hamid mokhayeri

HIV, HBV, and HCV are known as the most common blood-borne viral infections worldwide. Individuals referring to drop-in centers (DICs) are considered as high-risk people exposed to infection with theses blood-borne viruses. The purpose of this study was to investigate the prevalence of HIV, HBV, and HCV infections among women referred to DICs in the western province of Lorestan, Iran. During the present cross-sectional study, after obtaining informed consent and a questionnaire, two blood samples were collected from 118 women referred to Lorestan DICs to be evaluated for HIV, HBV, and HCV infections. Accordingly, the samples were first screened by using the most common serological methods, and then by Real Time-PCR to detect viral genomes. The results were analyzed using Chi-square statistical test and binary logistic regressions. Out of the studied 118 blood samples, 8 (6.8%), 4 (3.4%), and 10 (8.5%) subjects tested positive for HIV, HBV, and HCV infection, respectively. Furthermore, our study showed that 5 (4.2%) subjects were positive for HCV/HIV coinfection, and 3 (2.5%) cases for HBV/HCV coinfection. Moreover, our data revealed that incarceration and STDs were the most important risk factors for HIV (OR=15.27 (95% CI; 3.74 - 62.89); P value=0.01) and HBV (OR=16 (95% CI; 1.57 - 42.34); P value=0.018) infections, respectively. Our results suggest that women referring to DICs are at risk of infection with blood-borne viruses such as HIV, HBV, and HCV, due to risky behaviors. Thus, precise diagnostic testing and implementation of preventive methods against blood and sexually transmitted infections are urgent in these high-risk groups.

Fauna and larval habitat characteristics studies on mosquitoes are important tools to identify the breeding places of the vectors and management of the control strategies. This study was done to provide data on Culicidae fauna, larval habitat characteristics and identifying potential vectors of West Nile virus in Lorestan Province, west of Iran.

Culicidae mosquitoes were collected at three counties and nine site stations from Lorestan Province, west of Iran in 2017. Adult mosquitoes were collected using human and animal bite collection methods, New Jersey and CDC light traps and pit shelters by aspirator. Larva were collected by dipping method. RT-PCR technique was employed for detection of the West Nile virus among mosquito’s samples.

4805 mosquitoes were collected from three counties and nine sites in Lorestan Province during June–October 2017, including 4363 adults and 442 larvae. The most abundant species collected from all counties in both adult and larval stages were Culex pipiens (49.10%), Cx. theileri (31.82%), Anopheles maculipennis (11.09%), An. superpictus (2.66%), An. stephensi (2.12%), Cx. perexiguus (1.89%), An. dthali (1.17%) and An. sacharovi (0.15%) respectively. West Nile virus was detected in none of mosquitoes examined.

The results of this study revealed that arbovirus vectors such as Cx. pipiens along  with Cx. theileri and Cx. perexiguus are well adapted to a broad range of habitats and different climatic conditions in Lorestan Province. That necessitates further routine surveillance of arboviral infections.

Viral hepatitis is one of the most prevalent diseases and an important underlying cause of death and disability in the world. This case-control study was conducted to investigate the outbreak of hepatitis A in Boroujerd in 2019.

This case-control study was conducted to investigate the epidemic of hepatitis A in Boroujerd in 2019. Fifty hepatitis A patients were recruited. For each patient diagnosed, two controls with no history of the disease were selected from a neighboring village. Data were collected using a demographic questionnaire as well as the results of experiments. To investigate the association between the disease and risk factors, odds ratio and 95% confidence interval were used.

In this study, the odds ratios were significant for a number of risk factors including washing fruits and vegetables with a source other than tap water [OR = 3.2], washing dishes with a source other than tap water [OR = 3.7], non-sanitary toilets [OR = 8.3], using sources other than tap water when there is no tap water [OR = 4.4], being unaware of the disease and its transmission methods [OR = 4.8] and water well dug less than 15 m from the sewage well (OR = 4.1).

Increased public awareness and improved health status of the environment and rural sewage can preclude similar epidemics in the study area and other regions.

Fascioliasis is a zoonotic disease caused by Fasciola spp. We report five serologically and molecularly confirmed cases in an emerging region in Iran. A retrospective, case series study, performed in Lorestan Province, west of Iran between January 2015 and June 2016. From 1256 patients examined, 16 patients had positive serum ELISA. Five cases were approved as infected with fasciolosis using stool exam and PCR. Age ranged from 24 to 80 yr with mean age of 45 years. All of patients were adults and four of them had abdominal and back pain. Other symptoms included fever and chills, coughing and sore throat, weight loss, cutaneous manifestations. All patients lived in the rural environment, and four reported the ingestion of raw aquatic plants such as watercress. In fecal examination for fluke eggs, four samples were positive for F. hepatica eggs. Conventional PCR analysis showed that five human stools were positive for F. hepatica. All of 5 patients were treated with the usual dose of triclabendazole. A history of recent consumption of raw aquatic plants (in 4 out of 5 patients) is an important finding, but in one patient the source of infection remained unclear. Lorestan should be considered as an emerging region for this disease and further research in this province should be carried out.

