فهرست مطالب mahdi fakhar

Lophomoniasis is a relatively common emerging parasitic disease caused by a pathogenic protozoan called Lophomonas, which mostly affects the lower respiratory tract (lungs and bronchi) of humans. The parasite lives symbiotically in the digestive system of insects such as cockroaches and mites. Acanthamoeba is a free-living amoeba that has two forms of trophozoite and cyst in its life cycle. The respiratory system and airways serve as passage and deployment sites for a wide range of non-pathogenic and pathogenic microorganisms, making it a suitable place for the entry and spread of different species of Acanthamoeba amoeba and the Lophomonas pathogen in the respiratory system, which can cause clinical manifestations similar to tuberculosis. Therefore, the present study aimed to investigate the frequency of these two parasites in sputum clinical samples from suspected tuberculosis patients referred to the tuberculosis laboratory in Babolsar City to rule out the two mentioned infections.

This descriptive-cross-sectional study was conducted on 201 sputum samples of people suspected of tuberculosis who were referred to the tuberculosis laboratory of Babolsar Health Center in Mazandaran province in 202-2023, and all the demographic and epidemiological information of the patients was recorded. In the morphological method, Giemsa staining was used for Lophomonas and Ziehl-Neelsen staining for Acanthamoeba. To identify the presence of Acanthamoeba, sputum samples were cultured in a 1.5% non-nutrient agar culture medium for 72 to 96 hours. Approximately 50 microliters of patients' sputum were added to the NNA medium, along with 20 microliters of trypticase-yeast extract and maltose (TYM) culture medium, and 20 microliters of an autoclaved Escherichia coli bacteria mixture to enrich the culture medium. The cultured plates were then placed in an incubator at 26ºC and checked daily under a light microscope for trophozoite growth. To accurately confirm the presence of parasites, DNA extraction was performed on the patient's sputum samples using the phenol-chloroform-isoamyl alcohol method. Subsequently, conventional polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was conducted using specific primers on the extracted DNA samples.

In the study of 201 people suspected of tuberculosis, it was found that 80 individuals (39.8%) lived in urban areas and 121 individuals (60.2%) lived in rural areas. The age range of participants varied from 7 to 88 years old. There were 113 females (56.2%) and 88 males (43.8%) in the study, with 12 individuals from Afghanistan living in urban areas. Out of the 201 sputum samples examined, a total of 23 samples (11.4%) tested positive for the Lophomonas parasite using the PCR method. Among these positive cases, 7 individuals (30.4%) resided in urban areas (Babolsar), while 16 individuals (69.5%) lived in rural areas. However, none of the samples tested positive for Acanthamoeba in this study using staining and PCR methods.

The present study showed that due to the similarity of the clinical manifestations of tuberculosis and lophomoniasis, there is a possibility of mistaking these two diseases clinically. Therefore, it is recommended to check fresh sputum samples of people suspected of tuberculosis, especially in endemic areas, in terms of pulmonary lophomoniasis.

Cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) is an important health problem in Iran and one of the world ̛s neglected diseases which is caused by Leishmania spp. The aim of this study was to investigate the epidemiology of cutaneous leishmaniasis and its associated risk factors in an endemic center in Golestan Province.

This descriptive cross-sectional study included patients with suspected CL who had been referring to the health centers of Gonbad–e Qabus town, between 2018 and 2020. Demographic and epidemiological data of CL patients were recorded and diagnosis of Leishmania spp. was made by Giemsa staining of direct smear. PCR was also used to determine and confirm the parasite species.

From 1979 suspected CL lesions, 1704(87.4%) had positive smears. 898 (52.7%) patients were male and 806 (47.3%) were female. The highest incidence rate was observed in the patients of less than 5 (25.93%) and those between 25 and 45 years of age (25.41%). In all samples in this study, Leishmania major was the only Leishmania spp detected by ITS-PCR. Also, Critidia fasciulata was identified in three patients.

The study provided valuable data concerning the epidemiologic aspects of the CL in an old endemic focus in north of Iran, which can be used as the basis for planning future control strategies.

