Scorpion control in military units: A review study

The scorpion sting has long been a medical problem for people, especially those in the military forces. At the time of the Iran-Iraq war, it was one of the main health problems of Iranian soldiers, especially in the southern fronts and headquarters in the east of Khuzestan province. In Iran, more than 40,000 cases of scorpion stings are reported annually, and despite the provision and production of antidote, the cases leading to hospitalization and the need for treatment are still high. Military forces, due to their missions, are entering the natural habitats of these venomous arthropods and are being stung. An interruption in the access of injured people to appropriate treatment facilities, including antidotes, may threaten the person's life, increase the length of hospitalization and treatment costs, and reduces the combat capability of the military unit. Therefore, control and preventative measures of scorpion stings can be a practical way to deal with this health problem. In this review, all methods of controlling scorpions in different conditions depending on the behavior of the species are considered, and practical and methodological approaches are recommended. It is essential to carry out studies on medical entomology and the identification of scorpions in any area, prior to conducting maneuvers and building military camps and installations. Environmental and physical control measures are used in a variety of ways, including traps, chemical and biological control of scorpions in military environments, as well as specialized training in this field

An investigation on permethrin-treated military uniforms against diurnal mosquitoes under field conditions

Background: Military forces are exposed to mosquito bites because of their duties. In addition to the nuisance caused by mosquito bites, they are the vector of some vector-borne diseases in many countries of the world. Impregnation of military uniforms with permethrin is one of the most effective methods of protecting military personnel. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of permethrin-impregnated uniforms against diurnal mosquitoes under field conditions. Methods: In this study, one of the most common uniforms used in the Iranian military was treated by permethrin (0.125 mg. permethrin ai/cm(2)) and evaluated against the natural population of day-biting mosquitoes, in the rural area with Eight participants, three of them put on the treated uniforms and the other one of them wore the untreated uniforms and Four officers were also appointed as collectors. Results: The average number of bites in those who wore untreated uniforms (control) was 1.8/min/person (107.8/hr), while it was 0.16 (9.83/hr) for treated uniforms. The protection of treated uniforms was about 91. The knockdown rate for Culex and Aedes mosquitoes was 95.92 and 94.44, respectively. The mortality rate in Culex was 98.59 and 98.61 in Aedes mosquitoes when exposed to treated uniforms. Conclusion: In this study, military uniforms impregnated with permethrin showed significant protection against the bites of Culex and Aedes mosquitoes. This intervention can be used to protect military personnel from the bites of Culex and Aedes these mosquitoes and to reduce the diseases transmitted by these mosquitoes

Correction to: Ecological modeling and distribution analysis of digger scorpions: Odontobuthus doriae, Odontobuthus bidentatus (Scorpiones: Buthidae) and Scorpio maurus (Scorpiones: Scorpionidae) in Iran using the maximum entropy method (Applied Entomology and Zoology, (2020), 55, 1, (17-24), 10.1007/s13355-019-00647-9)

The word �Odonthubutus� should be replaced with �Odontobuthus� throughout the article. © 2020, The Japanese Society of Applied Entomology and Zoology

Epidemic assessment of bacterial agents in osteomyelitis and their antibiotic resistance pattern determination

The aim of the present study was to determine the causative agents of osteomyelitis and specifying their antibiotic resistance pattern in patients referred to pediatrics ward of Imam Khomeini Hospital. This study has been performed in Tehran during January to December 2006. In this study, Synovial fluid was taken from 90 patients who referred to pediatrics ward of Imam Khomeini. Samples were examined by direct test, culture and biochemical tests. In next step, antibiogram by disk diffusion method (Kirby-Bauer Test) was established on each positive sample and finally, the results were analyzed. Of 90 examined samples, 27 bacterial cases were isolated; Staphylococcus aureus with 55.9 was the most epidemic agent and Klebsiella sp., coagulase negative Staphylococci, Streptococcus pneumoniae and Enterobacter sp. were the next common agents, respectively. However, it was revealed that more than 40 Staphylococcus aureus are sensitivity to Vacomycin, Gentamicin, Sulfamethoxazole and Erythromycin and most of gram negative Rods isolated of were sensitivity to Amikacin, Ampicillin and Cephalothin (50-100). The most of bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus, coagulase negative Staphylococci, Streptococcus pneumoniae and Enterobacter sp.) were sensitive to Vancomycin, gentamicin and Cephalothin. Similar to previous results, it was proved either in our study that Staphylococcus aureus is the main agent of osteomyelitis and gram negative bacteria with coagulase negative Staphylococci and Streptococci are other agents. Also, it was observed that the most isolated bacteria had high antibiotic resistance to common drugs. © 2008 Asian Network for Scientific Information

Ant stings in military forces on three Persian islands of Abu-Musa, Greater Tunb and Lesser Tunb

