Tehran University of Medical Sciences Journal of Arthropod-Borne Diseases 2322-1984 18 1 2024 06 01 1651 1651 EN Yavar Rassi Department of Biology and Vector Control of Diseases, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran Seyedeh Zahra Parkhideh Department of Biology and Vector Control of Diseases, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran Sayena Rafizadeh Ministry of Health and Medical Education, Tehran, Iran Mohammad Reza Jalil-Navaz Smart University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran 2023 06 10 2024 02 04 Background: This study's major aim is to investigate the situation of visceral leishmaniasis vectors, with a focus on their distribution and relationships to the disease in Iran and some other old-world nations. Methods: The terms Iran and the Old World, along with the keywords sand flies, vectors, visceral leishmaniasis, distribution, and phlebotomus, were searched in electronic databases from 1930 to 2018, including Pub-Med, Web of Science, Google Scholar, and MEDLINE. Results: According to the findings, Phlebotomus tobbi was a mountain species, but it was also found in the plains, rodent nests, and rock crevices. This species was considered to be one of the vectors of visceral leishmaniasis in Iran. Phlebotomus Kandelakii has been caught in Central Asian countries such as Afghanistan, Iran, Lebanon, Turkey, and Georgia. In Iran, the first infection of Phlebotomus kandelakii and Ph. perfiliewi tranccaucasicus with Leishmania infantum were reported in northwest of Iran. Phlebotomus major was one of the complex sand flies, and its members include Ph. major (India, Nepal, and Pakistan), Ph. neglectus (Southern Europe and Crimea), Ph. syriacus (Southwest Asia, Caucasus), Ph. notus (Afghanistan), Ph. wenyoni (Iran and Iraq), and Ph.wui (China). The first natural infection of Phlebotomus alexandri with Leishmania infantum was reported in 2006 in endemic foci of visceral leishmaniasis in Fars province, southern Iran. Conclusion: The findings of this project suggest that sand fly species of the subgenus Larrousisus play a key role in the transmission of all types of visceral leishmaniasis in Iran . https://jad.tums.ac.ir/index.php/jad/article/view/1651 https://jad.tums.ac.ir/index.php/jad/article/download/1651/652

Tehran University of Medical Sciences Journal of Arthropod-Borne Diseases 2322-1984 18 1 2024 04 18 1669 1669 Marzieh Ghassemi Department of Vector Biology and Control of Diseases, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran Amir Ahmad Akhavan Department of Vector Biology and Control of Diseases, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran Alireza Zahraei-Ramezani Department of Vector Biology and Control of Diseases, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran Bagher Yakhchali Institute of Industrial and Environmental Biotechnology, National Institute of Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Tehran, Iran Mohammad Reza Zarean Esfahan Health Research Station, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran Reza Jafari Esfahan Health Research Station, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran Mohammad Oshaghi Department of Vector Biology and Control of Diseases, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran 2023 08 06 2023 08 22 Background: The viability and persistence of engineered bacterium candidates in field conditions is one of the consid­erable challenges in the paratransgenesis approach to fighting vector-borne diseases. Methods: In this study two engineered bacterium candidates to produce paratransgenic sand flies, Serratia AS1 and Enterobacter cloacae expressing m-Cherry fluorescent were applied on the leaves of the white saxaul plant (Haloxylon persicum), sugar bait, and rodent burrow soil and their persistent time was tested in desert condition, Matin Abad Coun­ty, Isfahan, August 2022. A PBS suspension of 109 cells/ml was used for sugar bait, spraying on plant leaves (~10 cm2) and 10 cm2 of rodent burrow soil. Sand fly samples were taken daily and were plated on LB Agar and the fluorescent cells were counted after 24 hours. Results: Time course in general caused a decrease in the number of bacteria for both strains. The two strains were per­sistent in sugar bait and on plant leaves for four days and on soil for two days. Although there were slight differences between the number of the bacteria in sugar baits, which was not significant (P< 0.05). The number of E. cloacae sur­viving on plant and in soil were significantly (P< 0.0001 and P= 0.046) higher than Serratia AS1. Conclusion: This study shows that plants or sugar bait are useful routes for delivery of the transformed bacteria for the paratransgenesis approach, although, the bacteria ought to be sprayed on plants or sugar baits should be replaced with new ones in four days intervals. https://jad.tums.ac.ir/index.php/jad/article/view/1669 https://jad.tums.ac.ir/index.php/jad/article/download/1669/645