The aim of this study was the seroepidemiological survey for detecting the status of human fasciolosis in Lorestan Province, western Iran.
This cross-sectional study was conducted in 2015-16. Based on statistical estimations, 1256 serum samples were collected from different parts of Lorestan Province, western Iran, and stored at -20 °C until use. The collected serum samples were analyzed at Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran using indirect ELISA method.
Anti-Fasciola antibodies were detected in 16 (1.3%) individuals. Regarding the seropositivity to fasciolosis, no significant differences were found between age groups, sex, level of education and occupation; however significant differences were observed regarding location, consuming local freshwater plants and water resources (P Local freshwater plants and unfiltered water resources were probably the main sources of the infection. Health education by local health centers to elevate awareness of people, and providing facilities for safer drinking water, especially in rural areas may help decrease the risk of fasciolosis infection in this region.

Q fever is a zoonotic disease and farm animals serve as the main reservoir of the disease. The aim of this study was to evaluate the seroprevalence of Q fever in sheep, in Lorestan province in western Iran.
In this cross-sectional study, 330 blood samples were collected from sheep, from each county in Lorestan province. The samples were tested by ELISA for the presence of immunoglobulin (IgG) against Coxiella burnetii.
Among the samples tested, 45 samples (13.64%) were seropositive. Of 35 studied herds, 21 (60%) had a history of infection. In terms of number of positive samples, there was no significant difference between the three geographical regions (central, west and east) (p=0.687). There was no statistically significant difference between age groups (p =0.604). Gender also had no effect on infection rates, in female and male sheep (p =0.814). No significant difference was observed between the number of lactation and positive serology (p =0.376). The rate of infection with Q fever and abortion also had no statistically significant difference (p =0.152).
The findings of this study showed that sheep in Lorestan were infected by Q fever and the cycle of disease transmission had been established between animals and ticks.

Despite the progress made, animal bites and rabies are one of the important health problems in the country. The purpose of this study was to investigate the epidemiology of animal bites and rabies during 2004–2014 in Lorestan Province to prevent them in population of the province for the future prospective aspects.
In a descriptive cross‑sectional study, all those cases bitten in the province, during 2004 and 2014, were studied. The required information about the age, sex, the bitten organ, type of the invasive animal time, and location of the event were collected in questionnaires and then analyzed.
The total number of cases of animal rabies during the period of study was 43,8 , shown at the rate of 223.23 in 100,000 people. Seventy‑eight percent of animal bites in rural areas, 41.42% in the ages 10–29‑year‑old, 26.8% of cases were students, 56.77% leg bites, and 82.5% of dog bites. Four cases of human rabies were observed during this period.
Rate of animal bites and rabies is high in Lorestan Province. Controlling animals such as dogs and cats in the province through training people at risk, especially among the students, rural areas and inter‑sectorial coordination to eliminate stray animals should be considered over and over. Preventive actions to avoid bites are a priority.

Molecular diagnostic methods are among major tools in management of hepatitis C virus (HCV) in infected patients. Many studies have shown that viral load is associated with stage of infection and response to treatment. Therefore, the evaluation and quantification of viral load is very important. The goal of this study is implementation of inexpensive, yet accurate method for quantitative assessment of viral load in plasma samples of infected patients.
After development and validation of the assay, quantification of HCV RNA on 200 chronic patients the start of therapy was performed using an In-House Real-time PCR assay. Measuring the concentration of viral RNA was performed using an external standard curve. It should be noted that the validation and standardization of all procedures in this study were performed using RNA standard panel. The results of this method were compared with results obtained from Artus commercial kit.
Detection limit of the assay was 50 IU/ml. The mean viral load measured on a logarithmic scale (5/81± 0/22, p Viral load detection of HCV was reported for the first time in Khorramabad city. According to the results, this method has a good sensitivity and specificity for HCV quantification in large-scale. It can be a good replacement for commercial kits especially for clinical evaluation of therapy.

Hepatitis is a disease causing inflammation of the liver and impairment of its function. It is often transmitted through contaminated blood and blood products and may become chronic presenting with flu like symptoms. Also fatigue، loss of appetite، myalgia and arthralgia، nausea and vomiting are its remarkable symptoms. The aim of this research was to study the prevalence rate of hepatitis B in rural papulation of Garab، Padervand، Chaghabal and Tang-e Panj in terms of age، sex، job… and its comparison with prevalence rate in similar regions of our province and country. Aimed to determine the seroprevalence of HbsAg infection in areas of Garab، Padervand، Chaghabal and Tang-e Panj and relationship between defined epidemiological factors and the infection in the population under study، after providing a questionnaire containing the symptoms of the disease، the data were collected and blood specimens were obtained. Then the specimens were tested by ELISA. Out of a total of 454 cases 227 were male and 227 were female (identical sex ratio) of them 27 cases (6. 2 %) were HBsAg positive. Out of infected persons 14 were male (51. 9%) and 13 were female (48. 1%). Most infected ones were 20 to 40 years old and housewives، truck drivers and students were amongst the most infected cases. Based on the findings of the study heptitis B infection in these areas is far more frequent than the mean national rates amounting to 2 to 3 percent that is in accordance with surveillance system data in the mentioned areas. Although the findings does not define the main transmission pattern of the disease، when age and gender distribution of infected cases is considered (almost equal sex ratio and preponderance of married ones) we can state that this pattern is largely directed to sexual transmission. Although all age and sex groups are at risk، men and those at the age of 20 to 40 are more prone to infection. Occupation، blood transfusion، household dimension، vaccination history were significantly related to HbsAg infection.