Journal of Arthropod-Borne Diseases最新文献

Background: The German cockroach (Blattella germanica) is a pest with a global distribution that has adapted to live in human environments. Blattella germanica threatens human health by producing asthma-inducing allergens, carrying pathogenic/antibiotic-resistant microbes, and contributing to unhealthy indoor environments. Effective application of insecticides can play an important role in cockroach control programs. The purpose of this research was to develop and optimize a nanoparticle-based imidacloprid insecticide and evaluate its effectiveness against the German cockroach.

Methods: A bioassay was conducted to determine the LC₅₀ and LC₉₀ of imidacloprid technical against adult German cockroaches. The appropriate initial concentration of 3mg/m² was then utilized in the synthesis of nanoencapsulated imidacloprid via the ionic gelation method. The average particle size was determined using Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS) and the dried nanoparticles were analyzed using a Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM). The LC₅₀ and LC₉₀ values of Nano-imidacloprid were then compared with the technical grade of the insecticide.

Results: A comparison of the bioassay results for nanoencapsulated and imidacloprid technical revealed a superior insecticidal effect of the nanoencapsulated imidacloprid against the German cockroach. The LC₅₀ value for the nanoencapsulated imidacloprid decreased from 4.656 to 3.081 mg/m² and the LC₉₀ value decreased from 8.381 to 4.486 mg/m² when compared to imidacloprid technical.

Conclusion: The use of nanotechnology in insecticides can lead to increased efficacy and reduced consumption. This is because the smaller particle size of nanomaterials allows for better penetration and targeted delivery to pest organisms, reducing the overall amount needed for control.

Background: Demodex spp., a cosmopolitan mite, can exist as a commensal or parasitic organism. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of Demodex spp. infestation in patients with common skin diseases and explore the potential association between demodicosis and these conditions in Urmia, northwest Iran.

Methods: A total of 246 patients attending the Skin Polyclinic of Iranian Urmia Taleghani Hospital were enrolled in the study. Samples were taken from the nose wings, cheeks, and forehead regions of the face area of the persons using the standard superficial skin biopsy method.

Results: Demodicosis was detected in 43 (16.3%) patients, with 42 cases attributed to D. folliculorum and 1 case to D. brevis infestation. The highest positivity was found in the 31-50 (21.4%) and 51-72 (22.2%) age groups. In the relationship between demodicosis and skin diseases, Demodex spp. was found in 13 (32.5%) of 40 patients who had skin disease; 6 of these patients with rosacea (42.9%) and 7 with eczema (29.2%). Mite infestation was found in 6 (37.5%) of 16 patients who had hemodialysis due to renal insufficiency. Furthermore, 46.7% of positive patients reported using common goods. The prevalence of demodicosis was similar among patients residing in villages (17.2%) and cities (17.6%).

Conclusion: This study sheds light on the potential association between Demodex infestation and common skin diseases such as rosacea and eczema in Urmia, Iran. Therefore, there is a pressing need to augment research endeavors on demodicosis.

Background: The wide distribution of phlebotomine vectors complicates the leishmaniasis situation in the world, with the risk of spreading from rural to urban areas. Our study investigates for the first time the ecology and distribution of sand fly populations in leishmaniasis focus (Djelfa, Algeria).

Methods: Sampling is performed using light traps from August 2021 to July 2022 at ten sites with different biotopes: two peri-urban stations (Ain Oussera and Hassi Bahbah), one urban station (Djelfa), and three rural stations (Ain El-Bel, Haniet Ouled Salem and Mlaga).

Results: A total of 2,866 specimens with 12 species belonging to Phlebotomus and Sergentomyia were identified with the first record of Phlebotomus langeroni female nationally, revealing a good diversity of up to 1.812 bits. The greatest richness of species was found in rural sites at Ain El Bel station, while the lowest richness was observed in the first peri-urban site of Ain Oussera station. Interestingly, the surveyed species were evenly distributed across all the study sites, in particular Phlebotomus papatasi with 57.29%. Statistical treatment revealed a strong positive relationship between temperature and species (p< 0.001, r= 0.91). Considering the other factors, there was a moderate link between species richness and altitude (p= 0.01 R²= 0.519). However, neither rainfall nor wind speed (p> 0.05) were correlated with sand fly fauna. Moreover, humidity showed a negative correlation (p< 0.001, r= -0.96).