Human blood parasites are one of the most critical infections in human that transmit by vectors. Reservoirs of the parasites are crucially important in the epidemiology and control. In the current study isolated parasites from a Rhombomys Optimus (R. opimus), rodent confirms that Crithidia is a zoonotic parasitic disease. This study aimed to find the high-risk areas of this infection by considering the distribution of reservoirs and human infection. In this study, 148 rodents from an endemic focus of Gonbad-e-Qabus city in Golestan province were trapped and then killed ethically and direct smear and culture in Novy- MacNal-Nicolle medium (NNN) were taken and finally, results were confirmed by Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) and Sequencing method. Out of 148 rodent, 97 (65.54%) rodent were male and 51 (34.45%) were female (P <0.05). and in smear and culture were found 8 (5.40%) T. lewisi, 6 (4.05%) L. major, and 2 (1.35%) Crithidia spp. Based on the time; 40 (27.02%), 50 (33.78%), 38 (25.67%), and 20 (13.51%) rodents were trapped in spring, summer, fall, and winter, respectively. Due to northeastern Iran (Gonbad-e-Qabus) being the endemic focus of cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL), it should be noted that the reservoirs of this disease may also be contaminated with Leishmania spp, and Crithidia. Results showed that R. opimus are the important reservoirs of CL in northeastern of Iran. Important foci of the diseases in almost all areas of Iran are dispersed. Therefore, reliable methods to control mice are essentially needed.

Toxoplasma gondii is one of the most common parasitic infections in humans and other vertebrates worldwide. This study aimed at determining the seroprevalence of Toxoplasma infection and associated risk factors in individuals attending a Reference Laboratory in Gorgan, Iran. Moreover, recent studies in Golestan province were reviewed.

A descriptive cross-sectional survey was conducted in 551 blood samples obtained from February-June 2017. Serum samples were isolated and examined for IgG and IgM antibodies against T. gondii using ELISA. Data were analyzed in SPSS applying logistic regression.

Total prevalence of T. gondii was 63.5% (350 out of 551). Among the samples, 306 (55.5%), 12 (2.17%), and 32 (5.8%) were found to be positive for IgG, IgM and both IgG and IgM against T. gondii, respectively. There were significant associations between T. gondii infection and age and soil contact (P< 0.05). However, no significant correlation was observed between T. gondii infection and sex, living area, level of education, occupation, etc (P>0.05).

About two thirds of individuals were infected with T. gondii. Accordingly, a high number of subjects have been exposed to T. gondii in this area, which their seropositivity was seen to increase by age as a risk factor. High seropositivity indicates appropriate conditions for the life cycle of the parasite in this province. Therefore, preventive measurements at the community level, particularly in high-risk groups, are warranted.

Cryptosporidium spp. is a major cause of gastrointestinal illness in humans. There are no data available on geospatial distribution of Cryptosporidium spp. in the Mazandaran Province, Iran. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine the spatial patterns and demographic factors associated with Cryptosporidium spp. infection in the Mazandaran Province, North of Iran.

Fecal specimens were collected from diarrheic individuals (n=215) who were referred to health centers in the Mazandaran Province during 2014-2015. The specimens were examined for presence of Cryptosporidium spp. oocysts by Ziehl-Neelsen acid-fast staining.

  Cities of Sari, Neka, Noshahr and Behshahr were identified as disease hotspots. The prevalence of Cryptosporidium infection was significantly higher in subjects under 10 years of age as well as those living in low-altitude areas and rural areas without access to standard water sources.

Our findings and the GIS-derived data could be used to facilitate cryptosporidiosis surveillance and monitoring of Cryptosporidium spp. distribution in the study area.

Over the last decade, a few cases of visceral leishmaniasis (VL) have been reported in some provinces of northeastern Iran. We aimed to investigate clinical and laboratory findings of VL among children who admitted to the pediatric ward in a referral hospital in Mashhad, northeastern Iran.

A retrospective study, between 1997 and 2017, was performed on the data sheet registered for children with confirmed VL at the referral Emam Reza Hospital in Mashhad. Hematological and biochemical profiles of the patients were analyzed.

Thirty-five children with VL, confirmed by the presence of amastigotes of Leishmania in Giemsa stained smears of the bone marrow, had been recorded through 20 yr. The mean age of patients was 3.7±4 yr. The majority of the patients suffered from hepatosplenomegaly (100%, n=35/35), followed by prolonged fever and pallor (91%, n=32/35), weight loss (85%, n=30/35). The main laboratory findings were anemia (94.1%), leukopenia (52.9%) and thrombocytopenia (70.5%). Almost one-third (37.1%; 13/35) of VL patients inhabited in rural areas of the Bojnoord district as a known VL endemic focus in northeastern Iran.