Aims: Ants with the ability of biting and injecting venom to human body are called sting ants. This study was conducted to identify and determine the ant species and the prevalence of ant sting and related epidemiological factors in three Greater Tunb, Lesser Tunb and Abu-Musa islands, Iran. Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study was performed during Jan-July 2010 in Greater Tunb, Lesser Tunb and Abu-Musa islands on 318 military individuals who were selected by random sampling method. The ant collection was done by active hand-catch method. The ant sting prevalence and related epidemiological factors were determined by questionnaire. Data were analyzed by descriptive statistical methods including Chi-square test, Mann-Whitney test and Spearman and Gamma correlation. Results: Sting ants in these islands were identified as Pachycondyla sennaarensis (Mayr, 1862) (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). The mean prevalence of ant stings was 70.1%. The seasonal incidence of sting in three islands had the same pattern and was more common in spring and summer. 84.4% of ant stings had occurred in limbs. The main symptoms caused by the ant stings include pain, severe itching and local inflammation and blisters in some cases. Conclusion: Although ant stings in these islands is not much dangerous and does not lead to anaphylactic shock and death, ant stings prevalence is very high and the pain, itching and burning would cause discomfort for soldiers and reduce their efficiency. Therefore, preventive measures and control of these ants should be considered

Species diversity, habitat and abundance of culicid mosquitoes in bushehr province, south of Iran

Culicid-borne diseases are causes of substantial illness worldwide. Effective culicid control depends on up-to-date knowledge of ecology and dispersal of species. Hence, this entomological study was conducted from January-December 2017 to provide baseline data on the distribution and ecology of mosquitoes in the Southwest of Iran. In total, 2530 specimens belonging to 14 different species were collected and identified, as follows: Culex hortensis, Cx. laticinctus, Cx. mimeticus, Cx. perexiguus, Cx. pipiens, Cx. modestus, Cx. sinaiticus, Cx. theileri, Cx. torrentium, Cx. tritaeniorhynchus, Anopheles stephensi, An. superpictus, An.dthali, and An.subpictus. Diversity analysis indicated higher species richness for uninhabited areas (Margalef 1/86). The average of Shannon diversity index ranged from 1.98 to 2.10. Differences between urban and uninhabited areas were significant according to the diversity t-test (P = 0.024, t = 2.26). The analysis of beta biodiversity showed that rural and uninhabited areas were the closest environments in their specific composition (Whittaker index = 0.130). These findings could be useful in vector control program. © 2020, Society for Indonesian Biodiversity. All rights reserved

Arthropod Borne Diseases in Imposed War during 1980-88

Background: Personnel of military forces have close contact with natural habitat and usually encounter with bite of arthropods and prone to be infected with arthropod borne diseases. The imposed war against Iran was one of the most important and the longest war in the Middle East and even in the world and military people faced various diseases. The aim of this study was to review prevalence of arthropod borne diseases and to collect relevant information and valuable experiences during the imposed war. Methods: The present survey is a historical research and cross-sectional study, focused on arthropod fauna, situation of different arthropod borne diseases and also the ways which military personnel used to protect themselves against them. The information was adopted from valid military health files and also interviewing people who participated in the war. Results: Scabies, cutaneous leishmaniasis, sandfly fever and pediculosis were more prevalent among other arthropod -borne diseases in Iran-Iraq war. Measures to control arthropods and diseases at wartime mainly included: scheduled spraying of pesticides, leishmanization and treatment of patients. Conclusion: Although measures used during the war to control arthropods were proper, however, due to needs and importance of military forces to new equipment and technologies, it is recommended to use deltamethrin-impreg­nated bed net, permethrin treated military uniforms and various insect repellents in future

Comparision of the Efficiency of the Current Oils and Insecticide Compounds in Control of Greenhouse Whitefly, Trialeurodes vaporariorum (Westwood), (Hem.: Aleyrodidae) on Rose and their Interaction

