Journal of School of Public Health and

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Hospitals are habitually thought of as places where people "recover from disease". But failure to control agents of disease in these institutions can create or worsen disease and infection such nosocomial infections constitute a major threat to all hospitalized patients. The German cockroach (Blattella germanica) can be an effective transmitter of nosocomial infections by virtue of its ubiquitous presence and its behavioral characteristics. This research is focused on nosocomial organisms in Imam Khomeini and Shariati hospitals (belonging to Tehran University of Medical Sciences) and may be a first step in devising effective infection control strategies.
After recording data on the collection site, the collected cockroaches were transferred to a laboratory, where bacteria and fungi were isolated from the body surface and the digestive tube. The specimens were also subjected to insecticide sensitivity tests by the mortality and knock-down test methods.
Cultures of the external body surface yielded a total of 77 fungal colonies (filamentous fungi, Actinomycetes, yeasts and yeast-like organisms), while those of the digestive tract produced 83 colonies. Notable among these isolates were the highly virulent Aspergillus fumigatus and Aspergillus flavus species.
Bacterial studies showed that 100% of the roaches carried rich bacterial floras, most commonly including Klebsiella, Pseudomonas, Proteus, Citrobacter, Enterobacter and Serratia species. Many of these bacteria demonstrated antibiotic resistance, suggesting that the contaminants belonged to the hospital milieu. These results establish cockroaches as effective mechanical transmitters of multi-drug resistant bacteria.
Mortality tests revealed a high degree of resistance to permethrin, tolerance to Aicon, and sensitivity to other insecticides. Knock-down tests showed high permethrin resistance, tolerance to Aicon and deltamethrin, and sensitivity to Sulfac.

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Myiasis is always resulted by depositionof egg or young larvae of cyclorrhapha flies’ in live tissus of human or animals,which follows by their Development. Although the survival of mentioned larves is depended on existance of livestock and wild animals, the flies can be seen in parks, dairy farms and certain plants and also solid wasts waiting for proper hosts. The frequent study was carried out in Tehran and suburb and adalt flies were netted in different areas, indoors and outdoors and taken to the laboratory for identification. Twenty-two species of flies were identified. Thirteen species were medically important and four species consisting: Calliphora vomitoria, Lucilia richardsi, sarcophaga fertoni, Sarcophaga peregrina were identified and reported for the first time in Iran.

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This survey was done to investigate the geographical distribution of ticks (Hard and Soft) in the towns of Amol, Babol and Noor in Mazandaran province, north of Iran. The study, conducted from January 2000 to October 2001, covered mostly rural districts and a total of 15 operational fields. Ticks were collected from domestic fowl nests, stables (animal shelters, floors and other places), animal bodies and rodent holes. A total number of 3897 ticks from two families (Argasidae and Ixodidae) were collected. Ticks from the Argasidae Family totaled 2049 and belonged to 2 genera: Argas and Ornithodorus). The proportions of different species were as follows: Argas persicus 35.95%, A. reflexus 0.97% and O.lahorensis 15.65%. Hard ticks collected in the area belonged to 6 genera and included 8 species: Boophilus (B. annulatus 8.34%) Haemaphysalis (Hae. Sulcata 5%), Hyaloma (Hy. marginatum 1.66%), Dermacentor genus and Hyschulza (0.75%). Hy. anatolicum (1.33%) De. marginatus (1.72%), the genus Rhipicephalus (Rh. Sanginues 1.18%) were collected from animal bodies (cow, sheep, goat) and animal shelters.

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Background and Aim: insecticides are widely used for protecting of agriculture and stored products. Organophosphorus insecticides are used more than other pesticides in agriculture. Therefore the residue of these insecticides in environment such as water may be hazardous to human health. Golestan Province is one of the important agricultural zones in north of Iran. In this area, azinphosmetyl and diazinon widely used for pest control. Garaso and Gorganrood are two important rivers of Golestan Province, which are exist in the near of agricultural lands and gardens, and therefore exposed to insecticides pollutions. Determination of this organophosphorus pesticide residue in water of rivers is important in this area.

