Tehran University of Medical Sciences Journal of Arthropod-Borne Diseases 2322-1984 16 3 2023 02 26 1567 1567 EN Mehdi Khoobdel Health Research Center, Lifestyle Institute, Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran Shahyad Azari-Hamidian Research Center of Health and Environment, School of Health, Guilan University of Medical Scienc-es, Rasht, Iran, Department of Medical Parasitology, Mycology and Entomology, School of Medicine, Guilan Univer-sity of Medical Sciences, Rasht, Iran Ahmad Ali Hanafi-Bojd Department of Medical Entomology and Vector Control, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran, Zoonoses Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran Hasan Bakhshi Vector-borne Diseases Research Center, North Khorasan University of Medical Sciences, Bojnurd, Iran Amirsajad Jafari Department of Basic Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran Mohammad Moradi Health Research Center, Lifestyle Institute, Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran 2022 07 02 2023 02 21 Background: Scabies is referred to the infestation of skin by an ectoparasite, Sarcoptes scabiei. Having considerable financial consequences, this disease is a public health concern in several countries. In this review, we aimed to deter­mine the current status of scabies in different provinces of Iran. Methods: Google Scholar, PubMed, Scopus, Science Direct, Scientific Information Database (SID), Sci-explore, Civil­ica, Magiran, Iranian Research Institute for Information Science and Technology and Elmnet databases were searched to find the related data in the time period within 2000–2022. To have a better insight into the status of prevalence of sca­bies in Iran, a meta-analysis and meta-regression was performed. Results: A total of 943 relevant studies were retrieved from the databases, and 62 eligible studies met all the needed criteria for inclusion in this systematic review. Scabies was investigated and reported in at least 22 and 21 provinces of Iran respectively. Most of the studies were conducted in Tehran, Razavi Khorasan, Hormozgan, Fars and Guilan Prov­inces. Positive samples of scabies belonged to humans, sheep, goats, dogs, rabbits, mice and gazelles. Meta-analysis showed that the overall estimated presence of scabies in Iran during 2000–2022 was 7% (95% CI 4.7–10.3%, P< 0.001). Conclusion: Infestations due to S. scabiei in Iran occur in different geographical locations and different climates. As a neglected tropical disease, the literature about the burden of scabies in Iran is inadequate. The present review highlights the importance of development of comprehensive strategies for the diagnosis and control of scabies, especial­ly the provinces with high infestation rates. https://jad.tums.ac.ir/index.php/jad/article/view/1567 https://jad.tums.ac.ir/index.php/jad/article/download/1567/597

Tehran University of Medical Sciences Journal of Arthropod-Borne Diseases 2322-1984 16 3 2023 02 15 1529 1529 Amrollah Azarm Department of Medical Parasitology and Entomology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran Abdolhossin Dalimi Department of Medical Parasitology and Entomology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran Majied Pirestani Department of Medical Parasitology and Entomology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran Anita Mohammadiha Department of Medical Parasitology and Entomology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran Alireza Zahraei-Ramazani Department of Biology and Vector Control of Diseases, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran Narges Marvi-Moghaddam Department of Biology and Vector Control of Diseases, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran Esmaiel Amiri Department of Biology and Vector Control of Diseases, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran 2022 01 02 2023 02 22 Background: The painful bite of Pulex irritans; causes wound on the host body and is a vector for Bartonella bacteria species, which can cause trench fever, Rickettsia species, Rocky Mountain spotted fever and Mediterranean spotted fe­ver. We conducted a study to find out the hosts, abundance, as well as the molecular characteristics of this flea species in Meshkin-Shahr county, Ardabil province, northwest of Iran. Methods: After collecting fleas from different reservoir hosts and transferring them to the laboratory, identification was done using different morphological characters as well as the internal transcribed spacer1 (ITS1) molecular marker. Results: This morphological study indicated that from the 1053 fleas, which were collected from 162 different animals, including cats and dogs, 74 specimens belonged to human flea, Pulex irritans. In addition, in molecular analysis showed a high sequence similarity (99.5%) with the P. irritans counterparts from Spain country and Zanjan of Iran available in GenBank. Conclusion: Pulex irritans species is an obligatory hematophagous ectoparasite of human and animals. Therefore, con­sidering the relatively high frequency of this species on the body of cats and dogs, it is suggested to conduct more stud­ies on its distribution and the possibility of being a vector of pathogens among these animals and human. The results of these studies will be used to compile and review the control programs of this vector. https://jad.tums.ac.ir/index.php/jad/article/view/1529 https://jad.tums.ac.ir/index.php/jad/article/download/1529/598

