جستجوی مقالات مرتبط با کلیدواژه "seroepidemiology" در نشریات گروه "پزشکی"

COVID-19 is one of the most significant diseases of recent years, spreading globally through human-to-human transmission. The purpose of this study is to investigate the seroepidemiological titers of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in the urban population of Urmia city based on samples from individuals who referred to local laboratories. This study aims to provide new insights into the epidemiologic behavior of COVID-19 in society.

Approximately 4,000 people who referred to the laboratories of Urmia participated in this study. Plasma levels of IgM and IgG antibodies were measured, and the frequency of positive antibody titers in the entire population was calculated based on demographic characteristics such as age and gender. IgM and IgG levels were compared between the two genders. Additionally, IgM and IgG levels were compared across age groups: children and adolescents under 20 years old; young adults (20–40 years old); middle-aged individuals (40-60 years old); and the elderly (60 years and older).

In this study, the frequencies of IgM+ and IgG+ were determined as well as the frequency of (IgM/IgG+) among the participants. Plasma levels of IgG were not different between women and men, whereas IgM levels were higher in women than in men. The plasma levels of antibodies in the age groups of children and young people were lower than in the middle-aged and elderly age groups.

The findings of this study highlight that older adults and individuals with confirmed infections mounted a stronger antibody response. Additionally, the differences in IgM levels between genders warrant further research to explore their potential clinical significance.

Babesia ovis, an intraerythrocytic parasite carried by ticks and one of the most common subclinical ovine illnesses, was studied to ascertain its seroprevalence and endemic status in ram and ewe populations in East Azerbaijan Province, Iran, in lambs, yearlings, and adults of over two years of age.

A total of 960 sheep from 10 cities were selected from Jan 2018 to Nov 2019. Blood samples were collected from each animal and tested for the presence of B. ovis antibodies by applying a developed enzyme-linked immuno-sorbent assay (ELISA) technique. Checkerboard titrations were used to determine the optimal dilution of the antigen using negative and positive control sera. To determine whether the disease is endemically stable, inoculation rates for each age group were also calculated. Correlation coefficients were calculated between age and infection rates and also between age and inoculation rates.

The results revealed an average infection rate of 49.4% in East Azerbaijan Province. There was a positive cor-relation between the age of animals and susceptibility to infection except for lambs and yearlings, whereas there was no meaningful difference in exposure to B. ovis between rams and ewes. The negative correlation between age and inocula-tion rates indicates increased disease instability with age. Inoculation rate results revealed the endemically instable sta-tus of B. ovis in the studied area.

High prevalence rates and endemically instable status of the disease suggest demand for vaccine develop-ment and implementation of appropriate control measures for ovine babesiosis to mitigate the associated economic loss-es.

Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) also known as Kala-azar is considered as one of the zoonotic infections in Mediterranean countries. The reservoir of this infection is dogs and sand flies are considered as its vectors. Due to reported sporadic cases of Kala-azar in the past five years in Shahroud County, Semnan Province, Iran, this study aimed to investigate the status of this infection in this area and to determine its seroepidemiology to take required measurements for infection control and treatment.

This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted on 504 subjects residing in seven villages in Shahroud County, Semnan, Iran. Samples were randomly selected using the cluster sampling method and blood samples were collected from subjects aged up to 13 years old (90%) and adults over 13 years old (10%) from September 2018 to May 2019. After separating sera from whole blood, samples were subjected to direct agglutination test (DAT) to detect anti-Leishmania infantum antibodies. First dilutions were prepared from 1:10 to 1:800 for human samples.

Results of serological testing with 1:800 titration indicated that no sample was positive for antibody against Leishmania infantum. After secondary screening, 10 cases (1.98%) showed the antibody titer of 1:100, while four cases (0.79%) showed the antibody titer of 1:400. According to clinical findings, no patient was suffering from fever, weight loss, splenomegaly, hepatomegaly, and cachexia and therefore did not show the symptoms of Kala-azar.

The results of the current study indicate that Kala-azar is not prevalent in Shahroud County.

Considering the high prevalence and clinical importance of herpes simplex virus (HSV) infection worldwide, we aimed to evaluate the seroprevalence of HSV-1 and HSV-2 in a population aged between 15 and 35 years in Mashhad, Iran.

This cross-sectional study was conducted on 916 cases composed of 288 (31.4%) men and 628 (68.6%) women. Using ELISA method, the presence of IgM and IgG antibodies against HSV-1 and HSV-2 was assessed.

Among the population studied, 681 (74.3%) cases were positive for anti-HSV antibodies, while 235 (25.7%) cases were negative. Moreover, no IgMs were found and all positive subjects had IgG antibodies. Age (p < 0.001), occupation (p < 0.001), education (p = 0.006), smoking (p = 0.029), and BMI (p = 0.004) demonstrated a significant association with HSV-1 and HSV-2 infection.