Our preliminary data showed that the origin of VL is still in some districts other than Mashhad, where VL just will be diagnosed.

Intestinal parasitic infections are a major public health problem worldwide, especially in developing countries. It is estimated that around 3.5 billion people are infected with intestinal parasites. Human intestinal parasites (HIP) are clinically important due to broad epidemiological distribution, reinfection and drug resistance. In the last decades, bioactive compounds from herbs were used against a wide variety of microorganisms including parasites. We aimed to perform a systematic review on studies on the effects of medicinal herbs on HIPs in Iran.

Relevant scientific publications until April, 2015 were extracted from five English databases (PubMed, Google Scholar, Ebsco, Science Direct and Scopus) and four Persian databases (Magiran, Irandoc, IranMedex and the Scientific Information Database).

A total of 18 papers and two dissertations met the inclusion criteria. Overall, 22 different plant extracts were used against Giardia lamblia, Entamoeba histolytica, Cryptosporidium and Hymenolepis nana. Based on the results, the extracts could exert time- and dose-dependent inhibitory effects against the tested HIPs. Five plants types including Allium, Chenopodium botrys, Carum copticum, F. asafoetida and Artemisia annua were able to completely inhibit the tested parasites, while Thymus vulgaris and A. paradoxum showed the lowest inhibitory effect (7%).

Given the findings, it is recommended to conduct in vivo studies on medicinal herbs with favorable in vitro effects against HIPs.

There is a high prevalence of infections caused by Leishmania parasites and increasing rate of drug resistance. Lack of successful treatment with existing drugs calls for new therapeutic approaches. The main strategy in treatment of leishmaniasis is creating apoptosis and eliminating different forms of the parasite. So far, numerous drugs with specific mechanisms including 14-α-demethylase enzyme inhibition, inhibition of tubulin polymerization and cell division, radical formation, inhibiting the glycolytic and hydrolysis of fatty acids, and reducing the parasite's access to energy reserves such as ATP have been introduced. Moreover, different mineral compounds especially iron are needed for metabolism and survival of the parasite. This review article introduces iron-chelating compounds as a new therapeutic approach in treatment of leishmaniasis.

Leishmaniasis is a vector-borne zoonotic disease caused by various species of the genus Leishmania, (trypanosomatidae family) that is transmitted by phlebotomine sandflies. The disease can present in a range of clinical forms, including dermal lesions, metastasis mucocutaneous forms, and fatal visceral forms. In this non-systematic review, we aimed at introducing the role of kinetoplast DNA (kDNA) and dependent topoisomerases (TPI) as potential chemotherapeutic targets for treatment of leishmaniasis. The Leishmania parasite has a mitochondrial DNA located in the attached circles. KDNA replication process is very complex and a large number of proteins are involved. Some of them are classified as topoisomerases, which play major biological roles in the effective cell processes in the topology, synthesis, and organization of kDNA and constitute the main drug target in kinetoplast for leishmaniasis cure. Several studies have shown that the inhibitors of TPI exchange these enzymes into intracellular cell toxins and provide an appropriate tool for killing the parasite in the host. DNA binding drugs have also been reported as therapeutic agents against leishmanial infections.

All organisms struggle to survive and find food. This is the biggest and most important need of all organisms. Meanwhile, food safety is very important. Nanotechnology has penetrated every aspect of human life and plays an important role in the food industry. This technology has changed production and services as well as packaging and specifying the expiration of the food. Metal and metal oxide nanoparticles, chitosan, polymeric nanoparticles, and liposome are the most common particles in the packing and food protection. Here is a review of a number of developments in the nanotechnology over the food industry.

This study was a Nonsystematic Review and was searched through the databases Pubmed, SCOPUS, Web of Science, and Google Scholar with the keywords Nanotechnology, Nanoparticle, Packaging, and Food Science in recent years (2015-2018). There were 852 articles of which 43 papers were selected.

Metal and metal oxide nanoparticles, chitosan nanoparticles, polymer nanoparticles, and liposomes are the most commonly used particles in packaging and food preservation. The use of various nanoparticles and nanoparticle-coated composites, nanofilms, etc. has improved the quality and shelf-life of foodstuffs.

Nanotechnology has been able to influence the food industry as an emerging technology that has entered into all aspects of human life.