Tehran University of Medical Sciences Journal of Arthropod-Borne Diseases 2322-1984 16 3 2023 02 12 1536 1536 EN Shahyad Azari-Hamidian Professor of Medical Entomology and Vector Control School of Health Research Center of Health and Environment Guilan University of Medical Sciences Seyed-Mohammad Omrani Department of Medical Parasitology, School of Medicine, Shahrekord University of Medical Sciences, Shahrekord, Iran 2022 01 28 2022 12 26 Background: Culex theileri (Diptera: Culicidae) is a known vector of pathogens that cause dirofilariasis, Sindbis fever and West Nile fever in Iran. The species is one of the country’s most abundant and widely distributed species. Methods: In order to conduct a faunistic and bionomic study of mosquitoes, larval collection was carried out in Chahar Mahal and Bakhtiari Province of western Iran using dipping method. Results: In total, some 2096 larvae of Cx. theileri were identified. Among the larvae, 1024 (48.9%) displayed aberra­tions and anomalies in the development of cranial seta 1-C (preclypeal seta). Morphological aberrations and anomalies of seta 1-C in the third- and fourth-instar larvae and abdominal terga of the adults of Cx. theileri collected in Iran are discussed and illustrated. Conclusion: More studies are needed throughout the distribution of Cx. theileri to analyze the variation of the species, especially using both morphological and molecular data. https://jad.tums.ac.ir/index.php/jad/article/view/1536 https://jad.tums.ac.ir/index.php/jad/article/download/1536/599

Tehran University of Medical Sciences Journal of Arthropod-Borne Diseases 2322-1984 16 3 2023 02 26 1319 1319 Sajjad Ghodrati Department of Medical Parasitology and Mycology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran Behnaz Akhoundi Department of Medical Parasitology and Mycology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran Mehdi Mohebali Department of Medical Parasitology and Mycology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran, Center for Research of Endemic Parasites of Iran (CREPI), Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran Mohammad Zeinali Zoonoses Control Unit, Center of Diseases Control, Ministry of Health and Medical Education (MOHME), Tehran, Iran Homa Hajjaran Department of Medical Parasitology and Mycology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran Zahra Kakooei Department of Medical Parasitology and Mycology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran 2020 07 06 2023 02 22 Background: 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. Methods: 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: 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. Conclusion: The results of the current study indicate that Kala-azar is not prevalent in Shahroud County. https://jad.tums.ac.ir/index.php/jad/article/view/1319 https://jad.tums.ac.ir/index.php/jad/article/download/1319/602

