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BackgroundStudies show that nearly 40 million people are living with human immunodeficiency virus infection and acquired immune deficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) around the world and since the beginning of the epidemic, about 35 million have died from AIDS. Heterosexual intercourse is the most common route for transmission of HIV infection (85%). People with a sexually transmitted infection (STI), such as syphilis, genital herpes, chancroid, or bacterial vaginosis, are more likely to obtain HIV infection during sex. On the other hand, a patient with HIV can acquire other infections such as hepatitis C virus (HCV) and hepatitis B virus (HBV) and also STIs. Co-infections and co-morbidities can affect the treatment route of patients with HIV/AIDs. Sometimes, physicians should treat these infections before treating the HIV infection. Therefore, it is important to identify co-infection or comorbidity in patients with HIV/AIDS.ObjectivesThis study was conducted in order to understand the prevalence of HIV/AIDS/STI co-infection.Patients and MethodsIn this cross-sectional study, we evaluated all HIV/AIDS patients who were admitted to the infectious wards of Boo-Ali hospital (Southeastern Iran) between March 2000 and January 2015. All HIV/AIDS patients were studied for sexually transmitted infections (STI) such as syphilis, gonorrhea, hepatitis B virus (HBV) and genital herpes. A questionnaire including data on age, sex, job, history of vaccination against HBV, hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), hepatitis B core antibody (anti-HBc), hepatitis B surface antigen (anti-HBs), HCV-Ab, venereal disease research laboratory (VDRL) test, fluorescent treponemal antibody absorption (FTA-Abs) test, and urine culture was designed. Data was analyzed by the Chi square test and P values of < 0.05 were considered significant.ResultsAmong the 41 patients with HIV/AIDS (11 females and 30 males; with age range of 18 to 69 years) five cases (12.1%) had a positive test (1:8 or more) for VDRL. The FTA-Abs was positive for all patients who were positive for VDRL. Gonorrhea was found in seven patients (17%) and three cases had genital herpes in clinical examinations. All patients who had positive test results for these STIs were male. Eleven patients (26.8%) had HBV infection (three females and eight males). hepatitis C virus (HCV) was found in 13 cases (31%). Eighty percent of patients were unemployed. Seventy-eight percent of patients with HIV/STI were aged between 18 and 38 years. There was a significant difference between sex and becoming infected with HIV and also STI (P < 0.05).ConclusionsPatients with HIV/AIDS are more likely to acquire other STIs, because the same behaviors that increase the risk of becoming HIV infected can also increase the risk of acquiring STIs. Having a sore on the skin due to an STI can make the transmission of HIV to the sex partner more likely than people who don’t have such sore in their genital area.

Background: Socioeconomic status (SES) is one of the main determinants of health-related quality of life (HRQoL), where people with lower SES experience more health problems, have a lower quality of life, and are exposed to have a greater number of healthrelated risk factors. Objectives: This study aimed to examine the relationships between HRQoL, SES, and several demographic factors among the residents of the city of Ilam (located at the West of Iran). Methods: This cross sectional study was conducted on 400 households from 3 districts of the city of Ilam in 2015. The participants were selected on the basis of the multistage sampling method. The second version of the 12-item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-12v2) questionnaire and the Wealth Index were used to measure HRQoL and SES, respectively.

Background: We are witnessing the increasing use of antibiotics and the upward trend of resistant nosocomial infections. Therefore, identifying pathogens and determining the local patterns of antibiotic resistance are the health system's priorities in any region. Objectives: The current study aimed to investigate the prevalence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and Non-ICU wards, the toxic shock syndrome toxin-1 (TSST-1), alpha-toxin (Hla), and pantone-valentine leucocidin (PVL) genes in S. aureus strains, and antibiotic resistance patterns to provide a clinical guide for clinicians in Southwest Iran. Methods: Staphylococcus aureus was isolated from clinical specimens between 2018 and 2020. Methicillin-resistant S. aureus was detected by cefoxitin screening. Then, the antimicrobial resistance of all isolates was tested with the disk diffusion (DD) and the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) methods. Virulence genes, including TSST-1, Hla, and PVL, were evaluated by the PCR method. Results: Of 186 S. aureus strains isolated from various specimens, 51 (27.4%) were MRSA, with a 26.8% rate in the ICU. All isolates were susceptible to vancomycin, teicoplanin, linezolid, daptomycin, and quinupristin-dalfopristin. The penicillin-resistant S. aureus proportion was 93.5% (174/186), and more than 50% of all S. aureus isolates were resistant to fluoroquinolones. The incidence rates of virulence factors, including TSST-1, Hla, and PVL genes in MRSA, were 3.9%, 39.2%, and 2%, respectively. Conclusions: It is recommended to start empiric treatment against MRSA in case of severe infections in the ICU with either quinupristin-dalfopristin, daptomycin, vancomycin, teicoplanin, or linezolid until the culture and antibiotic susceptibility test results are available. Nevertheless, following the antibiotic resistance pattern is necessary to start treatment for other infections.

Background: Dezful and its suburbs, as the second city in Khuzestan Province, southwest of Iran, has been an endemic area of cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) with a low incidence rate since the last decades. However, the disease incidence has rapidly increased, and now is considered as a re-emerging parasitic disease in the area. Objectives: The aim of this study was to identify the most prevalent CL species in Dezful Region. Methods: A total of 196 microscopically confirmed slides from CL patients referred to Dezful Health Center were randomly collected in the period of 2015 - 2016. After DNA extraction from microscopically positive slides, polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) was carried out on 61 eligible specimens using ribosomal internal transcribed spacer 1 (ITS1) gene. The HaeIII restriction enzyme was used for the identification of species. Results: Samples were randomly collected from 196 acute CL cases, including 110 (56.2%) males and 86 (43.8%) females. Most infections were seen in the age range of 2 - 7 years (65/196, 33.1%). Totally, 60.1% of the cases had only one lesion, and half of the lesions appeared on hands. Furthermore, 162 (82.7%) cases were referred to Dezful Health Center in the cold seasons (autumn and winter). Results of PCR-RFLP on 61 eligible isolates showed that 60 (98.4%) isolates were Leishmania major, and only 1 (1.6%) isolate was Leishmania tropica. Conclusions: Our findings indicated that L. major is the main agent of re-emerged CL in Dezful and its suburbs, and the disease is a zoonosis.