Materials and Methods:This is a cross-sectional study, was performed for 1 year, during May 2006 to March 2007. In this research 152 samples from two rivers was sampling and tested. Water sampling from 3 detemined stations in among rivers was performed. azinphosmetyl and diazinon extracted from water samples with used of methylene chloride and acetone and so clean up and concentration phase was done. High performance Thin Layer Chromatography (HPTLC) was used for quantity and quality assay of insecticides.

Results:The residue of Diazinon and Azinphosmetyl in summer is significantly different from others seasons (P<0.05). The most of azinphosmetyl and diazinon residue was determined in summer. Three other seasons (spring, autumn and winter) are not significantly different in azinphosmetyl and diazinon residue (P>0.05). The means of azinphosmetyl residue in Garaso and Gorganrood in summer was 14.56ppm (±SD= 10.59) and 14.9(±11.67), respectively. The means of diazinon in Garaso and Gorganrood in summer was 22.4ppm (±18.62) and 6.74(±6.89), respectively.

Conclusion: The diazinon residue in spring and summer was more than allowed standard limitation in both rivers (Garaso and Gorganrood). But azinphosmetyl residue only in summer in Garaso river was more than allowed standard limitation.

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Background and Aim: Some medically important species of Muscidae and Fanniidae families are among synanthropic flies and can be seen in human habitats therefore they can be mechanical vectors of different pathogenic microorganisms. Identification and determination of species of these flies is essential for any control program planning. This study was conducted to determine the faunal diversity of Muscidae and Fanniidae flies in Tehran, Iran.

Methods and Materials: This was a cross-sectional descriptive and taxonomic study, conducted in 2 phases, during 1996-97 (pilot study) and 2000-2002 (complementary study) in Tehran and suburbs. Medically important flies were captured and identified. A net-hashing was used to capture adult flies by the direct observing method. To determine the fauna of flies in different habitats, 4 biotopes, including corpse (human, birds, livestock), garbage and decaying organic matter, animal carcasses, and human indoor habitat, were selected. Big hashing nets (95 cm in diameter) were used for capturing adult flies.

Results: A total of 2418 adult flies belonging to 8 families of Muscidae, Fanniidae, Calliphoridae, Sarcophagidae, Tachinidae, Syrphidae, Conopidae, and Anthomyiidae were captured. Among these, 1279 belonged to the Muscidae and Fanniidae families. Four genera and 5 medically important species were identified from two families.

Conclusion: Based on the existing scientific documentation, 2 species of M. stabulans and F. scalaris are reported for the first time from Iran. However, M. stabulans is a common species, the presence of which in Iran seemed probable.

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Background and Aim: Fleas are the most important ectoparasites of humans and domestic animals. Their bites are painful, usually accompanied with itching in addition, they transmit diseases such as plague, tularemia, and endemic typhus. The aim of this study was to identify species of fleas in the rural areas and animal farms in Boyerahmad

Materials and Methods: This study, conducted for 6 months, from April to September 2007, included 30 villages of the Boyerahmad District (30 ° 9'-31 ° 32 'N: 49 ° 57'- 50 ° 42'). To collect fleas, the common catch methods, such as fly paper, light trap, etc. were District, Kohgiloye-and-Boyerahmad Province, Iran.

used. The samples collected were kept in 70%-ethanol, and then, after clarifying and dehydration, were identified in the laboratory using valid keys.
Results: A total of 2435 fleas (54% males and 46% females) belonging to two families (Placida and Ceratophylidae), 4 genera and 7 species were collected. The most common species was Xenopsylla buxtoni (24.7%), followed by the dog flea, Ctenocephalides canis (21.4%), the cat flea, Ctenocephalides felis (18.5%), Xenopsylla astia (14.5%), Xenopsylla nuttalli (7.6%), Pulex irritans (7.2%), and N. fasciatus (6.1%). The fleas abundance (mean ± SE) in human and animal habitats was found to be  0.7±0.06 and 3.4± 0.2, respectively.  

Conclusion: On the whole, the flea species are quite diverse and abundant in the rural areas of Boyerahmad District in human and, particularly, animal habitats. This is a serious problem. Measures should be taken to control the fleas, particularly in rural areas.