Tehran University of Medical Sciences Journal of Arthropod-Borne Diseases 2322-1984 16 3 2023 02 12 1475 1475 Zakkyeh Telmadarraiy Department of Medical Entomology and Vector Control, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran, Rahyan Novin Danesh (RND) Private University, Sari, Mazandaran, Iran Habibollah Kooshki Department of Medical Entomology and Vector Control, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran Hamideh Edalat Department of Medical Entomology and Vector Control, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran Hassan Vatandoost Department of Medical Entomology and Vector Control, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran Hassan Bakhshi Department of Medical Entomology and Vector Control, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran Faezeh Faghihi Cellular and Molecular Research Center, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran Asadollah Hosseini-Chegeni Department of Plant Protection, Faculty of Agriculture, Lorestan University, Khorramabad, Iran Mohammad Oshaghi Department of Medical Entomology and Vector Control, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran 2021 08 05 2023 02 05 Background: Ticks are blood-sucking ectoparasites of many vertebrates and act as vectors of a wide range of vector-borne diseases. Alongside pathogens transmission, ticks also cause economic losses in animal industry such as produc­tion loss, physical damage, anemia, and poisoning. This study aimed to determine the fauna, geographical distribution and seasonal activity of ticks collected from animals in Lorestan Province, west of Iran. Methods: Ticks were collected from domestic animals including cattle, sheep, goats, chickens, turkeys, pigeons, as well as wild animals such as jackals in 2017–2018. Then, they were identified based on morphological characteristics using valid identification keys. Results: Out of a total of 706 ticks, 433 (61.33%), 104 (14.73%), 33 (4.67%) and 136 (19.26%) ticks were collected in spring, summer, autumn and winter, respectively. In terms of hard ticks, 4 genera and 6 species were identified: Hy­alomma asiaticum (22.80%), Hyalomma anatolicum (3.68%), Hyalomma marginatum (2.40%), Rhipicephalus san­guineus (0.84%), Dermacentor marginatus (1.13%), and Haemaphysalis sulcata (0.64%). Additionally, two genera and four species fell into soft ticks: Argas persicus (60.48%), Argas reflexus (6.65%), Ornithodoros canstrini (0.70%) and Ornithodoros erraticus (0.42%). There was significant variation in the seasonal activity and abundance of ticks in dif­ferent seasons but in the tick abundancy among different regions. Conclusions: The present study provides a perspective of the distribution status of ticks in Lorestan Province, their sea­sonal activity and the likelihood of emergence of related diseases. https://jad.tums.ac.ir/index.php/jad/article/view/1475 https://jad.tums.ac.ir/index.php/jad/article/download/1475/601

Tehran University of Medical Sciences Journal of Arthropod-Borne Diseases 2322-1984 16 3 2023 02 26 1361 1361 Sadegh Mohammadi–Azni Damghan Health Center, Semnan University of Medical Sciences, Semnan, Iran Mohsen Kalantari Research Center for Health Sciences, Institute of Health, Department of Medical Entomology and Vector Control, School of Health, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran Behrad Pourmohammadi Department of Parasitology, School of Medicine, Semnan University of Medical Sciences, Semnan, Iran, Department of Health Education and Promotion, School of Health, Semnan University of Medical Sciences, Semnan, Iran 2020 10 08 2023 02 26 Background: Due to the outbreak of zoonotic cutaneous leishmaniasis (ZCL), a disease caused by Leishmania major and mainly transmitted by Phlebotomus papatasi, in Damghan City, Semnan Province, the probable vectors of the disease were investigated in the city from 20 March 2016 to 20 January 2018. Methods: Sand flies were collected from indoors and outdoors biweekly by sticky traps in different parts of the city. The trapped sand flies were stored in 70% ethanol. They were identified and checked for Leishmania infections using nested-PCR method and specific primers; CSB1XR, CSB2XF, LiR, and 13Z.  Results: Overall, 1862 phlebotomine saBranch, Damghan, Iran. Sara Hajikhani Department of Pathology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. Ghazaleh Oshaghi Department of Nutrition, National Nutrition and Food Technology Research Institute (NNFTRI), Faculty of Nutrition Sciences and Food Technology, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. Mohammad Hasan Shirazi Department of Pathology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. 2015 10 10 2015 10 10 Background: Cockroaches mechanically spread pathogenic agents, however, little is known about their gut microbiota. Identification of midgut microbial community helps targeting novel biological control strategies such as paratransgenesis. Here the bacterial microbiota of Periplaneta americana midgut, were identified and evaluated for finding proper paratransgenesis candidate. Methods: Midgut of specimens were dissected and cultivated in different media. The bacterial isolates were then identified using the phenotypic and 16S-rRNA sequencing methods. Results: The analytical profile index (API) kit showed presence of 11 bacterial species including: Escherichia coli, Shigella flexineri, Citrobacter freundii, E. vulneris, Enterobacter cloacae, Yersinia pseudotuberculosis, Y. intermedia, Leclericia adecarboxylata, Klebsiella oxytoca, K. planticola, and Rahnella aquatilis in the cockroach midguts. The first three species are potentially symbiotic whereas others are transient. The conventional plating method revealed presence of only four isolates of Salmonella, E. coli, and Proteus which in three cases mismatched with API and 16S-rRNA genotyping. The API correctly identified the four isolates as Shigella flexneri, Citrobacter freundii, and E. coli (n= 2). 16S-rRNA sequence analysis confirmed the API results; however the C. freundii sequence was identical with C. murliniae indicating lack of genetic variation in the gene between these two closely related species. Conclusion: A low number of potentially symbiotic bacteria were found in the American cockroach midguts. Among them Enterobacter cloacae is a potential candidate for paratransgenesis approach whereas other bacteria are pathogens and are not useful for the approach. Data analysis showed that identification levels increase from the conventional to API and to genotyping respectively. https://jad.tums.ac.ir/index.php/jad/article/view/117 https://jad.tums.ac.ir/index.php/jad/article/download/117/105