Conclusion: The findings of this study on phlebotomine fauna in this endemic region for leishmaniasis provide valuable data to support the success of a vector control program.

Background: The main objective of this study is to review publications on the presence of Demodex spp. in patients diagnosed with blepharitis worldwide and to analyse the trends and groups in this field.

Methods: This bibliometric study was conducted to detect the presence of Demodex spp. in patients diagnosed with blepharitis worldwide between 1984 and 2023. For this purpose, 288 studies were examined as a result of searches using the keywords "Blepharitis and Demodex" in Web of Science (WOS) databases. All text data was analysed using VOSviewer software to ensure accuracy and reliability. In this study, analysis using text mining and data visualization techniques (bubble maps and graphs) helped to make the results more understandable.

Results: This study provided information on 288 articles from WOS databases. The average total number of citations is 1305 and the H-index is 41. The majority of articles (63%) were published in the field of ophthalmology. The countries that published the most articles on this topic were the USA (24%), China (13%), and Turkey (11%).

Conclusion: This study is the first bibliometric study of patients diagnosed with blepharitis due to Demodex spp. The most used keyword in blepharitis is Demodex. The most studied field of research is ophthalmology and the most studied country is the United States of America. The results of this bibliometric analysis conducted by us reveal global trends in the presence of Demodex spp. in patients diagnosed with blepharitis and provide important information for future directions of research.

Background: Water quality is usually measured using various indicators based on physical, chemical and biological parameters. By using the biological index that is based on the identification of the arthropod families, it is possible to make a logical judgment about the ecosystem condition. The aim of this study was measuring correlation coefficients between qualitative and biological Indices.

Methods: Water samples were collected 27 samples in northwest of Iran and aquatic insects' samples 54 in 2019. The NSFWQI and IRWQISC as the most important indices of physical and chemical quality of water ranged from 54.45-76.21 and from 41.32 to 77.40, respectively.

Results: A total of 2,953 aquatic insects were collected, and biological Index ranged from 6.26 to 3.38. It can be stated that increasing in the concentration of pollutants in the source and end of the river could lead to a sharp decrease in biological index. IRWQISC index, the effluent stations of fish farms can fit into 'fairly bad quality' and 'moderate quality' categories.

Conclusion: The linear regression analysis revealed a significant relationship between the Hilsenhoff biological Index and the physiochemical parameters of pH, DO (Dissolved Oxygen) and total dissolved solids. The activity of fish farms and discharging their effluents into water sources, can change the physical, chemical and biological parameters of receiving waters, therefore it is recommended that the location of these units be reviewed and also the appropriate treatment for such effluents should be considered, so that the health risks caused by them can be effectively reduced.

Background: Coxiella burnetii causes Q fever, a zoonotic and vector-borne disease. Ticks serve as vectors for this bacterium. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of C. burnetii infection in ticks in Shahr-e-Rey County, Tehran Province.

Methods: From December 2016 to November 2017, 179 ticks were collected on sheep at animal husbandry facilities and slaughterhouses located in Shahr-e-Rey, Tehran Province. Tick samples were morphologically identified and evaluated for the presence of the C. burnetii IS1111 gene using real-time PCR.

Results: Ticks were classified into four genera: Hyalomma (66.48%), Rhipicepalus (23.47%), Dermacentor (7.26%), and Ornithodoros (2.79%). Furthermore, 35.20% of the ticks were Hyalomma nymphs.All 77 ticks were pooled by species, and C. burnetii was found in 22.08% (n= 17). Ornithodoros lahorensis was the most prevalent tick infected with C. burnetii.

Conclusion: The distribution of C. burnetii and reports of Q fever from various regions of the country strongly suggest that the monitoring system should give this disease more attention.

Background: The spectrum of dengue infection ranges from asymptomatic or mild to severe disease. The pathogenic mechanisms are not fully understood. A viral infection can induce the neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs), and the excessive NETs lead to increased vascular permeability, coagulopathy, and platelet dysfunction, a hallmark of severe dengue.

