis is a significant zoonotic disease that poses both health and economic risks. It is endemic in many developing countries, such as Iran. This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of Brucella abortus infection in native horses in the suburbs of Tabriz, Iran, using serological methods. Blood samples were collected from 141 apparently healthy horses, 45 of which were less than five years old, and 96 were more than five years old. Additionally, 35 were female and 106 were male. The Rose Bengal Plate Test (RBPT), Standard Tube Agglutination Test (STAT), 2-Mercaptoetanole (2-ME) test, and indirect ELISA (i-ELISA) were used to detect the presence of Brucella abortus infection in serum samples. The results showed that 4.96%, 3.54%, and 9.2% of the samples were positive for RBPT, STAT, and i-ELISA tests, respectively. The 2-ME test indicated the presence of IgG in the five serum samples. Of the thirteen positive samples in the i-ELISA test, eight cases (61.5%) were more than five years old, and the remaining five cases (38.5%) were under five years old. Out of thirteen positive cases, four cases (30.8%) were females, and nine cases (69.2%) were males. No significant relationship was found between Brucella abortus-infected cases and the age and gender of the horses. The findings suggest the presence of Brucella abortus contamination in native horses in the study area, emphasizing the importance of considering these animals in control and eradication programs for Brucellosis in the region.

Giardia lamblia is the protozoan agent of giardiasis and is one of the most common causes of diarrhea worldwide, especially in Iran. Nowadays, drugs such as metronidazole, furazolidone, tinidazole, and quinacrine are used to treat giardiasis. These drugs have different side effects, so research to find a drug with few side effects seems necessary. Asafoetida, an oleo gum resin obtained from an Iranian endemic herb, Ferula Assa-foetida has many healing properties, especially in the treatment of parasitic diseases. This study aimed to investigate the effect of Asafoetida hydroalcoholic extract on the G. lamblia in vivo in mice. In this experimental study, 25 mice were divided into 5 groups of 5 including negative control, drug control with metronidazole, and 3 experimental groups treated with Asafoetida extract at doses of 100, 200, and 400 mg/mL. Then, the effect of Asafoetida hydroalcoholic extract up to the tenth day was evaluated. In this study, the weight of mice in the groups treated with hydroalcoholic extract of Asafoetida was lower than the control group that did not take any drugs. The effect of plant extract against G. lamblia showed that the reduction in the number of cysts in the groups of 100, 200, and 400 mg/mL was equal to 71.8%, 80.9%, and 93%, respectively (p<0.05). The results of this study showed that Asafoetida has very good antigiardial effects on in vivo conditions and can be considered as one of the treatment options for the treatment of giardiasis.

Zoonotic diseases are one of the primary public health concerns. Both developing and developed nations have experienced the resurgence of infectious diseases with zoonotic potential, leading to significant economic and human losses. This raises the question of how well the public is informed about zoonotic illnesses in the state, where several outbreaks have occurred in recent years. This study attempts to understand the awareness level of individuals in Wayanad district, Kerala, and their relation with gender and education. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 122 individuals belonging to different sectors and ages selected using power analysis and a well-structured questionnaire was propagated among individuals. The collected data were analyzed using simple mathematical percentages and hypothesis testing using the Chi-square test. According to the research, the majority of the people are uninformed of zoonotic illnesses, particularly Kyasanur Forest Disease, Japanese Encephalitis, West Nile Fever, Rabies, Avian Influenza, and Swine Influenza, which have the lowest awareness. The news media, which comprises print, television, and the internet, is the main information source for most people about these illnesses. Similarly, the study found a significant association between overall awareness and educational level. The study put forward the existence of low awareness regarding many zoonoses in the study area. It advises that the government should be more involved in raising public awareness by collaborating with veterinarians and healthcare professionals.