Tehran University of Medical Sciences Journal of Arthropod-Borne Diseases 2322-1984 9 1 2015 10 11 49 59 EN Seyed Hassan Moosa-Kazemi Department of Medical Entomology and Vector Control, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Iran. Amir Hosein Zahirnia Department of Medical Entomology and Vector Control, School of medicine, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Iran. Farid Sharifi Department of Medical Entomology and Vector Control, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Iran. Behroz Davari Department of Medical Entomology and Vector Control, School of medicine, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Iran. 2015 10 10 2015 10 10 Background: The aim of this study was to obtain new data which would be valuable to develop programs for future planning of mosquito controls in in western Iran. Methods: Larvae and adult collections were carried out from different habitats using standard dipping and animal baited trap methods during May, June and July 2012 in two provinces (Kurdistan and Kermanshah) in the west of Iran. Characteristics of breeding places were studied based on the habitat type (River edge, Ground pool), water conditions (clear or turbid, stagnant or running), vegetation (With or without vegetation), water temperature, sunlight exposure (full or partial sunlight) and so on. Results: Overall, 4081 third- and fourth-instars larvae and 2013 Adult were collected. Five genera and eleven species of the family Culicidae were identified. Mosquitoes collected in larval and adult stages including, Anopheles maculipennis s.l. (4.1%, 4.42%), An. superpictus (1.35%,1.39%), An. turkhudi (1.75%,1.68%), Aedes vexans (2.5%, 8.78%), Culex hortensis (1.59%, 1.04%), Cx. mimeticus (5%, 2.38%), Cx. pipiens (16.5%, 8.15%), Cx. theileri (10%, 46.4%), Culiseta longiareolata (24%, 4.27%), and Cs. subochrea (24%, 4.27%) and Ochlerotatus caspius s.l. (9.1%, 21.46%). Culiseta longiareolata and Cs. subochrea found predominant species in larval collection, whereas Culex theileri was dominant in Adult collection. Anopheles turkhudi is reported for the first time in Kermanshah Province. Conclusion: Due to the geographical location of the two provinces, extensively studies with emphasis on mosquito ecology, to having comprehensive and up to date information is essential. https://jad.tums.ac.ir/index.php/jad/article/view/118 https://jad.tums.ac.ir/index.php/jad/article/download/118/106

Tehran University of Medical Sciences Journal of Arthropod-Borne Diseases 2322-1984 9 1 2015 10 11 60 70 EN Naimatallah Maghsoodi Health Center of Izeh District, Jondishapour University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran AND Department of Medical Entomology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. Hossin Ladonni Department of Medical Entomology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. Hamid Reza Basseri Department of Medical Entomology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. 2015 10 10 2015 10 10 Background: The most part of Iran become malaria-free region and fall in prevention of re-introduction stage. These regions however are struggling with imported of malaria cases where malaria vectors exist. Therefore, understanding the situation of mosquito vectors is crucial. This study was carried out to find out the present situation of malaria vectors and malaria transmission potential in a malaria-free area. Methods: The study was conducted in a malaria free area, Izeh County, Khuzestan Province during 12 months in 2011–2012. Five villages, including 2 in highlands and 3 in plain area, were selected randomly. The mosquito sampling methods were conducted using spray sheet and hand catch collection methods from indoor/outdoors, window trap and larvae collections. Results: In total, 3352 female Anopheles were captured, 1826 mosquito from highland and 1526 from plain areas. Five species, An. stephensi, An. fluviatilis