Tehran University of Medical Sciences Journal of Arthropod-Borne Diseases 2322-1984 18 1 2024 05 01 1692 1692 EN Abbas Jadidoleslami Department of Pathobiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran Ali Moshaverinia Department of Pathobiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran Elham Moghaddas Department of Parasitology and Mycology, Faculty of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran Veera Singham Centre for Chemical Biology, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Bayan Lepas, Penang, Malaysia 2023 10 18 2024 01 14 Background: The common bed bugs, Cimex lectularius, and tropical bed bugs, Cimex hemipterus are the primary spe­cies of public health importance in the family Cimicidae. This study aimed to determine the morphometric criteria and prevalent species of bed bugs in eastern Iran. Methods: Bed bugs were collected from March 2021 to June 2022 from infested residential buildings and apartments in eastern Iran, including North Khorasan, Khorasan Razavi, and Sistan and Baluchistan Provinces. The morphological and morphometrical characteristics were used to identify collected bed bugs at inter- and intra-specific levels. Results: A total of 34 isolates comprising 127 adult bed bugs were collected from Bojnord, Mashhad, Neishabur, Tai­bad, Sabzevar, Kashmer, Zahedan, Saravan, Rask, Pishin and Chabahar. Of these, 33 isolates (n=124) were found to be tropical bed bugs, C. hemipterus, and one population (n=3) was identified as C. lectularius. The index pronotal width/length ratio was calculated from 2.72 to 2.94 and 1.98 to 2.47 for C. lectularius and C. hemipterus, respectively. The length/width ratio of the hind femur was 3.365 in C. hemipterus and 4.267 in C. lectularius. The ratio of length/width of the third femur (F3 l/w) between populations of C. hemipterus was different, and this difference was statistically significant (P< 0.05). Conclusion: The results of this study indicated that C. hemipterus was the dominant bed bug species in the east of Iran and provided more morphometric criteria of C. hemipterus for researchers to identify the species and determine the in­traspecific variations in the present and future. https://jad.tums.ac.ir/index.php/jad/article/view/1692 https://jad.tums.ac.ir/index.php/jad/article/download/1692/647

Tehran University of Medical Sciences Journal of Arthropod-Borne Diseases 2322-1984 18 1 2024 05 09 1678 1678 Shahrzad Taheri Infectious and Tropical Diseases Research Center, Health Research Institute, Ahvaz Jundishapur Universi-ty of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran, Department of Medical Entomology and Vector Control, School of Health, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran Elham Jahanifard Infectious and Tropical Diseases Research Center, Health Research Institute, Ahvaz Jundishapur Universi-ty of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran, Department of Medical Entomology and Vector Control, School of Health, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran Babak Vazirianzadeh Infectious and Tropical Diseases Research Center, Health Research Institute, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran, Department of Medical Entomology and Vector Control, School of Health, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran Reza Arjmand Parasitology Department, School of Medicine, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran 2023 09 03 2024 03 13 Background: Zoonotic cutaneous leishmaniasis (ZCL) is widely distributed in Iran and around the world. Also, Khuzestan Province is an endemic focus of ZCL. This study aims to investigate the natural infection of sand flies with the Leishmania parasite in Karun County. Methods: Sand flies were collected from Jangiyeh, Qaleh Chanan, Kut-e-Navaser, and Ghazavieh in the spring and summer in the year of 2019, by installing 60 sticky paper traps each time (30 traps outdoors and 30 traps indoors). Two hun­dred female sand flies with different abdominal conditions (empty, blood-fed, semi-gravid, and gravid) were examined for infection rate using the Nested-PCR method. Results: In this study, seven species of sand flies including Phlebotomus papatasi, Ph. alexandri, Ph. sergenti, Ph. cau­casicus, Sergentomyia tiberiadis, Se. sintoni, and Se. antennata were reported from Karun County, with a frequency of 79.64%, 16.96%, 1.07%, 0.18%, 0.36%, 1.61%, and 0.18%, respectively. Only eleven specimens of Ph. papatasi were found to be positive for Leishmania major, with an overall infection rate of 7.8%. The infection of Ph. papatasi was specifically reported in blood-fed, gravid, and semi-gravid specimens, with infection rates of 17.02%, 4.35%, and 14.29%, respectively. Conclusion: In this study, the infection of L. major from Ph. papatasi was reported. The results can be used in planning the control of ZCL in the study area. https://jad.tums.ac.ir/index.php/jad/article/view/1678 https://jad.tums.ac.ir/index.php/jad/article/download/1678/648