Our study indicates a high seroprevalence of HSV infection; however, there was no cases positive for IgM antibodies, suggesting the high prevalence of latent infection.

 Toxoplasmosis is a common parasitic infection that can endanger mother's and neonates' health during pregnancy. The disease is also prevalent in Iran. This study intended to evaluate the seroepidemiology of toxoplasmosis in neonates and postpartum mothers referred to health centers of Yazd in Iran in 2020.

 Totally, 184 postpartum mothers and 184 neonatal umbilical cords in health centers of Yazd were evaluated for Toxoplasma infection through a specific IgM and IgG antibodies kit. The obtained data were analyzed by SPSS18.

Out of 184 samples of postpartum mothers, 8 cases (4.35%) were seropositive, and 176 (95.65%) were seronegative for IgG antibody; moreover, 7 cases (3.80%) were seropositive, and 177 (96.20%) seronegative for IgM antibody. Also, 184 neonatal umbilical cords were IgM negative, and no toxoplasmosis infection was reported. No significant correlation was found between seroprevalence of Toxoplasma infection and caring for pets, consumption of raw meat, level of education, blood type, job, living area and type of delivery (P>0.05). However, a significant correlation was identified between the number of deliveries and the prevalence of toxoplasmosis (P=0.014). This study also illustrated a low prevalence of Toxoplasma infection in postpartum mothers and no congenital transmission of the disease in diverse health centers of the province. However, there was no statistically significant relationship between risk factors and the prevalence of Toxoplasma.

According to evidence, a hydatid cyst is one of the most important health issues in most parts of the world. This study aimed to investigate the frequency of human hydatidosis in patients referred to health service centers in Hamadan province in 2019 using the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) method.  In this cross-sectional study, blood samples were collected from 300 patients referred to medical diagnostic laboratories in Hamadan and evaluated for the presence of immunoglobulin G antibodies against hydatid cysts by ELISA. The data were analyzed using SPSS software.  Out of 300 samples, 16 (5.3%) cases were positive, including 10 (5.6%) cases of the residents of urban areas and 6 (4.9 %) cases from those residing in rural areas. Moreover, of all the positive cases, 8 (50%) cases were males and 8 (50%) cases were females. The highest percentage of infection (45.5%) was observed in the age group 20-30 years.  The findings indicated that human hydatidosis is a public health problem in this province. The implementation of control and prevention programs, as well as increasing the knowledge of people, can help in controlling and reducing infection in humans and livestock.

Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) caused by the Leishmania donovani complex that is transmitted by the bites of female sandflies. Mediterranean type of VL caused by L. infantum. While, Roudbar County of Guilan Province has been introduced as a suspected cutaneous leishmaniasis focus; there are no published data on the seroprevalence of VL in Guilan Province. We aimed to investigate the seroprevalence of this disease in Roudbar County.

This descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out in 2019-2020 among children less than 12 years of age to determine the seroprevalence of VL by direct agglutination test (DAT). Blood samples were randomly collected from 918 children under 12 years of age refers to the public health center in the clusters.

Out of 918 children, 14 (1.52%) showed anti-Leishmania antibodies, with 4 (0.43%), 2 (0.21%), 8 (0.87%) anti-L. infantum antibodies at titers 1:800, 1:1600 and ≥1: 3200 respectively. All children with anti-Leishmania antibody titers of ≥1:800 were evaluated by a physician. Clinical manifestation of VL including fever, anemia and hepatosplenomegaly observed in a 6-year-old boy from Defraz village with anti-Leishmania antibody of titers ≥102400.This patient was admitted to the pediatric hospital in Rasht, capital of Guilan province, Iran and was successfully treated.

VL is being circulated with low prevalence in children up to 12 years old in Roudbar, northern part of Iran. Accordingly, it is critical to improve the awareness of physicians and public health supervisors about the importance of this fatal disease in Guilan province and especially in Roudbar area.

Mongolia introduced vaccination against hepatitis B (HepB) in 1991, leading to a significant decline in the number of infections and mortality associated with the liver disease among this generation. However, the prevalence of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection and mortality rates among people born before the vaccination program have not declined. Although several studies have been conducted in Mongolia since the introduction of the HepB immunization program, long-term immunity has not been studied at the national level.

This study aimed to determine the prevalence of HBV infection in adolescents and young adults who received HepB vaccinations at 0, 2, and 8 months after birth and to assess their post-vaccination immunity against hepatitis B.

A population-based cross-sectional study was conducted between December 2016 and December 2018 and included a sample aged 10 to 27 years in Mongolia who had received HepB vaccination according to the national program. A total of 3591 individuals were randomly selected, and data were collected using a structured questionnaire. Blood samples were collected, and serum titers of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), antibody to HBsAg (anti-HBs), and antibody to hepatitis B core antigen (anti-HBc) were determined by a two-step sandwich chemiluminescent enzyme immunoassay. The age-specific geometric mean of anti-HBs was also estimated.

