afsaneh hashemi

Scorpion sting is a common medical emergency in Iran. The epidemiological features and control of such cases vary from south to north. This review will provide new information about the epidemiology of scorpion stings in different provinces of Iran.
In this descriptive retrospective study, data on scorpionism including incidence rates, mortality as well as locality from 2002 to 2011were collected.
Overall, 433203 victims of scorpion stings had been referred to health centers from of all of the 31 prov­inces. The incidence of scorpion stings in 100000 populations was from 54.8 to 66. The highest rate of scorpion stings occurred among the 25–34 yr old group. The highest incidence of scorpion stings during 2011 was observed in Khuzestan Province and the lowest number in Mazandaran Province. The peak number of human cases (scorpion stings) was recorded during May to August.
Scorpion stings in Iran are high. It is necessary that physicians and health care professionals should be familiar with local scorpions, especially those that are potentially more dangerous than others, the effective treatment protocols, and supportive care as well as their control of scorpionism.

Scorpions are creatures under attention from the past due to their poisonous sting and various imaginations established true or false beliefs about these arthropods so this study has been carried out to clarify these theories, imaginations and Iranian religious views.
this review was prepared based on keywords like scorpion, cure of their bites, their role on beliefs and reciprocal action of human- scorpion. Through 70 titles, it has been analyzed 42 of them which were present in databases like SID, Ovid Medline, Pub Med, Web of Science and published books in this field.
In history of medicine and human culture scorpions are in center of attention more than any creature due to having painful and occasionally fatal poisonous sting. Sometimes they were under attention because they were known as symbol of strength and protection so that we find them ordinary in monuments remained from ancient geography of Iran.
It is found that scorpions play an important role in beliefs, reality and traditions of Iran for their painful and sometimes fatal sting. As a result this role sometimes is based on reality and sometimes has combined with delusions and is not true.

Background & Aims of the Study: Among the Iranians, scorpion is considered as one of the most important natural hazards and introduced as a dangerous animal. The outcome of this confrontation is to create stories and different beliefs about them .The primary aim of this study is to investigate and deliberate on the validity and fraudulence of these beliefs in how Iranian looked upon scorpions.
The study is a review of descriptive analysis. In other words, the study was conducted, considering the key terms such as: treatment of scorpion venom, motifs of humans and scorpions in internet and related websites; moreover, the study was carried on by professional journals, articles and researches as well as related published books in this filed. By considering the situation and its requirements, the references were chosen to be analyzed.
Owing to the fact that scorpions have poisonous, painful and sometimes mortal venoms, they have attracted more attention compared to other creatures in the history and culture of Iran. Such creatures are regarded as the symbol of power and sentry in several references as they can be found in the works and studies remained from ancients throughout Iran.
Due to the medical importance of scorpions and Iranian’s cultural beliefs, scorpion motifs has been regarded as a significant symbol of Iran’s history. Moreover, in creating the scorpion motifs about the dangers of this creature, beliefs, the realities and the analysis of customs have been playing the great roles.

Cimex lectularius (bed bug) are insects abundantly found in hot, temperate areas. This study is related to the outbreak of Cimex lectularius in a construction site around Polour in Amol, Iran. This cross-sectional study has examined 182 prefabricated houses made of intermodal containers [Conex] converted to a temporary housing, in a construction site.
The studied population comprised 1434 men. We used a questionnaire to gather information. The bugs were collected from the floor of the room, beds, bed sheets, blankets, pillows, and mattresses in each surface meter over a fixed time with the help of forceps and a flashlight.
From the 182 examined containers, 164 (approximately 90.1%) had evidence of contamination by bed bugs. From the examined people, 1243 (86.7%) had bug bites. Males between the ages of 35 to 44 (41.0 %) years had the most bites. The hands (38.3%) and abdominal area (23.7%) were the locations with the most bites.
The study has shown that the bugs entered the site on second hand objects such as wooden beds. Consulting health experts and training people in areas that are suspicious for these bugs can decrease the problems caused by the bites.