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Merozoite surface protein 1 of (PfMSP-1) is a leading malaria vaccine candidate. However, extensive genetic diversity of this gene in field isolates of represents a major obstacle for the development of an effective vaccine against malaria. The present study was aimed at analysing genetic polymorphisms of K1, MAD20 and RO33 allelic types of MSP-1 block 2 among isolates from Sistan and Baluchestan, Iran. In this study a total of 94 infected persons from Sistan and Baluchistan Province of Iran, were included. Blood samples were collected from March 2011 to September 2012. Block 2 of the MSP-1 gene was genotyped by allele-specific nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) after DNA extraction. Eighty-nine (94.7%) of the 94 samples were successfully amplified; 7 distinct MSP-1 genotypes were identified by size differences on agarose gels. MAD20 was the predominant MSP-1 allelic family identified in 46.1% (41/89) of the samples while RO33 family had the least frequency (7.9%). A total of 9/89 (10.1%) samples exhibited multiple infections with two alleles at PfMSP-1. The present study shows that the level of genetic diversity is relatively low in south-east of Iran and most of infections are composed of one clone, which is consistent with an area of low malaria transmission. These data are useful for malaria prevention and control in Iran.

The microscopic examination of Thick Blood Smears (TBS) remains the method of choice for the diagnosis of human malaria. Recently, alternative diagnostic methods, such as Nested PCR, have been used for the detection and identification of malaria parasites. The aim of this study was to compare the sensitivity and specificity of Nested PCR accomplished using DNA extracted from whole blood against fixed stained slides. 125 blood samples including 76(60.8%) male and 49(40.2%) female accomplished examinations. The percentage of the parasitaemia on positive samples was calculated from a total count of 200 leukocytes counted in a Giemsa stained thin blood films. The nested PCR assay carried out on DNA Extracted samples by specific primers to amplify 18ssr RNA Plasmodium gene. Of all 125 blood samples 50(40%) were positive (41(32.8%) P. vivax, 9(7.2%) P. falciparum) and 75(60%) were negative for malaria parasites using microscopy examination. Nested-PCR on whole blood specimens detected 66(52.8%) plasmodium species: 47(37.6%) P. vivax, 13(10.4%) P. falciparum, 6(4.8%) mixed infections P. vivax and P. falciparum. Nested-PCR on peripheral blood slides detected 49 (39.2%) plasmodium species: 34(27.2%) P. vivax, 10(8%) P. falciparum, 5(4%) mixed infections P. vivax and P. falciparum. The study showed that the sensitivity and specificity of nested PCR were 96% and 76%, respectively, when target DNA was extracted from blood and 78% and 86% when DNA was obtained from smears. These studies demonstrated that Plasmodium DNA might be successfully isolated from TBS indicating that this method of DNA preservation could be considered adequate and convenient for epidemiological studies.

Tinea capitis is a common infection among school children, still raising public health importance in many countries. There are unpublished reports of head fungal infections, particularly Tinea capitis, in school children of Sistan and Baluchestan province, at South-East of Iran. However, the reports are only based on the clinical evidences and there is no information about the prevalence and the agents of the infection. The present study was designed to determine the prevalence of Tinea capitis based on demographic information as well as laboratory determination of the causative fungal species in primary and middle school students of seven districts in Sistan and Baluchestan in 2011. During this cross-sectional study, 2060 children from urban and rural primary and middle schools were randomly selected and subjected to the survey by informed consents. Their demographic information was recorded in questionnaire and specimens from suspicious students were taken by scraping the scalp and removing hair stubs. Microscopic examination and culture and subculture of the specimens were performed using Sabouraud’s Dextrose Agar (S) and S + Chloramphenicol + Cyclohexamide (SCC) media and slide culture for identification of fungal agents. The surveyed children contained 56.7% female and 43.3% male. A number of 110 students (5.8%) were suspected to have Tinea capitis. Thirty-seven cases of Tinea capitis were confirmed by demonstration of dermatophytes spores or mycelium in direct smears, consisting of 25 (22.73%) ectothrix, 8 (7.27%) endothrix and 4 cases (3.63%) of favus. The dermatophytes isolated by in in vitro cultures, included 17 anthropophilic, 9 zoophilic and 3 geophilic species. The other 7 isolates were only characterised as Trichophyton mentagrophytes but remained unidentified at the level of subspecies. The prevalence of Tinea capitis in the rural school students was significantly more than that in the urban students. The infection rate in male was also significantly more than that in female. The results implied that control program with concern to the sources of infections is of great importance. Health education and development of knowledge among school children are recommended to be taken into account. It was resulted that all three sources of dermatophyte infections are involved with the incidence of Tinea capitis in children at South-East of Iran, although the anthropophilic and zoophilic reservoirs are predominant.

Fungi widely distributed in nature and the study of fungal toxins is important among the research topics. Many of these toxins enter into the body through foods such as flour, bread and other foods. These toxins could lead to complication such as syndromes and cancer in humans. Due to importance of flour over the diet of Iranian people, the incidence of fungal contamination of flour was done in Zahedan bakeries. In this descriptive study, 113 bakeries were randomly selected from different regions in Zahedan. The samples of flour have cultured in order to identify fungal species with specific medium. 34 out of 113 samples had fungal contamination. The most common mycotoxins – producing fungi were Acromonium sp and Aspergillus fumigatus respectively. According to the results of this study and since the bread is the staple of the Iranian people health regulation and monitoring their implementation at all stages of production, distribution and storage of wheat and flour is recommended to the authorities in order to eliminate the fungal contamination and seems to be imperative.