Overall, 98.3% of participants were vaccinated against HepB as infants, according to the interview. The majority had an inadequate anti-HBs titer, while 17.9% had an anti-HBs level of > 10 mIU/mL, of whom 5.7% had immunity induced by HBV infection. Up to 4% of children aged 10 - 19 years and an average of 8% of young adults were serologically positive for HBsAg. The geometric mean anti-HBs titer declined with age, from an average of 40.4 mIU/mL in 10-year-old children to 14.1 IU/mL in 27-year-old adults (P < 0.001).

In Mongolia, a small proportion of the population aged 10 - 27 years is immune to HBV, and the geometric mean titer of anti-HBS tended to decrease with age. In order to attain long-term protection against HBV, booster vaccination in adulthood may be necessary.

Toxocariasis is a worldwide-distributed helminth parasitic infection. This study aimed to evaluate the seroprevalence of human toxocariasis in children living in Ardabil Province, North-West of Iran.

A seroepidemiological study to evaluate human toxocariasis among urban and rural populations of Ardabil County, North-West of Iran using ELISA test was carried out from 2019 to 2020. The study population was 472 children (185 females and 287 males) aged between 5 and 15 yr old. Immunoglobulin G antibodies against Toxocara spp. were analyzed by ELISA test.

Of the 472 collected serum samples, 66 (14.0%) were positive for antibodies against human toxocariasis. The highest prevalence of infection was observed in children with age groups of 5-6 years. Data demonstrate higher seroprevalence among males (15.3%) than females (11.8%). Rural areas prevalence was significantly higher (24.4%) than the urban area (8.65%). The rate of the diseases was 22.8% in children having history of contact with dog.

Toxocariasis is prevalent in the children of Ardabil region. The present study can increase the awareness of the population about the risk of zoonotic diseases as well as the anthelmintic treatment of dogs by veterinarians and, more importantly, the control of stray dogs.

Cystic Echinococcosis is considered a cosmopolitan cyclozoonotic parasitic infection. This study aimed at evaluating the seroprevalence of human hydatidosis using ELISA test and find the role of mutable factors such as age, sex, occupation, residency in the broadcast of the parasites in rural Ardabil Province, North-West of Iran.

The study population was 950 asymptomatic individuals selected randomly from urban and rural populations of Ardabil province, North-West of Iran by randomized cluster sampling in 2019-2020. Immunoglobulin G antibodies against Echinococcus granulosus spp. were analyzed by ELISA test. Data were analyzed using SPSS software and Multivariable logistic regression model.

Overall, 42 (4.4%) of the participants had anti E. granulosus antibodies in this region. High titer antibodies were most prevalent in people age group of >70 yr old, rural areas, females and people having history of contact with dog that showed significant difference. There was no significant association between the presence of Echinococcus antibodies and sex, occupation, having history of eating unwashed vegetable.

This is the first description of the seroprevalence of E. granulosus infection in the population in Ardabil Province, North-West of Iran. Obtained rate of hydatidosis approves the importance of diagnosing human cystic echinococcosis in these regions and it is expected that the authorities be careful to screen the disease.

Maternal immunity to Toxoplasma gondii is critical during pregnancy. Non-immunized women may be at the risk of toxoplasmosis during pregnancy. This parasite can pass through the placenta to the fetus and causes severe complications in the fetus. This study aimed to investigate the seroepidemiology of Toxoplasma infection in pregnant women of Gonabad.

Three hundred blood samples were collected from pregnant women and abortive women of 18-40 years old who referred to the health centers and hospitals of Gonabad. The immunoglobulin G (IgG) and immunoglobulin M (IgM) antibody titers were measured by the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.

The samples were taken from 252 (84.0%) pregnant women and 48 (16.0%) women with abortion. The average age of these women was 29.23 ± 6.24 years. Among these subjects, 56 (22.2%) pregnant women and 15 (31.3%) women with a history of abortion had anti-Toxoplasma IgG antibodies while 196 (77.8%) pregnant women and 33 (68.7%) women with abortion history did not have this specific antibody. Based on the results, 3 (1.2%) pregnant women had IgM antibodies while this antibody was not observed in any woman with a history of abortion. Finally, the prevalence of toxoplasmosis was 23.6%.

According to the results, 76.33% of pregnant and abortive women in Gonabad have no history of Toxoplasma infection. Therefore, they are prone to toxoplasmosis infection during their pregnancies. In this regard, it is necessary to establish public health and preventive actions, as well as a rapid diagnosis to eliminate risk factors during pregnancy