Background: Onychomycosis represents the most frequently encountered nail disease, which is difficult to eradicate with drug treatment. Aim: This study was undertaken to document the clinicomycological pattern of onychomycosis in Iran. Results of mycological tests of nail scrapings collected over a 4-year period were analyzed. Methods: Both direct microscopy and cultures of the nail material were performed to identify the causative agents. Results: The microscopic and/or cultural detection of fungi was positive in 40.2% of samples. The most common clinical type noted was distolateral subungual onychomycosis in 48.4% of cases. Etiological fungal agents were 50% dermatophytes, 46.8% yeasts, and 3.2% saprophytic moulds. The most frequently detected dermatophyte species were Trichophyton rubrum(48.4%)and T. mentagrophytes(41.9%) . Among yeasts, Candida albicans(58.6)was most common, followed by C. parapsilosis(17.2%) , C. glabrata(10.3%) , C. krusei and C. tropicalis(each 6.9%) . Aspergillus niger and A. flavus were the most frequent saprophytic moulds. Females were affected more frequently than males, and in both sexes those most infected were between 40-49 years of age. Fingernails were affected more frequently than toenails. Conclusions: The clinico-epidemiological data collected can serve as reference for future research and may be useful in the development of preventive and educational strategies.

EC in this region, including opium consumption, drinking hot tea, poor oral hygiene, obesity, exposure to polycyclic and genetic factors (Kamangar et al., 2007). There is no data about the relationship between FB1 and incidence of EC in this high risk area. So, we conducted this study to determine FB1 contamination of rice and corn samples and its relationship with EC in Golestan province of Iran.

Dermatophytosis is still being considered as one of the major public health problems in many parts of the world. To identify the prevalence and etiological agents of dermatophytoses, a study was carried out between 2004 and 2006. Out of 1023 subjects suspected to have cutaneous mycoses, 348 (34%) patients were affected with dermatophytoses. The causative agents were identified macroscopically and microscopically after the clinical samples were subjected to potassium hydroxide examination and culture isolation. Epidermophyton floccosum was the most frequently isolated species representing 32.8% of isolates, followed by T. rubrum (18.1%), T. verrucosum (17.2%), T. mentagrophytes var. interdigitale (15.8%), T. mentagrophytes var. mentagrophytes (6.6%) and T. violaceum, T. schoenleinii and Microsporum canis (0.9%). The most common type of infection was tinea cruris (31.9%) affecting in particular male patients. Some other most prevalent tinea types were tinea corporis (20.7%), tinea pedis (19%), and tinea unguium (11.2%). To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report on dermatophytoses in Qazvin and the first study that shows tinea cruris as a major type of superficial fungal infection in Iran. The frequency of tinea was higher in males and tinea cruris showed a remarkably increasing tendency and was an important public health issue in Qazvin.

Background: Some human diseases such as tuberculosis, Legionnaires' disease and different forms of bacterial pneumonia, coccidioidomycosis, influenza, measles, and gastrointestinal illnesses are the result of exposure to bioaerosols. In addition, they are associated with some noninfectious airway diseases, such as allergies and asthma. Objectives: In the education hospitals of Hamedan University of medical sciences, there were no previous qualitative and quantitative studies of bioaerosols in the air of wards, so in this study the quality and quantity of bioaerosols in hospital ward's air was investigated to establish a reference for future studies or measures. Materials and Methods:In this cross sectional research, 30 wards in five educational hospitals of Hamadan city were studied. More than 180 air samples were collected from the hospitals. The samples were transferred to blood agar and Sabouraud medium and cultivated immediately. Type and number of colonies were determined in the laboratory. Bioaerosol concentrations were calculated in terms of cfu/ m 3 . After bioaerosols isolation, the isolates were identified by morphology of colony, Gram staining and by standard biochemical tests as required for bacterial or fungal bioaerosols. The SPSS software was used for data management. ANOVA and t-test statistical analyses were also used. Results:As the results demonstrated, highest and lowest averages of bioaerosol density were obtained from Shahid Beheshti and Fatemieh Hospitals (36.18 cfu/m 3 Vs. 24.03 cfu/m 3 ), respectively. Highest and lowest concentrations of bioaerosols were found in Women1 and operating room wards of Fatemiyeh Hospital, respectively (54.4cfu/m 3 VS. 13.3cfu/m 3 ). It appears that there had been no significant correlation between concentration of bioaerosols in the hospitals and available guideline values (P = 0.3). The highest fungal populations were Penicelium spp. (32.06%), Cladosporium spp. (20.5%), Aspergillus fumigatus (14.61%) and A. niger (7.43%), respectively. The highest bacterial population was coagulase-negative staphylococci (32.49%), Bacillus spp. (14.74%), Micrococcus spp. (13.68%) and Staphylococcus aureus (11.34%), respectively. Conclusions: Quantitative bioaerosols concentration in the air of some hospitals was more than the available guideline i.e. 30 cfu/m 3 . Bioaerosol density of all surveyed hospitals can relate to patients presence in wards and their visitors, incorrect ventilation, and probably inefficient disinfection. Most surveyed hospitals have no air treatment systems thus to reduce bioaerosol concentration, standard ventilation systems should designed and utilized.

