Epidemiological and Bacteriological Features of the Cholera Outbreak in Iran (2005)

Major infectious diseases affecting the Afghan immigrant population of Iran: a systematic review and meta-analysis

OBJECTIVES

As Afghans make up the largest group of foreign nationals in Iran, the aim of this study was to assess the proportion of Afghan immigrants among those afflicted by the most prevalent infectious diseases in Iran.

METHODS

National and international online scientific databases were searched through November 2013. The reference lists of included studies were also searched. All descriptive studies concerning the most common infectious diseases in Iran, including tuberculosis, multiple-drug-resistant tuberculosis, malaria, cholera, Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever, leishmaniasis, and hepatitis B were retrieved. The nationality of patients was not considered. The selection of studies and data extraction was performed separately by two authors. Results were reported using a random effect model with a 95% confidence interval (CI).

RESULTS

The overall proportion of Afghan immigrants with the aforementioned infectious diseases was 29% (95% CI, 21 to 37). According to a stratified analysis, the proportion of Afghan immigrants afflicted with tuberculosis was (29%), multiple-drug-resistant tuberculosis (56%), malaria (40%), cholera (8%), Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (25%), leishmaniasis (7%), and hepatitis B (14%).

CONCLUSIONS

It is highly recommended to monitor the health status of the Afghan immigrants when entering Iran, to reduce the spread of communicable diseases, which are viewed as serious in international health regulations.

Mixed infections of Vibrio cholerae O1 Ogawa EL Tor with Shigella dysenteriae

Mixed infections caused by enteric pathogens such as bacteria, virus, protozoa and helminthes were reported in different literatures. This report also describes the co-infections caused by Vibrio cholerae O1 Ogawa EL Tor with Shigella dysenteriae in a patient. A 36-year-old man was admitted in Fatemeh Zahra Hospital of Bushehr Iran with fever, vomiting and dysentery. His stool sample was cultured, for identification purposes TCBS, XLD and other media were used. V. cholerae and S. dysenteriae were identified. Both species were resistant to ampicillin and sensitive to nalidixic acid and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazol. Shigella was resistant to tetracycline. The results of the study showed that places where diarrheal diseases especially cholera are endemic, it is better to examine for those patients with dysentery for the presence of the V. cholerae O1. That will prevent the spread of pathogenic organism in the community.