K Samimi-Rad, B Shahbaz, M Mahmoodi, M Noroozi, M Fayaz Vaseghi,
Volume 5, Issue 3 (4 2007)
Abstract
Background and Aim: Patients with hemophilia and thalassemia are at high risk for hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections. Unscreened blood and blood products are thought to be the most important risk factors in these two groups.
Materials and Methods: Blood samples were collected from 98 thalassemia patients and 74 hemophiliacs in Markazi province. The presence of anti-HCV antibody was tested by a third generation enzyme immunoassay. All ELISA-reactive samples were tested with the confirmatory third-generation recombinant immunoblot assay RIBA. We used a specially designed questionnaire to obtain data from patients and the software package SPSS 11.5 for statistical analysis.
Results: HCV antibody was detected in 5 thalassemia patients (5.1%) and 31 hemophiliacs (41.9%). Anti-HCV positivity in patients with thalassemia was associated with the total volume of the transfusions, splenectomy, and the duration of treatment. In hemophiliacs, seropositivity was significantly associated with the duration of transfusion treatment (P=0.01) and disease severity (P=0.00). The prevalence of HCV antibody in thalassemia subjects dropped from 8.1% to 0% after the implementation of anti-HCV screening in1996.
Conclusion: In Markazi province, the current policy of screening donors for anti-HCV and the strict safety controls on factor concentrates can effectively protect thalassemia and hemophilia patients from HCV infection.
Ahmad Nejati, Alireza Asgari Golzardi, Farshad Khodakhah, Katayoun Samimi-Rad, Seyedeh Maryam Yousefi, Yaghoub Mollaei-Kandelousi, Maryam Keyvanlou, Mohammad Razaghi, Parastoo Soheili, Delaram Yaghoubzadeh, Nastaran Ghavami, Susan Mahmoudi, Seyed Mohsen Zahraei, Shohreh Shahmahmoodi,
Volume 21, Issue 3 (12-2023)
Abstract
Background and Aim: During the COVID-19 pandemic public health measures and protocols such as regular hand washing and wearing a face mask were recommended at the national level. The implementation of these health protocols reduced the prevalence of respiratory diseases, but no study has been conducted to investigate the impact of the implementation of these protocols on the spread of viruses that are transmitted through fecal-oral route. Considering that non-polio enteroviruses (NPEVs) are mainly transmitted through fecal-oral route, this study was conducted to determine the prevalence of non-polio enteroviruses in patients with acute flaccid paralysis (AFP) in Iran before and during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Materials and Methods: To detect non-polio enteroviruses stool samples of AFP cases received by Iran National Polio Laboratory in 2019 (before the COVID-19 pandemic) and 2021 (during the COVID-19 pandemic) were tested. To isolate NPEVs by cell culture, the WHO standard protocol was used, and the TaqMan One-Step Real Time PCR was used for molecular testing.
Results: In 2019, a sample of 21 out of 1070 patients and a sample of 12 out of 100 patients were found to be positive for non-polio enterovirus by cell culture and the molecular method, respectively; these ratios decreased to10 out of 678 and 3 out of 100 in 2021.
Conclusion: Based on the findings of this study, it can be concluded that the observance of personal hygiene and public health protocols during the COVID-19 epidemic have, in addition to the general reduction of respiratory transmission of viruses, also affected the faecal-oral transmission of viruses.