Methods: To evaluate the association of NETs formation with disease severity using a human public transcriptomic dataset (GSE17924) and clinical samples from dengue patients with different disease severity.

Results: Based on the transcriptomic analysis, the whole blood gene expression functional in neutrophil activities and NETs formation was upregulated with dengue disease severity. The serum concentration of citrullinated histone H3 (CitH3), a NETs marker, was measured in 28 dengue patients, of whom 18 classified as dengue fever (DF) and 10 as dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF) grade 1 and 2. A significantly higher CitH3 concentration was found in DHF compared to DF patients. The level of CitH3 was negatively correlated with platelet counts.

Conclusion: Our results suggest NETs have contributed to the disease severity of dengue infection. Future studies on the predictive value of NETs markers and the potential NETs as a targeted therapy in dengue disease should be prioritized.

Background: Ticks are hematophagous arthropods that have direct and indirect effects on hosts, including the transmission of pathogens. An environmental suitability study of some vector species of hard ticks was conducted using the MaxEnt model in the south-eastern region of the Caspian Sea in Iran.

Methods: The ticks were collected monthly (2014-2015) at 45 study sites covering different areas in terms of topography. Because most farms in the study area are traditionally engaged in sheep production and they are taken to pastures in the warm season, the ticks were sampled from herds of sheep.

Results: In total, 2410 hard ticks were collected and the vector species with wider distributions were considered for modelling. The areas under the curve for Hyalomma anatulicum, Hy. asiaticum, Hy. marginatum, Rhipicephalus bursa, Rh. sanguineus, and Rh. turanicus were 0.848, 0.762, 0.812, 0.772, 0.770 and 0.803, respectively. This means that temperature and precipitation were effective environmental variables for the prediction of appropriate regions for these tick species. The outputs of the models indicated that the western and south- western regions of Golestan Province provided the best niches for the presence of ticks.

Conclusion: The western regions of Golestan Province are potential habitats for tick-borne diseases in both livestock and humans and special attention should be focused on preventing the spread of such diseases in this region.

Background: Considering the importance of scorpions and recognizing the mechanisms of toxicity caused by their medically important species in Iran and adopting the best therapeutic approach based on these mechanisms, this study was performed by reviewing the clinical manifestations of scorpion stings.

Methods: The research was conducted by searching for articles and researches in related websites (PubMed, EMBASE, Scopus, Web of Science and CINAHL) and using domestic and international authoritative journals using the keywords of scorpion, clinical manifestations, in a review method. Finally, 104 qualified sources were selected and after reviewing and criticizing these studies, the author's point of view was presented.

Results: Clinical manifestations of Scorpion sting toxicity vary due to the existence of two toxic classes of neurotoxins and cytotoxins or hemotoxins in these arthropods in Iran. The number and distribution of species with neurotoxic venom are higher than the scorpions with cytotoxic venom and are reported throughout Iran. Scorpions with cytotoxic venom are mostly widespread in south and southwest of Iran.

Conclusion: Treatment and prevention of scorpion stings in Iran and neighboring countries in the Middle East should be planned based on the mechanism of toxicity and the presence of toxic classes with neurotoxic or cytotoxic venoms.

Background: Asymptomatic malaria is a major challenge to be addressed in the implementation of the malaria elimination program. The main goal of the malaria surveillance system in the elimination phase is to identify reliably all the positive cases of malaria reliably (symptomatic and asymptomatic) in the shortest possible time. This study focused on the monitoring of asymptomatic malaria reservoirs in areas where local transmission had been previously established.

Methods: It was a case-study approach that was conducted in the Anarestan area. A total of 246 residents and immigrants living in the area at the age range of 4-60 years old were randomly selected to be tested for malaria by microscope, RDT, and nested-PCR techniques. The inclusion criterion for participants to be entered into the study was the absence of specific symptoms of malaria. Moreover, participants who have been taking antimalarials for the last month were excluded from the study.

Results: The results indicated no positive cases of asymptomatic malaria among the participants tested by all methods.

Conclusion: The results of this study have shown that, without concerns for asymptomatic parasitic patients, a malaria elimination program has been successfully implemented within the studies area. In addition, the findings emphasized the existence of a strong malaria surveillance system in this area.