Introduction: Rose plant (R osa hybrid) is cultivated in nearly all regions of Iran and they are more common in the western areas of Iran. The intensive cultivation of rose often leads to injuries by pathogens or noxious animals and may require the implementation of pest control measures. Among the insect pests of roses, the greenhouse whitefly, Trialeurodes vaporariorum (Westwood) (Hem.: Aleyrodidae), is fairly common pest that it is considered as major pests on roses in Iran. This pest infests the undersides of rose leaves, where the feeding adults and nymphs produce honeydew on which sooty mould grows. Considering the importance of oils in the integrated management program of this pest, in the present survey the possibility of whitefly control on rose plant were carried out to assess mortality rate (MR), synergistic rate (SR) and Lc50 of the oils and common insecticide. Materials and Methods: The experiment was conducted in a greenhouse located at the experimental site of National Ornamental Plant Institute, Mahallt, Iran. The plants (Rosa hybrid Apollo) were cut to stimulate rooting and then grown in plot containing a mixture of sand and sheep manure. Nine rose plant cuttings were planted in each plot with 1m2 space and 0.5 m distance each plot. So, each treatment had 9 shrubs of rose. The greenhouse whitefly T. vaporariorum were collected from infested rose plants and reared on rose. Each rose plant with one-year old was infested via 200 different stages of the whitefly. Fourteen days after infesting, compounds were sprayed on the infested plants with electrostatic atomizer backpack sprayer. Before spraying, plots were separated by plastic. Whitefly different stages from behind of three leaflets that separated from 15, 20 and 25 cm tip of plant were counted under a stereomicroscope (10 X) one day before and seven days after treatment. The effect of oils and common insecticide on whitefly mortality rate (MR) was performed in completely randomized block design with 20 treatments, 3 blocks and 4 replications. In addition, the bioassay of neem oil, citowett and volk on nymphal stages (2-4) as well as whiteflies adult were assayed in the greenhouse condition. The bioassay was carried out in clear plastic cages containing a leaf with three leaflets connected to the plant, containing 30 nymphs or 30 adults. Moreover, the bioassay of deltamethrin on adults and buprofezin on the nymphs and also synergistic rate (SR) of three oils including neem oil, citowett and volk on deltamethrin and buprofezin were estimated. The followed formula {SR= (Lc50A +Lc50B)/Lc50 (A+B)} was used for calculating synergistic rate. For bioassay testes, the clear plastic cages containing three leaflets as well as 30 nymphs and also 30 adult whiteflies were used. Results and Discussion: Based on the result of the mortality rate of oils and common insecticide, the treatment control, which was neem oil (1 ml/L) mixed with deltamethrin (0.5 ml/L), was caused 91.72 and 90.79 % MR of nymphs and adult whiteflies, respectively. Also the neem oil (0.5 ml/L) and citowett (0.25 ml/L) after water treatment had the lowest effect on the adult and nymphal stages mortality. When the oils separately were used, their LC50 were higher than they used simultaneously with deltamethrin and buprofezin. The results of the bioassay showed the Lc50 of deltamethrin mixed with neem oil, citowett and volk as: 417.55, 290.51 and 639.07 ppm, respectively. The synergistic effect of neem oil, citowett and volk with deltamethrin on the mortality rate of adult whitefly was estimated as 3.62, 5.45 and 2.56, respectively. The highest SR (7.24) of buprofezin for nymphal stage was occurred when it mixed with citowett. In addition, the SR of this pesticide was 4.86 and 3.55 for neem and volk, respectively. Also the Lc50 of buprofezin mixed with neem, citowett and volk were 214.26, 177.32 and 559.56 ppm, respectively. Conclusion: According to the effect of buprofezin on insect moulting, using of this pesticide mixed with citowett, neem and volk may be helpful for chemical control of nymphal stage of whitefly. In addition, based on our results deltamethrin mixed with same oils is recommended for adult control in integrated pest management programs of this pest. Proper application of pesticides along with oilscan increase synergistic effect of pesticide and reduce their harmful effects

Comparative repellency of Iranian dimethyl phthalate (DMP) lotion and trench ointment against Culex pipiens (complex) under laboratory condition

AbstractBackground and purpose: Lidocaine is an intermediate acting local anesthetic agents used very much in epidural anesthesia and has less risk of cardiac or CNS problems compared with bupivacaine. This study evaluated the duration of motor and sensory block of epidural anesthesia with lidocaine alone, lidocoine plus epinephrine and lidocaine plus fentanyl.Materials and Methods: In this double blind study 60 ASA I and II patients that scheduled for elective orthopedic operation were classified by block randomization in to three groups. Epidural anesthesia had been prescribed with 380 mg 2% lidocaine plus 1ml normal saline 0.9% for group N, 380 mg 2% Lidocaine plus 100 /g (1ml from 1/10000 solution) for group E and 380 mg 2% lidocaine plus 500 /g fentanyl for group F. The onset of sensory block and duration of motor and sensory block were recorded.Results: The mean onset time of sensory block in three groups were the same and about 8-9 minutes . The duration of complete motor block in group E (46.5 min) and F (45.3 min) were significantly higher than group N (22.5 min). The duration of sensory block in group E (117 min) was higher than group N and F (102 min). Hypotension happened in 40%, 50% and 60% of cases and bradycardia in 10%, 25% and 30% of cases of groups N, E and F respectively.Conclusion: The results of this study showed that there were no effects on onset time of epidural sensory block with epinephrine or fentanyl as an additive to lidocaine 2% but they have glittery direct effects on the duration of motor block. However, epinephrine can increase the duration of sensory block with lidocaine in epidural anesthesia.We suggest that in cases that relaxation and complete motor block is needed in epidural anesthesia epinephrine or fentanyl be added to lidocaine