Scorpion fauna (Arachnida: Scorpiones) in Darmian county, Iran (2015-2016)

Background and purpose: Venomous bite and specific morphological features of scorpions are the most important reasons for paying attention to scorpions. Anxiety and stress caused by scorpions and their stings are amongst the important health issues in many countries especially in Iran. This study was conducted on scorpions’ fauna in Darmian County, South Khorasan province, Iran. Materials and methods: In this study, 21 districts in Darmian were sampled including plains, mountains, residential, non-residential, rural and urban areas. Sampling effort was conducted monthly in 2015-16. Scorpions were collected by actively searching in day and night using pitfall trap. The specimens were identified by appropriate identification keys. Results: Totally 685 specimens were collected. Five species including Mesobuthus eupeus, M. caucasicus Androctonus crassicauda, Orthochirus scrobiculosus, and Compsobuthus matthiesseni were identified from Butidae family. The most frequent species was M. eupeus (n= 373, 54.5%), while A. crassicauda (n= 22, 3.2%) was recognized as the least frequency species. Conclusion: Androctonus crassicauda (black scorpion) was found as the most dangerous species in Iran, so, alongside care programs for scorpionism in Darmian, prescription of anti-scorpion serum in cases stung by scorpion should be done by considering the coloring of scorpion and residential area of injured person. © 2016, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences. All rights reserved

Epidemiology of scorpionism in Darmian, Iran, 2015

Background and purpose: Scorpionism is a life-threatening hazard in many parts of the world including Iran. Identifying the epidemiology of effective factors causing this health problem could play a major role in its prevention. Therefore, this study was conducted to understand the epidemiology of scorpionism in Darmian, Iran. Materials and methods: A retrospective cross-sectional study was designed in which all the people stung by scorpion between March 2015-2016 were investigated. The subjects were residing in Darmian, Southern Khorasan province, Iran. Epidemiology of patients and demographic data were collected in a checklist and data was analyzed in SPSS V.20. Results: A total of 132 cases stung by scorpion were recorded including 58 males (43.9) and 74 females (56.1). The highest and lowest rates were found in people aged 35-44 (22) and�65 (6.8 ), respectively. Among the cases 3.8 were younger than 15 years of age. Hands, legs, and head and face were the most prevalent sting sites (47.7, 39.4 and 12.9, respectively). Most cases of scorpion stings occurred during spring and summer while July was the month with highest rate (22). Of total cases 29.5 were residing in urban areas and 70.5 were in rural areas. Conclusion: The highest rate of scorpionism cases were reported in rural areas, therefore, training programs should be considered for preventing scorpionism in rural communities. Also, development and optimization of residential houses and rural roads can greatly reduce the incidence of scorpion stings. © 2016, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences. All rights reserved

Species diversity of medically important necrophagous flies in Southwest Iran

Species diversity of medically important necrophagous flies in Southwest Iran. Biodiversitas 24: 1467-1472. The insects are the most successful group in the phylum Arthropoda. Flies are among the most diverse group of insects and organisms. Flies can affect human health in many ways, such as the transmission of a wide range of pathogens and myiasis. Species diversity is the middle level of the hierarchical system of biodiversity. Flies, like other insects, are sensitive to biotic and abiotic factors, and their biodiversity will change under different climatic conditions. This study was performed in Ilam province, in southwest Iran. Two methods were used for collecting the flies, including bottle traps and insect nets. Fly collections were done monthly at each collection site for a year, and to identify the trapped flies, reliable identification keys were used. Calculation of fly species diversity indices was done based on the Shannon-Wiener index, species dominance based on the Simpson dominance index, species richness employing the Margalef's index, and evenness was performed based on the Evenness index. Different aspects of species diversity were calculated using PAST V.3 software. The dominance and abundance of necrophagous flies were higher in the south of the province. The highest evenness was related to the north of the province. A comparison of the diversity of necrophagous flies also indicated that the north of the province has a high species diversity. A significant and positive relationship between fly frequency and the temperature was seen. There was also a significant and negative relationship between the frequency of flies and humidity. The results of this study completed one of the research puzzles on the biodiversity of Iranian flies. The abundance and diversity of necrophagous flies were high in the Ilam province, especially in spring. © 2023, Society for Indonesian Biodiversity. All rights reserved

Diversity Assessment and the effect of Temperature and Humidity on the Relative Abundance of Medically Important Fly Species in Fouladshahr, Isfahan Province

Background & aim: Due to their close connection with humans, flies are able to mechanically transmit many pathogenic agents and thus cause various diseases. Knowing and determining the species of flies is necessary to know the current situation and plan for their control. Therefore, the purpose of the present study was to determine and investigate the species diversity and relative abundance of medically important flies in Fouladshahr, Isfahan province. Methods: The present study was of a descriptive-analytical type. Sampling was done from April to March 2018 for one year and twice a month in selected stations in Fouladshahr, Iran. The collection of adult flies was done using insect nets and using inverted cone plastic bottles traps. In order to try to obtain the maximum diversity of species, sampling was done in four seasons and six times in each season, twice a month and once in each region. The sampling location was selected based on the proximity to the places where flies grow and develop, such as around the hospital, garbage collection, health and treatment centers, and animal places with the possibility of flies. Daily average temperature, humidity and wind speed were recorded. After catching the flies, they were transported to the laboratory and mounted. A that point they were identified using a valid identification key. The collected data were analyzed using Spearman's correlation and GEE regression statistical tests. Results: In the present study, 6030 flies from three species, Musidae, Calliphoridae and Sarcophagidae, were caught. The highest number of flies belonged to the species Musca domestica (72%) and Sarcophaga aegypti (0.08%) had the lowest frequency. The highest abundance of flies was in the month of July and the lowest amount was respectively in the months of January and February in Fouladshahr. Correlation results indicated that with the decrease in humidity, the population of flies increased (P˂0.004) and with the increase in temperature, the abundance of flies increased (P˂0.0001). Conclusion: Considering the abundance of flies and their health importance in the study area, it seems necessary to adopt appropriate methods to manage resources and use existing capacities to control the population of flies in the study area