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Background: It is difficult to make an exact morphological distinction between Fasciola hepatica and Fasciola gigantica. We used High Resolution Melting analysis (HRM) method to differentiate the F. hepatica species from F. gigantica in order to differentiate them. Methods: Overall, 80 adult liver flukes were collected from infected slaughtered animals including cattle, sheep and goats from Lorestan Province, western Iran from Sep 2015 to Aug 2017. Genomic DNA was extracted using commercial DNA extraction kit. The multilocus sequences of mDNA including COX1, COX3 and ND6 were amplified employing real-time PCR & HRM analysis. Specific and universal primer pairs were designed for differentiation Fasciola spp. Results: Universal primers cannot be used to distinguish between these two species, but in the contrary, specific primer pairs of each species could differentiate them properly. Molecular identification using specific primer pairs were consistent. Conclusion: HRM is a simple, fast and reliable method for detecting and differentiating F. hepatica from F. gigantica and can be used for diagnostic and epidemiological purposes.

Background: Leishmania infection is a serious worldwide health concern that is caused by various types of Leishmania parasite genus. Current therapies for this disease, including pentavalent antimonial complexes, are not safe and do not have enough efficacy. The Artemisia aucheri spring leaf extract has been reported to have antimicrobial effects on a variety of pathogens. Objective: This study aimed to find how a spring leaf extract of A. aucheri affects Leishmania tropica and infantum. Materials and Methods: After culturing macrophages and L. tropica and infantum in enriched the Roswell Park Memorial Institute (RPMI) 1640 culture medium with 10% fetal bovine serum (FBS), the impacts of different dosages of A. aucheri spring extracts on L. tropica, as well as L. infantum promastigotes were evaluated in vitro. In addition, 2, 5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide was used to assess the cytotoxicity of the extract on parasites and macrophages. Eventually, flow cytometry with annexin staining was performed to evaluate the potential of apoptosis induction in L. tropica/infantum. Results: The flow cytometry test results showed the amount of apoptosis was 22.28% for L. tropica and L. infantum parasites. The spring leaf extract of A. aucheri inhibitory concentration was 15.17 and 9.13 for L. tropica and L. infantum, respectively. Conclusion: Overall, A. aucheri spring extracts revealed a good in-vitro anti-leishmania effect on L. tropica and L. infantum promastigotes.

Trichomonas vaginalis is a protozoan parasite and probably one of the main causes of adverse birth outcomes. Still, there is a paucity of information regarding the burden of T. vaginalis infection in Iranian women. To address this gap, we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of studies on trichomoniasis among females in Iran from January 2000 to January 2023. We searched multiple electronic databases (PubMed, Science Direct, Scopus, ProQuest, Web of Science, Google Scholar, Scientific Information Database, Iran Medex, Magiran and Iran Doc) and identified 108 articles with a total of 200 728 women. Using a random effects model, we found a pooled prevalence of 4.30% (95% CI 3.23 to 5.52%). Subgroup analysis, also, demonstrated a statistically significant association between the T. vaginalis prevalence in Iranian women, and the age range, city, sample type, being in prison, sex working and symptomatic infections. Our findings provide important information for healthcare authorities and can inform prevention strategies against trichomoniasis in Iran.