Prevalence of Toxocara species in park soils of Ahvaz City, southwest of Iran

Introduction: Parasitic myositis is caused by some parasites such as T. gondii and T. canis. So, the aim of the study was to evaluate the prevalence T. gondii and T. canis in patients with myositis and healthy individuals. Methods: A total of 108 samples were randomly selected as the control (54 healthy individuals) and test (54 myositis patients) groups. IgG and IgM antibodies against T. gondii and IgG antibodies against T. canis were measured by the ELISA. The detection of chronic and acute toxoplasmosis was performed by the ELISA IgG avidity. The presence of T. gondii in blood was evaluated by the nested-PCR. Results: Of 108, 33 (30.6%) cases were detected positive for IgG against T. gondii that 19 (35.2%) and 14 (25.9%) were observed in myositis patients and healthy individuals, respectively (P=0.296). Of 19 positive cases, 12 (63.2%) and 7 (36.8%) cases were detected as chronic and acute toxoplasmosis, respectively, while, all positive cases in the control group had chronic toxoplasmosis (P=0.013). One (1.9%) sample was detected positive for anti- Toxoplasma gondii IgM and two (3.7%) samples were found positive for IgG against T. canis by the ELISA that these positive cases were observed only in myositis patients (P=1.000 P=0.495, respectively). B1 T. gondii gene was amplified in 12 (63.2%) and 1 (7.1%) in myositis patients and healthy subjects (P=0.001). Conclusions: Our findings showed that there was a relatively high prevalence of acute toxoplasmosis in myositis patients in comparison with the control subjects in southwest of Iran.

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An investigation on karst development in gypsum and limestone (case study; Zagros folded zone, southwest of Iran)

Carbonates and Evaporites ◽

10.1007/s13146-021-00702-z ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 36 (3) ◽

Author(s):

Mohammad Mohammadian ◽

Gholam Reza Lashkaripour ◽

Nasser Hafezi Moghaddas ◽

Mohammad Ghafoori

Keyword(s):

Karst Development ◽

Southwest Of Iran

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Depression and anxiety among pregnant mothers in the initial stage of the Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) pandemic in the southwest of Iran

Reproductive Health ◽

10.1186/s12978-021-01167-y ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 18 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Najmeh Maharlouei ◽

Pedram Keshavarz ◽

Niloufar Salemi ◽

Kamran B. Lankarani

Keyword(s):

Short Form ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Medical Sciences ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Initial Stage ◽

Medical Histories ◽

Southwest Of Iran ◽

Maternity Clinics ◽

Abnormal Level ◽

Pregnant Mothers

Abstract ‌Background Women are at a higher risk for depression progression, especially during pregnancy. The current study purposed to investigate depression, anxiety, and stress levels of pregnant mothers in the initial stage of the COVID-19 infection in the southwest of Iran. Methods This cross-sectional study was conducted during March and April, 2020, in Shiraz, Iran. Pregnant mothers registered in maternity clinics affiliated with Shiraz University of Medical Sciences were included. An online self-administered checklist was used. It included socio-demographic, obstetric and medical histories, and the short form of the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (DASS-21) to evaluate depression, anxiety, and stress. A p-value < 0.05 was considered significant. Results In total, 540 pregnant mothers answered the questionnaire. 83.5% had no comorbidity. Abnormal depression scores were significantly higher in those who had no insurance (OR = 2.5) and in those with poor self-rated health (SRH) (OR = 27.8). Pregnant mothers with lower SRH and two or more comorbidities had a higher chance of having an abnormal level of anxiety subscale (6.9, 3.7 times, retrospectively). Conclusion The results revealed that an abnormal level of depression was associated with SRH and medical insurance status. Moreover, the number of comorbidities and poor SRH significantly increased the chance of achieving abnormal anxiety levels in pregnant mothers during the COVID-19 pandemic.

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