Aims:The aim of this study was to report the incidence of retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) and the contribution of various risk factors to ROP in the south-western region of Iran.Material and Methods:This cross-sectional case-control series reviewed all low birth weight (LBW, ≤2000 g) neonates and/or neonates less than 32 weeks gestational age who had been hospitalized in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit from 2006 to 2010. The cohort was divided into infants without ROP (nonROP group) and infants with ROP (ROP group). Infants were first examined by a group of pediatric ophthalmologists 6 weeks after delivery, and then were followed every 1-2 weeks until death, discharge or complete retinal avascularization. If an infant developed ROP, further examinations were performed based on the Early Treatment for Retinopathy of Prematurity Study protocol. Demographic data, medical treatment, and ophthalmic disorders were all statistically analyzed.Results:A total of 576 infants met the criteria for evaluation. Of 576 total patients, 183 infants (32%) (88 males, 95 females) had ROP. There were significant differences between groups in gestational age, body weight, and duration of oxygen administration, and sepsis (P<0.05). Male/female ratio, single and multiple births, and jaundice, phototherapy, and blood transfusion were not significant. The majority of ROP was stage I or II (137, 74.8%). Stage III or greater developed in 46 infants (25.1%) [Note: The ocular history and ocular outcomes are not risk factors.]Conclusions:The incidence of ROP in this study is higher than that in other parts of the world. Awareness and knowledge of ROP and its relative risks need to be reinforced in ophthalmologists and other health practitioners.

Musca domestica L., 1758 is capable of transferring a number of pathogenic viruses, bacteria, fungi, and parasites to animals and humans. The objective of this study was to isolate and identify medically important filamentous fungi and yeasts from adult M. domestica collected from two wards of three hospital environments in Ahvaz city, Khuzestan Province, southwestern Iran. The common house flies were caught by a sterile net. These insects were washed in a solution of 1% sodium hypochlorite for 3 min and twice in sterile distilled water for 1 min. The flies were individually crushed with sterile swabs in sterile test tubes. Then 2 ml of sterile normal saline (0.85%) was added to each tube, and the tube was centrifuged for 5 min. The supernatant was then discarded, and the remaining sediment was inoculated with a sterile swab in the Sabouraud's dextrose agar medium containing chloramphenicol. Isolation and identification of fungi were made by standard mycological methods. In this research, totally 190 M. domestica from hospital environments were captured. In total, 28 fungal species were isolated. The main fungi isolated were Aspergillus spp. (67.4%), Penicillium sp. (11.6%), Mucorales sp. (11%), Candida spp. (10.5%), and Rhodotorula sp. (8.4%). Among the house flies caught at the hospitals, about 80% were found to carry one or more medically important species of fungi. This study has established that common house flies carry pathogenic fungi in the hospital environments of Ahvaz. The control of M. domestica in hospitals is essential in order to control the nosocomial fungal infections in patients.

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