Background:      Contraception is a strategy of choice for spacing births but also for avoiding early and unwanted pregnancies. However, through hormonal modification, this contraception constitutes a favorable state for the proliferation in the genital tract of agents responsible for vaginal infections. The objective of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of genital infections in women on contraception followed up at the bacteriology-virology laboratory of Aristide Le Dantec Hospital.

Methods:      This is a retrospective descriptive study conducted over a one-year period between January 2019 and December 2020. Microbial assessemnets were performed on genital secretions according to standard bacteriology laboratory procedures. Sociodemographic data and bacteriological examination results obtained were entered using File Maker Pro Advanced (version 16) software. Statistical analyses were performed using SPSS software (version 20).

Results:      This research studied 1771 women, of whom 1609 were on contraceptives. The most represented age group was over 40 years (27.06%). The majority of patients were women on oral contraceptives (32.07%). Women with secondary education (31.45%) and women with 1 to 3 children (43.03%) were most often on contraception. The germs most frequently detected in women on contraception were Gardnerella vaginalis (51.78%) and Candida albicans (24.19%) and the use of intrauterine device (IUD) as a means of contraception was statistically associated with vaginal infection (p=0.0004).

Conclusion:      This study showed a high frequency of vaginal infections in women on contraception and that the intrauterine device was significantly associated with the occurrence of these infections.

Background:      Neonatal mortality is a significant multifactorial problem that affects flock productivity. Different infectious and non-infectious factors have been attributed to lamb losses. The objective of the present study was to identify the major causes of neonatal mortality.

Methods:      In a 3-months period, 114 Lacaune breed lambs died of which 52 animals were lost with clinical signs of infection. Heart and lung samples were collected and transmitted to the laboratory. Microbiological cultures following biochemical tests were conducted to identify bacterial infection of the lambs.

Results:      A total of 52 out of 114 lambs (45.6%) were infected with bacteria. The bacteria including Escherichia coli (30.8%), Proteus mirabilis (19.2%), Pasteurella multocida (1.5%), Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis (7.7%), Mannheimia haemolytica (3.9%), Staphylococcus epidermidis (1.9%) were isolated. The role of the identified pathogens was more significant in lamb death compared to non-infection causes. Diarrhea was the most infectious disease followed by septicemia and pneumonia. Escherichia coli was isolated significantly more than other bacterial agents (30.8%).

Conclusion:      The present findings showed Escherichia coli as the most common pathogen leading to lamb losses in the first two weeks of life. The hygienic practice which encompasses both environment and milking equipment, periodical flaming, and providing dry and clean bedding can dramatically decrease the infection among newborn animals. Reduction of the birth density and avoiding synchronization until the expert and labor capacity has reached the optimal level are necessary actions to reduce infectious diseases.

Background: The article aim was biosynthesis of zinc nanoparticles by the fruit and stem of Capparis Spinosa plant extract and the investigation of growth factors and some physiological properties of the M. Oleifera plant.

Methods:  Four levels of zinc nanoparticles (0, 125, 250, and 500) ppm were considered as treatments. Water extract of the Capparis Spinosa plant were obtained using 10 grams of stem and fruit were separately dried. Some properties like below information were measured: Ultraviolet-visible spectroscopic analysis, Infrared spectroscopy, Measurement of chlorophyll a and b and carotenoids, total phenol, antioxidant activity, total protein and antioxidant enzymes. The data of this research were factorially conducted in the form of completely randomized blocks with three replications.

Results: The effect of zinc nanoparticles on growth parameters shows that the length and weight of the shoot and root are significant at the five percent probability level. Also, the length and dry weight of shoots and roots are significant at the five percent probability level. The effect of zinc nanoparticles on the concentration of chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b and carbohydrates is significant at the five percent probability level. The main effect of zinc nanoparticles on the amount of total phenol, flavonoid, and DPPH of the M. Oleifera medicinal plant was significant. The effect of stem and fruit extract of zinc nanoparticles on the amount of ascorbate peroxidase, catalase, and guaiacol oxidase enzymes.