Apoptosis is a physiological cell death that occurs under normal conditions in major biological processes, including the removal of old, damaged, extra, or harmful cells. It plays an important role in natural evolution, tissue homeostasis, removal of cells damaged or infected by viruses, and removal of immune cells activated against self-antigens. The purpose of this review was to examine the role of apoptosis in parasites and helminths. In this study, four English databases and three Persian databases were used to investigate the articles published between 1999 and 2018. Findings showed that in the Leishmania parasites, Plasmodium and Toxoplasma gondii mimic apoptosis with the expression of phosphatidylserine on the surface of the infected macrophages and prevent the recognition of the infected cell by the host immune system. Also, excreted/secreted antigens in the helminths, including Echinococcus granulosus, Echinococcus multilocularis, and Schistosoma haematobium induce apoptosis in immune cells, especially in lymphocytes. Parasites follow different goals by inducing or preventing apoptosis and current article aimed at reviewing these aspects. Moreover, apoptotic blebs from parasite-infected cell can potentially stimulate the host's immune system, therefore, they could be further investigated in vaccine-related studies.

There are various clinical forms of cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) and there is lack of access to diagnostic local laboratories especially in endemic regions. The present study aimed to conduct molecular examination of the typical and atypical clinical forms of CL in endemic area of Bam, Iran. This cross-sectional study was carried out between 2013 and 2014. The diagnosis was performed by direct smears from skin lesions, Giemsa staining, and microscopic examination. Total DNA was extracted from positive and negative direct smears. PCR method was used to determine the genus and species of Leishmania.  In this study, 353 suspected cases of CL in Bam Health Center were investigated of whom 278 (78.7%) were positive by microscopic examination. Forty skin smears from typical lesions were positive by both PCR and microscopic examinations, but out of 40 skin smears from atypical lesions which were negative by microscopic observation, Leishmania DNA was detected in 6 (15%) samples. Leishmania tropica was identified in all positive samples. In current study, microscopy method was not found reliable enough for diagnosis of CL. Therefore, for early diagnosis of the disease PCR is recommended in negative smears of patients suspected of CL.

Trichomoniasis, due to Trichomonas vaginalis, is one of the most common sexually transmitted parasitic diseases in the world such as Iran. This systematic review aimed to explore the studies evaluating the medicinal herbs with anti- T. vaginalis activity which used in Iran. Articles published in 4 Persian and 4 English databases were obtained between 2000 and 2015 including Google Scholar, PubMed, Science Direct, Scopus, Magiran, Barakatkns (formerly IranMedex), Elm net, and SID (Scientific Information Database). Studies out of Iran, studies on animal models and articles on other parasite species than T. vaginalis were excluded from this review. Twenty-one articles including in vitro experiments, met our eligibility criteria. Thoroughly, 26 types of plants were examined against T. vaginalis. Medicinal herbs such as Artemisia, Zataria multiflora, and Lavandula angustifolia are remarkably effective on T. vaginalis. As such, use of other parts of these plants in different concentrations and timelines is recommended for future in vivo studies. The present systematic review provides comprehensive and useful information about Iranian medicinal plants with anti-T. vaginalis activity, which would be examined in the future experimental and clinical trials and herbal combination therapy.

 Leech infestation most frequently occurs in upper body cavities of children including pharynx, nose and esophagus and, more rarely, the vagina and vulva. Here we describe a 6-yr-old girl with vulvar bleeding caused by leech infestation that referred to the Emergency unit of the Booali Sina Hospital in Sari, Iran in Sep 2015. She had a history of swimming in a pond prior to the occurrence. The leech infestation particularly vulvar involvement among young girls is extremely rare and yet neglected event in the world.

Visceral leishmaniasis (VL), so-called Kala-azar is a life threating parasitic infectious disease caused by Leishmania spp. L. infantum is the main causative agent for Mediterranean form of Kala-azar which is endemic in northeastern Iran. This study attempted to investigate existence of canine visceral leishmaniasis (CVL) in Khorasan Razavi. Between 2014 and 2016, tissue samples collected from spleen and liver of 192 stray dogs were examined to investigate existence of L. infantum. Kinetoplast DNA (k-DNA) PCR was performed to identify the species of parasites. The positive PCR products were sequenced in both directions to confirm the kDNA PCR results Among samples obtained from 192 dogs, kinetoplast DNA of L. infantum was detected in two female dogs. L. infantum was confirmed by sequence analysis of PCR products. Our data confirm stray dogs play as potential reservoirs for VL in this province. Further investigation will be necessary to clear role of stray dogs in the transmission of L. infantum to human and domestic dogs.