Tehran University of Medical Sciences Journal of Arthropod-Borne Diseases 2322-1984 18 1 2024 05 25 1671 1671 Emrah Güler Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, European University of Lefke, Lefke, Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, Mersin, Turkey Meryem Güvenir Department of Medical Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Cyprus Health and Social Sciences of University, Guzelyurt, Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, Mersin, Turkey Berkem Korbay Department of Environmental Education and Management, Ataturk Faculty of Education, Near East University, Nicosia, Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, Mersin, Turkey Aşkın Kiraz Department of Environmental Education and Management, Ataturk Faculty of Education, Near East University, Nicosia, Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, Mersin, Turkey Kaya Süer Department of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Near East University, Nicosia, Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, Mersin, Turkey 2023 08 17 2024 04 21 Background: Tularemia is a zoonotic disease (reservoir is usually rodents) caused by Francisella tularensis, especially seen in the northern hemisphere. Hunters are in the risk group for this disease. In this study, it was aimed to determine the seroprevalence of tularemia among hunters and determine the risk factors of tularemia in our country. Methods: The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) is divided into four regions (Nicosia, Kyrenia, Famagu­sta/Trikomo, and Morphou/Lefka) and 100 volunteer hunters randomly selected from these regions were included in our study. Tube agglutination test (TAT) and F. tularensis IgG and IgM (ELISA method) were applied in all sera. All hunt­ers were filled with a pre-prepared questionnaire to determine risk factors for tularemia. Results: TAT positivity was found in 11%. While F. tularensis ELISA IgG positivity was 17%, IgM positivity was not found in any hunters. Hunters with positive F. tularensis ELISA IgG test (17%) were accepted as seropositive in terms of tularemia. There was no statistically significant difference between the mean age of IgG-positive and negative hunt­ers (p= 0.915). Of the 86 hunters who kept at least one hunting dog in their garden, 15 (17.4%) were IgG-positive. There was no significant relationship between feeding hunting dogs and tularemia (p= 0.561). Conclusion: Our study showed that the seroprevalence of tularemia was high (17%) among hunters, who are consid­ered a risk group, in our country. We think that more epidemiological research should be done on tularemia infection and it should not be overlooked in the clinic. https://jad.tums.ac.ir/index.php/jad/article/view/1671 https://jad.tums.ac.ir/index.php/jad/article/download/1671/649

Tehran University of Medical Sciences Journal of Arthropod-Borne Diseases 2322-1984 18 1 2024 05 25 1612 1612 Zohreh Gholami Department of Parasitology and Medical Entomology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran Mohammad Saaid Dayer Department of Parasitology and Medical Entomology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University Amrollah Azarm Department of Medical Entomology and Vector Control, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences 2023 01 14 2024 04 21 Background: Head louse infestation, pediculosis, is a serious health problem worldwide. Infected children usually suf­fer from itching, allergies, and secondary infections besides psychological disorders such as depression and lack of self-confidence leading to school failure. This study aimed to investigate the status of pediculosis and its determinant factors among schoolchildren in Amol City, Northern Iran. Methods: This study included 228 schools frequented by about 20017 students. Pediculosis was determined by careful examination of students’ hair on the scalp, back of the neck, and around the ears. The diagnosis was based on observa­tion of live adults, nymphs, and nits. A questionnaire was used to record the personal and demographic characteristics of participants. Results: This study revealed that the prevalence of pediculosis among schoolchildren during all schooling seasons (au­tumn, winter, and spring) correlated with sex: the prevalence being higher among girls than boys (p= 0.00). In addition, the highest rates of pediculosis occurred during the autumn season (p= 0.00). The public schools accommodated higher numbers of louse-infected students than the private ones (p= 0.00). While head louse occurred at higher frequencies in long hair over the schooling year, dandruff had anti-louse effects (p= 0.00) during cold seasons, autumn, and winter. Socioeconomic status and educational level of parents played determinant roles in head louse prevalence (p= 0.00). Schoolchildren coming from socioeconomically well-situated families had lower rates of head louse infestation. Conclusion: Our results showed that head pediculosis was a serious health problem among schoolchildren in Amol city and 05 01 2022 11 02 Background: Rodents and shrew living in the vicinity of human beings perform significant role to harbor different spe­cies of ectoparasites and thus act as the reservoir host for the spread of diseases to human and animals. Methods: This study was undertaken to determine the species composition of the medically important ectoparasites present in the scrub typhus affected places of Vellore District using wonder and Sherman traps for trapping of live Ro­dent/Shrew during September 2017 to August 2018. Results: Rodent/shrew hosts belonged to two Families, three sub families and five genera and five different species. These animals carried 23 species of ectoparasites including 17 trombiculid mites, two non-trombiculid mites, two ticks and two fleas. A total of 940 chigger mites were collected which belonged to three Tribes, six Genera, two Subgenera and 17 species. Adult mites collected belonged to two families, three genera and three species. Ticks collected were classified under one family, two genera and two species. Fleas fall under one family, one subfamily, one tribe, one ge­nus and two species. Conclusion: This is the first record of 14 species of chigger mites and three species of adult mites from Vellore District, Tamil Nadu. Surveillance of these keystone ectoparasites helped to identify the medically important disease vectors causing acari-borne zoonotic diseases. https://jad.tums.ac.ir/index.php/jad/article/view/1277 https://jad.tums.ac.ir/index.php/jad/article/download/1277/585