Conclusion:  The results showed that nano made from fruit and stem significantly increases root length, protein content and total phenol content, and activity of catalase and ascorbate peroxidase enzymes.

Background:      Urinary tract infection (UTI) is one of the most important health care issues with a major role in occurrence of nosocomial infections. Rise in antibiotic resistance rate by UTIs not only lead to morbidity and mortality, but also impose a remarkable financial burden on health care infrastructure. This study was undertaken to evaluate the prevalence of UTIs and identify common microorganisms responsible for infection and their antibiotic resistance profile in our Intensive Care Unit (ICU).

Methods:      In this perspective cross-sectional study, data from patients admitted to the ICU of two main referral hospitals in Yasouj, Southern-west Iran from 2015- 2016 was collected. Patients were selected in a subsequent manner and were asked to provide a midstream urine sample. Positive cultures were subsequently placed in differential culture medium for the diagnosis of the causative pathogen, while also evaluating with Muller Hinton Agar culture for antibiogram through disc diffusion method, to evaluate the pathogens sensitivity and resistance towards the tested antibiotics.

Results:      Based on bacterial culture results among a total of 112 obtained urine samples, 100 (89.2%) were negative while 12 (10.8%) were positive, in which the majority were gram-negative (6.25%) and the most frequent pathogen was Escherichia coli (5.3%). All cases of UTI in our population were fully resistant to cephalexin, ampicillin, and amoxicillin. Also, all gram-negative cultures were sensitive to amikacin. There was also no significant association between the antibiogram results with age, gender, and gram results.

Conclusion:      we report actual data on the resistance patterns of uro-pathogens in a public hospital in Iran. Escherichia coli showed a high prevalence among all UTIs with lower resistance rates to the antibiotics. Resistance to nalidixic acid and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole were significantly lower than other oral antibiotics, making both a suitable and cheap alternative for the empirical treatment. 

Background:        Brucellosis is one of the most prevalent and common diseases between humans and animals.Prompt diagnosis and timely treatment of this disease can prevent many complications.  In this regard, this study aims to comparatively evaluate ELISA, PCR and serological methods to identify Brucella abortus.

Methods:       In this study, the serum of 100 patients referred to Tonekabon private laboratory from  July 2020 to January 2021 was examined by PCR, ELISA and Wright, Coombs Wright, and 2ME methods for the detection of Brucella abortus.

Results:      In this study, the mean age of the sample was 43.3 ± 18.2 of which 21% were infected with Brucella abortus according to the above serological methods. According to ELISA test, 22% of the samples were IgM, 6% of the samples were IgG and 16% were PCR positive. Kappa agreement coefficient in Wright and Coombs Wright test and 2me were significant (P <0.001). Serological diagnostic indices and ELISA sensitivity were 68.75% and 68.75%, respectively. The lowest prediction rate of Brucella abortus among diagnostic methods was related to Elisa (IgM). Based on Fisher's exact test, there was no significant relationship between the percentage of Brucella abortus positive PCR cases and age, sex, previous history of infection with Brucella, fever, body aches and dairy consumption.

Conclusion:      Based on the results of our study, the accuracy of all methods is comparative and the lowest accuracy is related to Elisa (IgM) which has a lower level of predictability than other methods. The highest level of prediction belonged to Wright and 2me tests.

Background:      The outbreak of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) has originated from Wuhan, China and rapidly spread all over the world. This disease is caused by a coronavirus termed Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) that mainly infects the human respiratory tract. Herbal agents including Atractylodes lancea, Ephedra, Curcumin, and Echinacea purpurea had immunomodulatory effects and antiviral activities on other respiratory viruses including Influenza virus. They strengthen the innate immunity through increasing the phagocytic activity and anti-inflammatory activity. These herbs could be used as a complementary therapy to prevent entry of COVID-19 and improve immune system.  This review delves into the role and therapeutic compounds of various herbal agents in relation to immunity, their effectiveness in treating other viral respiratory illnesses, and their potential influence on COVID-19 disease.