The gastrointestinal system harbors various microorganisms, known as gut microbiota. Increase in prevalence of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in developed countries is associated with changes in the environment, such as decrease in incidence of parasitic infections, especially helminths, and changes in the intestinal flora. Probiotics are useful microbiota for human health. The parasitic worms (helminths) have evolved over the years with their host. Several studies have investigated the capability of helminths and probiotics to alter or control host immune responses in view of the fact that these organisms have immunomodulation effects. Given the contradictory results, further broad studies are needed to confirm the role of probiotics and helminths in the treatment of IBD.

Background and Given the role of religious teachings in the health and education of students as created and qualified workforce, the investigation of the sources of these teachings is a matter of paramount importance. Regarding this, the present study was conducted to investigate the source of religious teachings in students of Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences (MAZUMS), Sari, Iran.
This study was conducted on 160 students studying at all faculties of MAZUMS in 2016. The data were collected using a researcher-made questionnaire. Data analysis was performed in SPSS software (version 20) using inferential statistics, including Chi-Square and Fischer's exact tests.
According to the results, family played the role of the first, second, third, and fourth source of information in 92.5%, 4.4%, 1.9%, and 1.3% of the students, respectively. In addition, mosques were the first, second, third, and fourth sources of information for 1.3%, 21.3%, 18.1%, and 58.8% of the participants, respectively. The results of the Fisher's exact test showed that the ratio of choosing an information source for religious teachings in the second, third, and fourth priorities considerably varied across different colleges (P As the findings indicated, 92.5% and 58.8% of the students considered family and mosque as the first sources of information for religious teachings, respectively. Consequently, it is necessary for the families to make proper plans targeted toward making religious sites, such as mosques, more attractive for the younger generation.

Leishmaniasis is a major public health problem, but so far there are no effective commercially available vaccines for this disease. Its control strategy is only reliant on therapy, but currently the drugs available for the treatment of leishmaniasis are also limited and a great concern is the rapid rate of resistance to common drugs. The first step in discovery and development of new drugs is to identify an appropriate drug target. Accordingly, it is important to recognize the metabolic pathways in which the leishmania parasites live and selecting a target in the parasite biological pathway, absent in the host or different from the host homolog. Discovery of new drugs requires high costs and takes a lot of time (up to 15 years). Therefore, choosing the approved drugs in the market for various diseases, including leishmaniasis is very cost-effective considering the mechanism of drug action and other aspects. Miltefosin is an effective anti-cancer agent that is also used for different types of leishmaniasis. In recent years, researchers have focused on the anti-leishmanial effects of pharmaceutical compounds or anticancer drugs to find more effective compounds with lower side effects. The present article mainly reviews the anticancer drugs that have been tested for their anti-leishmanial effects in both in vitro and in vivo conditions.

Background and Acanthamoeba species are ubiquitous amphizoic organisms which can cause lethal diseases, such as keratitis and encephalitis in domestic animals and humans. The first stage in studies related to Acanthamoeba is achieving abundant amount of amoebae in culture medium. The aim of this study was to evaluate TYM medium as a rich medium for the diagnosis of Acanthamoeba keratitis in corneal scrapes.
In this experimental study, we used one species of Acanthamoeba that was previously genotyped. Acanthamoeba was cultured in five plates of non-nutrient agar (NNA) medium with E.coli without TYM and in five plates of non-nutrient agar containing E.coli and TYM. Amoebae growth was observed for 24 to 48 hours by invert microscope.
According to current results using TYM medium increased the growth of trophozoites 8.8 folds and amoebas can be isolated form medium after 24 to 48 hours.
Due to the significant growth of Acanthamoeba in NNA improved medium, it is recommended for agglutination and early detection of Acanthamoeba in clinical and environmental samples.

Background and Studying the different diagnostic aspects of hydatid cysts (HC) plays a major role in early diagnosis and treatment. This study was conducted to evaluate the clinical and laboratory characteristics of HC cases operated in educational hospitals affiliated with Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences.
In this descriptive study, the records of all cases with HC (n=95) who underwent surgical treatment in two educational hospitals within 11 years (2004-2015) were studied and analyzed.
The patients were found to be 53.7% females, 67.4% living in rural areas, and 28.4% were aged 51-60 years old (P The present study showed that HC still remains a health problem in Mazandaran province, especially in rural areas.

