Seroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondii among HIV Patients in Jahrom, Southern Iran.

Toxoplasma gondii is an important opportunistic agent especially in immunocompromised hosts and can cause significant morbidity and mortality. Hence, detection and monitoring of anti-Toxoplasma antibodies are of a great interest in HIV-infected patients. A study on the prevalence of toxoplasmosis and associated risk factors was carried out among HIV-infected patients in Jahrom, southern Iran. The prevalence of anti-Toxoplasma IgG antibodies was 21.1% in HIV-infected patients by ELISA. PCR was performed on all of the samples, and 1 of the blood samples was positively detected. Among the HIV patients, anti-Toxoplasma IgG antibodies were significantly higher in age group of 30-39 years old (P=0.05). The seroprevalence of toxoplasmosis in patients with CD4+<100 cells/µl was 33.3% that was significantly higher than the other groups (P=0.042) with or without IgG antibodies. The CD4+ count mean of seropositive patients was lower than that of seronegative patients. The seroprevalence of toxoplasmosis in patients with highly active antiretroviral therapy was significantly less than patients without therapy (P=0.02). In conclusion, this study showed low seroprevalence of latent toxoplasmosis among HIV-infected patients in the region and confirmed the need for intensifying prevention efforts among this high-risk population and also the risk of toxoplasmosis reactivation which could be important among this population.

VanA and VanB Positive Vancomycin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus Among Clinical Isolates in Shiraz, South of Iran.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of vancomycin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus isolated from clinical samples in Shiraz hospitals. METHODS: From March to December 2012, 100 S. aureus isolates (mainly from wound and blood) were collected from three hospitals in Shiraz, south of Iran. After identification of Staphylococcus aureus by biochemical, microbiological and molecular methods, antibiotic susceptibility testing was performed by Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion test for 13 different antibiotics. Vancomycin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus isolates were determined by vancomycin agar screening test and PCR for vancomycin resistant genes (vanA and vanB). RESULTS: The lowest and highest resistance was seen for quinupristin-dalfopristin (n=1) and ampicillin (n=95), respectively. Vancomycin agar screening test showed that 37 isolates can grow on these media. Further study by PCR also detected vanA and/or vanB genes in all of these strains. Also, 19 isolates showed either vanA or vanB but were susceptible according to vancomycin agar screening test. In total, vanA and vanB resistant genes were detected in 34% and 37% of clinical isolates, respectively. CONCLUSION: The results showed that the frequency of vancomycin resistance genes (vanA, vanB) is very high in Staphylococcus aureus strains isolated from patients in south of Iran. Thus, urgent interventions are needed to keep the emergence and transmission of these isolates to a minimum.

Determinants of tobacco use among youths in Isfahan, Iran.

OBJECTIVE: To determine potential factors that may result in motivating the youths to adopt smoking behaviour. METHOD: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 210 smoking and 217 non-smoking youths, aged 12-20 years. RESULTS: The average age of starting cigarette and water pipe smoking was 14.5 +/- 2.4 and 11.2 +/- 1.5 years, respectively. The first experience with water pipe occurred mostly in the traditional teahouses for girls (54.8%), and in family parties (48.2%) for boys. In both genders, the first place of cigarette smoking was at friends' parties (56.8% for boys, and 52.1% for girls) and then followed by traditional teahouses (43.2% for boys, and 47.9% for girls). The most common reasons youths have picked up cigarette smoking were mainly to attract attention from friends, family inattention and poverty. Meanwhile, nearly all water pipe smokers reported using it for fun. The strongest predictors of smoking among boys were respectively father's occupation, having a smoking mother, and the number of smoking peers, whereas among girls, these factors were respectively having a smoking mother, frequenting traditional teahouses, and the number of smoking peers. Lower education of fathers and divorce among parents increased the probability of smoking in both genders, especially girls. School/work failure, as well as troubled relationship with parents and siblings were the other significant predictors of smoking in both genders, notably in girls. CONCLUSION: Public health control measures should be adopted not only to curtail cigarette use, but also to address water-pipe use. Preventive measures should be regarded as a high priority for socio-economically disadvantaged families.