A cross-sectional study was carried out to determine the prevalence of intestinal parasites in primary school children in Bandar Abbas, southern Iran during January to March 2016. Single stool samples were collected from 1465 participants by clean stool cup. The questionnaire was prepared on the basis of demographic characteristics. The diagnosis was made on the basis of the direct wet mount, formalin-ether concentration, and Ziehl-Neelsen and trichrome stained slides. Out of the 1465 school children examined, six species of intestinal parasites were identified with an overall prevalence of 95 positive students (6.5%). Prevalence of protozoan infections (6.2%) was significantly higher than helminth infections (0.3%). The most common protozoan species were ( = 42, 2.9%) and ( = 31, 2.1%). Only two cases of and two cases of were detected. The prevalence of parasitic infections was higher in boys ( = 52, 7%) than girls ( = 41, 5.7%), but the difference was not significant. The parasitic infections were higher among the children whose parent's education was less than high school diploma ( = 0.000), and there was also a significant association between the parents' jobs and the intensity of parasitic infection. The prevalence of intestinal parasites, compared to the previous studies in this area, was significantly lower; that is mainly due to an increase in the quality of life and parents' education as well as the accessibility to health services. The most prevalent intestinal parasite was ; therefore, it is recommended that more emphasis is applied to controlling and preventing this parasitic infection by washing hands, particularly before each meal course.

Background: Cryptosporidium species are recognized as one of the most important gastrointestinal pathogens of humans and livestock. Objectives: This study aimed to determine the prevalence and sub-genotypes of Cryptosporidium spp. among diarrheic patients in Bandar Abbas City, Iran. Methods: Diarrheic fecal samples were collected from 170 patients in three hospitals of Bandar Abbas, Iran, from October 2018 to May 2019. Initial parasitological identification of Cryptosporidium spp. was performed by modified Ziehl-Neelsen (ZN) staining. For molecular analysis, the positive specimens and the suspected ones of Cryptosporidium spp. were evaluated by sequence analysis of the 60-kDa glycoprotein gene (gp60). The collected data were analyzed using SPSS software and the relationship between the variables and the presence of Cryptosporidium spp. assessed by the chi-square test. To assess the degree of agreement between PCR and ZN staining, Cohen’s kappa-index was applied. Results: Of the 170 diarrheic patients, 98 (57.6%) were male, and 72 (42.4%) were female. Prevalence of Cryptosporidium spp. by parasitological examination was 1.8% (3/170). However, using PCR, Cryptosporidium spp. was detected in 12% (6/50) of the positive microscopically samples (3 samples) and 47 suspected specimens. Sequence analysis of the gp60 gene showed that all of the positive isolates were Cryptosporidium parvum in which all subtypes belonged to allele family IId. Two distinct nucleotide sequences obtained from this study were deposited in GenBank under the accession numbers MN820453 and MN820454. Conclusions: The predominance of C. parvum (subtype family IId) in this study emphasizes the importance of zoonotic Cryptosporidium transmission in Bandar Abbas, Southern Iran.

Background: The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has prompted researchers around the world to identify risk factors associated with disease severity and mortality. The results suggest that the mortality of COVID-19 might be due to "cytokine storm" involving IL-6, and that obesity could be considered as a risk factor for the prevalence, severity, and mortality of COVID-19 patients. The current study aimed to evaluate the serum levels of IL-6 and adiponectin in patients and their relationship with disease progression. Methods: ELISA was used to assess the levels of IL-6 and adiponectin in serum samples of control group and patients with COVID-19 at the time of admission to the ICU or non-ICU wards. The results were analyzed using Mann-Whitney and Spearman tests. Results: ICU and non-ICU hospitalized patients had higher level of adiponectin compared to the control group (P0.001 and P=0.002, respectively). Moreover, the mean sera levels of adiponectin in patients admitted to ICU (10.18 15.4 ng /ml) was significantly higher than patients admitted to the non-ICU ward (3.14 3ng /ml, P = 0.001). Mean sera levels of IL-6 showed a similar, however the difference was not statistically significant (P= 0.18). In the ICU hospitalized patients with diabetes and hypertension, the IL-6 levels were significantly higher compared to patients without underlying disease (P = 0.01, P = 0.02, respectively). In addition, a significant direct correlation was observed between adiponectin expression and IL-6 (R = 0.2, P = 0.03). Conclusion: The results of the present study showed that the sera levels of adiponectin in COVID-19 patients with severe lung involvement were significantly higher than those with less lung involvement. This finding is of high importance mainly due to the critical role of the lung in adiponectin signaling, and as a result, adiponectin disorders may be associated with pulmonary complications in patients with COVID-19.

Background: Cryptosporidiosis is a parasitic disease caused by a small protozoan of the genus coccidian. It is important in the medical and veterinary area, since it is a zoonotic parasite. Transmission of fecal-oral infections occurs through direct and indirect contact with food and contaminated drinks. Many HIV-positive individuals live in the areas where intestinal parasites are hyperendemic. Objectives: Given the significance of the study associated with opportunistic infectious diseases in this group of patients, we decided to study the prevalence of the parasite in those individuals. Methods: In this descriptive cross-sectional study, we collected a single fecal specimen of 133 HIV-positive patients seeking treatment from the center for Behavioral Disease Counseling of Bandar Abbas, Iran. Stool samples examined by direct, formalin-ether concentration method and modified Ziehl-Neelsen stain for Cryptosporidium spp. Results: The mean age of the patients was 42.15 (ranged 12 -82 years). No oocyst of cryptosporidium spp. or other intestinal coccidian was found in any of the samples. Only four species including Giardia lamblia, Hymenolepis nana, and both Entamoeba coli and Blastocystis hominis were found in three patients, which indicated less diversity and low frequency of parasitic infection in this study. Conclusions: Monitoring and evaluating the therapeutic process of the patients lead to less infectious diseases, especially those of opportunistic parasites.

Background: Diarrheal diseases are the major causes of morbidity and mortality in developing countries and the second most common cause of death in children under five years. The main objective of the study was to determine the prevalence of intestinal parasites in diarrheal patients in Bandar Abbas, Southern Iran. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted to assess the prevalence of intestinal parasitic infections and associated factors among patients with diarrhea in the major hospitals of Bandar Abbas. A single fecal specimen was collected from 170 diarrheic patients from October 2018 to May 2019. The diagnosis was made based on the direct wet mount and formalin-ether concentration method. Trichrome and modified acid-fast staining methods were used for the better detection of protozoa. The collected data were analyzed using SPSS software. Results: A total of 170 stool specimens were collected from diarrheic patients. Of these, 57.6% were males and 42.4% were females. The overall prevalence of intestinal parasites was 12.9%. The most prevalent parasite was Blastocystis spp. 10 (5.9%), followed by Giardia lamblia 7 (4.1%), Cryptosporidium spp. 3 (1.8%), Entamoeba coli 1 (0.6%), and Hymenolepis nana 1 (0.6%). Conclusion: Overall, the results showed that intestinal parasites, especially helminth infections, have significantly decreased in recent years.

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