Diarrheal disease is one of the most common problems that affected deployed military personnel during operations and maneuvers. Giardia (G.) lamblia is one of the causes of parasitic diarrhea in humans. There are very few therapeutics agents with unpleasant adverse effects available for treating giardiasis. Stachys lavandulifolia with polyphenolic structure is considered as an antimicrobial agent. In this study we evaluated the in vitro inhibitory activity of Stachys lavandulifolia leaves on cysts of G. lamblia.
G. lamblia cysts were isolated by the sucrose method. Various concentrations of the watery and n-hexane extracts (2.5, 5, 10, 25, 50 mg/mL respectively) were used for giardiacidal activity in 6 different times (1, 5, and 30 minutes, as well as 1, 3, and 6 hours).
The watery and n-hexane extract revealed great activity when compared to the control group (P Stachys lavandulifolia leaves, as a safe herbal medicine could be confirmed for anti giardial activity.

The aim of present study was to evaluate antileishmanial effects of Lavandula angustifolia (L. angustifolia) and Rosmarinus officinalis (R. officinalis) medicinal plants essential oils and nano-emulsions on Leishmania major (L. major).
The present study was performed in Leishmaniasis Reference Lab at Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Iran during 2016-2017. The IC50 values were calculated in both the promastigote and amastigote stages in J774 macrophage in comparison with meglumine antimoniate (MA) as positive control. In addition, cytotoxicity effects of essential oils and nano-emulsions prepared from both plants against macrophages were evaluated.
Both essential oil and nano-emulsion of Lavander and Rosemary showed anti-leishmania activity on promastigote with IC50=0.11 μl/mL, IC50=0.26 μl/mL, and IC50=0.08 μl/mL respectively. Moreover, during amastigote assay, Lavander and Rosemary essential oils and nano-emulsion were effective at least in concentration of 0.12 μl/mL and 0.06 µl/mL (P=0.0001) respectively, on mean infected macrophages (MIR) and amastigotes in macrophages (P=0.0001). Additionally, cytotoxicity assay against macrophage revealed no toxicity on the host cells at IC50 concentrations.
The nano-emulsions of both plants were more effective than essential oil in both MIR and amastigote. However, in comparison with MA, the Lavander essential oil is more effective in reducing MIR. Rosemary nano-emulsion reduced MIR significantly more than MA in concentration of 0.25 μl/mL (P

Stray dogs are considered potential reservoirs for zoonotic diseases. Previous helminthic surveys in Iran, have accounted for mainly species of nematodes and cestodes, and rarely digeneans.
We accessed 42 car-crashed stray dogs from the Farah Abad Region in the Mazandaran Province (North Iran) between Oct 2012 and Dec 2013, to be inspected for parasites. Helminths were collected from the intestine and they were morphologically studied.
We found five adult digeneans from the family Brachylaimidae, identified as Brachylaima sp. Worms were assigned to the genus based on the shape of the body, the position of genital pore, cirrus sac and testes, and the extension of the vitellarium. Absence of additional information on the developmental stages of the parasite precluded its specific identification. As the geographic distribution of species of Brachylaima is restricted to the Mediterranean region, we raise the hypothesis that dogs may become infected with parasites through the consumption of helicid snails when searching for food on the street.
This is the second report of a species of Brachylaima in Iran and the third digenean species from stray dogs in the area. We want to raise the attention of researchers to helminthic surveys in potential zoonotic reservoirs like stray dogs.

Enterobious vermicularis (E. vermicularis) is one the most common parasitic infection among children.
The present study aimed to determine the prevalence rate of enterobiasis among preschool children in Mazandaran province, northern Iran.
In this cross–sectional study, 653 preschool children were recruited via the cluster sampling method during April 2013 to Feb 2014. A questionnaire was administrated to parents by an interviewer and determined children’s socio-demographic characteristics, personal hygiene, and healthy behaviors. The Graham technique was applied for diagnosis. Data were analyzed using logistic regression model and chi-square test.
In a total of 653 examined subjects, the prevalence rate of E. vermicularis was 19.4%, among which 40.9% were male, and 59.1% were female. The highest and lowest prevalence rates of E. vermicularis were found in Neka (61.4%) and Tonekabon (1.6%) districts, respectively. A significant association was found between infection and residency, parental occupations, parental education, number of family members, changing underwear, sterilization of linen clothing, taking daily bath, boiling or ironing clothes.
The high prevalence rate of E. vermicularis infection in this study proves the stability status of enterobiasis in this area, posing a risk for children there. Systematic control of infection in children is proposed.