A survey on the occurrence of aflatoxin M1 (AFM1) was carried out in summer and winter in raw milk samples from 93 traditional and industrial dairy farms of the Hamedan district in order to address representative data on AFM1 in milk collected from these regions. Of the 186 milk samples, AFM1 was detected in 119 samples (63.97%). The mean concentration of AFM1 in contaminated samples was 43.4 ng/L, and the minimum and maximum levels were ≤10 and 410 ng/L, respectively. Fourteen (11.76%) contaminated samples had AFM1 in concentrations in excess of the maximum levels specified in European Union regulations, i.e., 50 ng/L. The contamination ratio of milk in summer and winter months was 56.5 and 71.7%, respectively (P < 0.02). This is the first report on AFM1 determinations in raw milk from western Iran, one of the main milk‐production areas, as well as comparison between milk obtained from different dairy farms in Iran.

Background: Tinea incognito is a dermatophytic infection in which topical or systemic steroids have modified the clinical appearance of the mycosis and mimicking other skin diseases. Objectives: A large retrospective study was carried out to identify the clinical aspects and type of dermatophytes involved in tinea incognito cases in Iran during [1993][1994][1995][1996][1997][1998][1999][2000][2001][2002][2003][2004][2005][2006][2007][2008]. Patients: Out of 6325 subjects suspected to have dermatophytoses, 56 patients（29 males, 27 females, mean age 32.6 years） were affected with tinea incognito. Methods: The causative agents were identified macroscopically and microscopically after the clinical samples were subjected to potassium hydroxide examination and culture isolation. Results: The most common type of infection was tinea corporis（32.1%） , which significantly affected male patients. The prevalence of the other tineas in decreasing order was as follows: tinea faciei（26.8%） , tinea cruris（14.3%） , tinea manuum（12.5%） , tinea pedis（8.9%） , and tinea capitis（5.4%） . The clinical features were to some extent diverse, ranging from eczema-like, seborrhoeic dermatitis-like, pyoderma-like and folliculitis to alopecia on scalp, trunk and limbs. Trichophyton verrucosum was the most frequently isolated species representing 33.9% of isolates, followed by T. mentagrophytes （28.6%） , T. rubrum（12.5%） , Epidermophyton floccosum（10.7%） , Microsporum canis（8.9%） , T. violaceum（3.6%） , and T. schoenleinii（1.8%） . Conclusion: To the best of our knowledge, this is the first broad investigation dealing with tinea incognito in Iran. The etiological agents of tinea incognito in Iran are consistent with those of the general population.

The aerobic actinomycetes are a large group of soil-inhabiting bacteria that occur worldwide. Some of them are the main cause of two important diseases, nocardiosis and actinomycetoma. To identify the prevalence and geographic distribution of aerobic actinomycetes in soil of Qazvin province, a study was carried out during 2006-2007. In this study, the incidence and diversity of medically important aerobic actinomycetes was determined in 300 soil samples of different parts of Qazvin. The suspensions of superficial soil samples were prepared by adding of normal saline, streptomycin and chloramphenicol and the supernatants were cultured on brain-heart infusion agar and Sabouraud's dextrose agar contain cycloheximide. The isolated microorganisms were examined by Gram and acid-fast stains and were identified biochemically and morphologically. Of 96 aerobic actinomycetes isolates identified, Actinomadura madurae and Streptomyces somaliensis were the most frequently isolated species each representing 19.8% of isolates, followed by Nocardia asteroides (15.6%), N. otitidiscaviarum (9.4%), N. brasiliensis (7.3%), A. peletieri, S. griseus, and Nocardia spp. (each 5.2%), and N. transvalensis, Nocardiopsis dassonvillei, Actinomadura spp. and Streptomyces spp. (each 3.1%). To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report on epidemiological investigation of medically important aerobic actinomycetes in soil samples from Iran. In recent years, mycetoma and nocardiosis have been increasingly reported in Iran. The results showed that medically important actinomycetes occur in the environment of Iran and soil could be potential source of actinomycotic infections.

Zoophilic dermatophytosis is a major public and veterinary health problem globally widespread among cattle. To identify the causative agent and geographical distribution of dermatophytes involved in cattle ringworm and to establish if they would be related to human diseases in Iran, a study was carried out on 6789 heads of cows and 130 herdsmen during 2006-2007. Samples were taken from 380 cattle and 43 herdsmen with suspected dermatophytosis. The causative agents were identified macroscopically and microscopically by KOH examination and culture isolation. Only 352 cases of dermatophytosis were identified in cattle and Trichophyton verrucosum was the exclusive fungus isolated from animals. Moreover, 27 cases of human dermatophytosis were identified and T. verrucosum was the prevalent causative agent for dermatophytosis in the body, scalp, foot, nail and groin of the patients. The obtained results showed that T. verrucosum was the predominant cause of dermatophytosis in livestock and dairy farmers. There is a scarcity of information on isolation and identification of the epizoonotic agents of dermatophytoses in cattle in Iran. This study showed the occurrence of dermatophytosis in humans and cattle and confirms that the dermatozoonoses are responsible for predominant forms of the disease in people who were in contact with cattle.