Phagocytic changes in common carp (Cyprinus carpio) following administration of immunostimulants Quil-A and levamisole

In this research Quil-A and levamisole as immunostimulants were used both by immersion route (Quil-A, 40 mg/L and levamisole, 50 mg/L) and oral route (Quil-A 5, 10 mg and levamisole 20, 40mg) in common carp (Cyprinus carpio)(mean weight 80g) daily for 20 days. After twenty days of treatment with immunostimulants, stained heat killed Candida albicans and Bacillus cereus were injected intravenously via caudal vein. Two hours after injection, blood and kidney tissue samples were collected. Phagocytosis rate of blood and kidney smears were studied using Gimsa staining. Results showed that phagocytosis of Candida albicans cells by blood leukocytes in immersion groups into 40mg/L and 50 mg/L levamisole and orally used 5 and 10 mg Quil-A groups were significantly increased in comparison with the control group. While fish given 20 mg levamisole orally did not show a significant difference with control group and phagocytosis in 40mg levamisole by oral administration was suppressed as showed significant difference with control and other groups. Phagocytosis of Bacillus cereus cells showed similar results to the Candida albicans cells. Phagocytosis rate in kidney tissue was also stimulated in all groups except for 20 and 40mg levamisole groups presumably due to immunosuppressive effect of high levamisole rate

Serum antibody against Vibrio anguillarum in cultured rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss)

In order to determine the concentration of the antibodies against the pathogenic Vibrio anguillarum, three hundred blood samples were taken from 9-12 month old cultured rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) in 4 farms in the north and west region of Fars Province, which had been exposed to this bacteria. An indirect ELISA was employed to examine the serum. Using soluble antigen (SA) indicated that 54% of the examined blood samples contained antibodies against Vibrio anguillarum, while by using whole cell antigen (WCB) only 53% of samples were found to be seriopositive. The highest seriopositivity rate (83%) was observed in farm #2, where clinical signs of vibriosis also occurred. This study revealed that Rainbow trouts fed on raw marine fish meal powder are more exposed to V. anguillarum. Vibriosis in cultured Rainbow trout in Iranian inland freshwater farms is also discussed in this paper

Epidemiology and the agreement rate of serological tests in human brucellosis in North East of Iran

Background: Brucellosis still remains a major health problem with different symptoms and various diagnostic methods. Diagnostic methods of brucellosis are usually based on detecting specific antibodies in the patient’s serum. Nowadays, many serological tests are applied for the diagnosis of human brucellosis. Most routine tests are serum agglutination tests based on Wright and 2-Mercaptoethanol (2-ME). Objectives: The aim of this study (cross sectional study) was to evaluate the prevalence of brucellosis and assess the degree of agreement among serum samples of suspected brucellosis serological tests routinely performed in Mashhad, Iran. Patients and Methods: This study was conducted in Mashhad from August 2011 to September 2012. Sera (2 - 3 mL) were collected from 83 cases suspected of brucellosis among 594 patients. Ten serum samples were collected from healthy subjects as control sera. Rose Bengal test for initial screening and Wright and 2 ME as standard tests were conducted to determine antibody titers. Thereafter, IgG and IgM levels were determined by the Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) method. Results: Among 83 serum samples, Rose Bengal test was able to identify 20 (12%) positive specimens; the standard tube agglutination test was able to detect 30 (18%) positive samples, and the ELISA IgG and ELISA IgM were able to trace 42 (21%) and 13 (6.5%) positive samples, respectively. Ten control samples had negative results for the ELISA method. The results were calculated by the Kappa formula. The highest level of agreement was among 1 = KRB-SAT tests and the lowest level of agreement was among tests K ELISA IgM-IgG = 0.30. Conclusions: According to the results, brucellosis has remained endemic in this region. Most cases were detected by ELISA IgG. The highest kappa agreements were between tests KRB-SAT, KRB-IgG and KSAT-IgG, while the lowest levels of agreement were between tests SAT-IgM and ELISA IgM-IgG. Considering that ELISA IgM results are covered by SAT and ELISA IgG test results, applications of this test do not seem necessary. © 2015, Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine Research Center

Short communication: Infection of Aphanius dispar (Holly, 1929) with Ligula intestinalis plerocercoids in Mehran River, Hormuzgan province, south of Iran

Aphanius dispar (Holly, 1929) (known as Mahi gour-e khari, mahi dom parchami, kopurdandandar-e balehbolband) is an euryhaline tooth-carp fish which apparently prefers brackish waters of coastal areas of Iran. It is also distributed in Cyprus, Iraq, Somalia, Israel, Saudi Arabia, Syria and Djibouti. Aphanius dispar occurs in shallow water and among vegetation over sand, rock or soft detritus bottoms. Ligula intestinalis (L., 1758) is a pseudophyllidean cestode which in its plerocercoid stage infects a range of freshwater fish species, particularly members of the cyprinidae, as its second intermediate host and it has a widespread distribution throughout the northern hemisphere. However, no report is available on the occurrence of L. intestinalis from tooth-carp fish found in southern Iran. Recently, the present authors studied the infection of A. persicus in Barme-e-Shoor Spring-Stream System, Maharlu Basin, Shiraz, Iran. The present study was undertaken to investigate the possibility of A. dispar acting as an intermediate host for Ligula intestinalis from Mehran river in Mehran basin, near Bastak city, Hormuzgan Province, south of Iran

The Participants' viewpoint of continuing medical education courses

Background: Continuing education is one of the most effective methods to empower the employees for challengesthey face on their jobs. Dramatic advances in medicine, rapid cultural and social changes, increasing cost of healthcare, development of diagnostic technology and a transition in the pattern of diseases, highlight the necessity ofcontinuing education in all medical groups. Purpose: To evaluate the effectiveness of continuing medical education (CME) programs in Shahr-Kord MedicalUniversityfrom 1996-2001

Speed Roughness Control of an SI Engine Using Fuzzy Self Tuning Method

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