Journal of School of Public Health and

Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) has been found as an endemic disease in some areas in northwest and south parts of Iran during recent two decades. The species of the Leishmania has been characterized as L.infantum and the main sources of human infection in the endemic areas is dog. The majority of kala-azar cases are found among children in the age group of 1-4 years. As the delay in diagnosis and treatment of kala-azar cause high mortality in the patients, serological surveillance, using direct agglutination test (DAT), and treatment of seropositive cases who have clinical symptoms are carrying out with cooperation of Provincial Health Services in the endemic foci of Ardebil and East Azerbaijan Provinces in the northwest and Bushehr in the south parts of Iran since 1997.
DAT Leishmania antigen is made in the Protozoology Unit of the School of Public Health with the strain of L.infantum isolated from an infected dog in Iran. The finger prick blood samples are collected by trained Health Workers (Behwarz) from suspected kala-azar patients in the Rural Health Houses. The collected samples are transferred to the near district kala-azar laboratory and tested (using DAT) by the trained technicians. The sero -positive patients are referred to pediatricains or trained general physicians in district hospital or health center for clinical examination and treatment of the seropositive cases (DAT titers of 1:3200 or higher) with kala-azar clinical symptos. For the treatment, usually, meglomine antimongtc (Glucantime) is used via intra-muscular in dosss of 20mg/kg/day for 20 days.
In kala-azar case finding in the serological surveyed areas of Ardebil, East-Azerbaijan and Bushehr provinces during 1997-2001, altogether, 19693 blood samples were collected from suspected kala-azar patients and tested by DAT. Totally , 1274 cases (6.74%) were seropositive in titers of 1:3200 or higher. In the clinical examination of seropositive cases 690 patients (54.16% of sero-positive cases and 3.50% of the total samples) had kala-azar clinical symptoms and therefore they were treated.
This seroloeical surveillance of kala-azar in the endemic area as have detected high number of kala-azar patients among children up to 12 years old, who were subsequently treated on time . This ptoject has prevented the mortality of the disease in the studied areas.

Background and Aim: Malaria threatens more than half of the world's population in about 100 countries. During the period 1921-1951 malaria was one of the most important public health issues in Iran, no other disease causing as much financial loss and mortality as malaria did. The objective of this study was to investigate malaria epidemiology in Iran during the period 1940- 2006 (65 years), in the hope that the infotmation and experience will be used in the future.

Materials and Methods: This study included a review of the available literature on the suject, as well as a study of health systems, existing records, and analysis of data and information on malaria in Iran. Data were colected from three main sources: national or international electronic sources (26 sources) non-electronic sources, including theses, journal articles, and various documents and reports, as well as data obtained from the national malaria surveillance system (a total of 180) and interviews with five informed and expert individuals. In addition, national documents prepared by the Center for Disease Control, Ministry of Health and Medical Education, during the previuos 6 months were made available to, and used by, the research team.

Results: The findings show that, despite several annual fluctuations, the trend of incidence of the disease during the 65-year period, from 1940 to 2006, was a downward trend. The incidence declined from 250-333 per 1000 people in the early 1940's to 0.22 per 1000 people in 2006.

Conclusion: The changes in incidence of malaria show that elimination of malaria is a possible and feasible goal. The experiences achieved in controlling this disease can be utilized for controlling other diseases as well.

  Background and Aim: Malaria remains an important vector-borne disease globally and is a threat for human life. Forty percent of the world’s populations who are living in low-income countries are at risk of malaria. The disease exists in Iran and caused economic and social damages. As result of malaria control program that has been done during the past years, the disease is eliminated from the most parts of the country, so that it is only reporting from a small part in these years.

  Materials and Methods : During this study, all available papers, books and thesises were reviewed and articles from Iranmedex, DIS and PubMed databanks were also used. Furthermore the related reports from different sources were noted.

  The extensive studies have important information about malaria vectors. In this study the data about malaria vectors and related training courses are listed. During this study the related papers, Books and thesises which have been reviewed.

  Although efforts, surveillance system, diagnostic and treatment facilities, as well as knowledge and attitude of peoples regarding to health behavior are improved nowadays, there are significant improvements about decreasing the malaria cases. Risk of the disease exists because of population exchange and asymptomatic cases. The malaria can be studied with both public health and economical aspects. This paper represents entomological studies of malaria during 1935 by the end of 2008.

  Conclusion: our study revealed that, based on recent malaria national program, the authorities should make an emphasis on vector control monitoring, resistance management, malaria evaluation and because of weak supervision on all malaria operation at stage of elimination of malaria, accurate and careful suppersional require to reach the objective and goal of elimination.

  Background and Aim: specific and scientific study in the field of malaria in Iran commenced simultaneouoly with establishing the Instituted of Malariology in Tehran University. Subsequently the Institute was changed to school of Public Health and Institute of Public Health. Research which this new situation resulted in increasing studies and researches in the field of malaria based on three main items as entomology and vector control, parasitology and epidemiology. Historical study of malaria prepares a worthy opportunity to remind the pioneers and those who dedicated their life for combating malaria. In this study the situation of published papers, prepared theses by Iranian researchers and specific training and fresher training courses in the filed of malaria parasitology during the last fifty years were considered.

  Materials and Methods: This study was conducted as a retrospective study based on the collecting all available data from internal and external electronic sources, papers, books, reports, theses. Moreover, some interviews were made with relevant knowledgeable individuals, in the field of malaria parasitology in Iran.

  Results: In this study 143 papers in the field of malaria parasitology were collected in Persian and English languages. Thirty five MSPH, MPH, PhD these and forty four specific courses were recorded as well.

  Conclusion: The collected data indicating the correct comprehension of Iranian researchers from importance of malaria infection and its parasitology in Iran. The facts also show that specific training and retraining of malaria microscopy played considerable role in the control of malaria in Iran.