Tehran University of Medical Sciences Journal of Arthropod-Borne Diseases 2322-1984 16 1 2022 11 15 1318 1318 Elham Jahanifard Department of Medical Entomology and Vector Control, School of Public Health, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran, Social Determinants of Health Research Center, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran Hoda Ghofleh-Maramazi Department of Medical Entomology and Vector Control, School of Public Health, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran Mona Sharififard Department of Medical Entomology and Vector Control, School of Public Health, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran, Social Determinants of Health Research Center, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran Mohammad Mahmoodi-Sourestani Department of Horticultural Science, Faculty of Agriculture, Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz, Ahvaz, Iran Amal Saki-Malehi Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran Elham Maraghi Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran Sima Rasaei Department of Dermatology, School of Medicine, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran 2020 07 02 2022 01 22 Background: Pediculosis, caused by Pediculus spp is an important public health problem in urban and rural areas around the world. Natural compounds such as plant essential oils (EOs) have been suggested as a potential alternative for insect pest control recently. The purpose of this study was to investigate the toxicity of Foeniculum vulgare essential oil against the head louse, Pediculus capitis under laboratory conditions. Methods: Fennel essential oil components were analyzed using GC-mass apparatus. Immersion and contact filter paper bioassays were used to evaluate fennel essential oil toxicity at the two-fold concentrations of 2.5, 5, 10, 20, and 40% against nit and nymph/adult stages of the head louse. Results: Trans-anethole, α-Thujone, and limonene, which consisted of 76.08%, 10.37%, and 5.34% were the most com­ponents of fennel oil respectively. The LC50 values for the adult /nymphs were 11.5, 6.4, 3.9, 3.1 and 2.5% and LC99 values were 29.5, 15.2, 12.8, 10.8, and 7.4% at 10, 20, 30, 45 and 60 minutes after exposure respectively. The le­thal times (LT50) for adults/nymphs were 5.2, 8.1, 9.5, 20.5, and 45.8 minutes and LT99 were 138.6, 91.3, 23.8, 21.7, and 13.9 minutes in the concentrations of 2.5, 5, 10, 20 and 40%, respectively. LC50 and LC99 values were 2.32% and 7.36% after 5 days for the eggs. Conclusion: Fennel essential oil at the concentration of 15% after 20min is suggested to develop as an appropriate for­mulation to evaluate in clinical trials. https://jad.tums.ac.ir/index.php/jad/article/view/1318 https://jad.tums.ac.ir/index.php/jad/article/download/1318/586

Tehran University of Medical Sciences Journal of Arthropod-Borne Diseases 2322-1984 16 1 2022 11 15 1484 1484 EN Yadgar Hama-Karim College of Health and Medical Technology, Sulaimani Polytechnic University, Sulaimani Region, Iraq