title: Molecular epidemiology of malaria in endemic areas of Iran.
abstract: In this study, 333 blood samples of malaria cases positive by microscopic test (70.6% male and 29.4% female, p<0.05) were investigated. The group included 55 cases (16.52%) from Minab (Hormozgan Province), 116 cases (34.82%) from Iranshahr (Sistan-Baluchesta Province) and 162 cases (48.65%) from Kahnouj (Kerman Province). The results showed 244 cases (73.27%) were diagnosed as P. vivax, 87 cases (26.13%) P. falciparum and 2 cases (0.6%) showed a mixed infection of both Plasmodia. In a molecular study of the same samples using nested-polymerase chain reaction (nested-PCR), 185 cases (55.6%) were P. vivax, 50 cases (15%) P. falciparum and 95 cases (29%) both Plasmodia. Comparing the two methods used in this study, the highest rate of infection was found to be P. vivax. However, the rate of mixed infections (0.6% microscopy, 29% nested-PCR) varied and depended on the assay used. This indicated that the sensitivity of nested-PCR was greater than microscopic examination, especially for the detection of mixed-infections (p<0.05) in the current malaria epidemiology study.
authors.affiliation: Department of Parasitology, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran. mehdiassmar@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Mehdi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Assmar
authors.forename: Arpy
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Terhovanessian
authors.forename: Mohammad R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Jahani
authors.forename: Hossein
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Nahrevanian
authors.forename: Aref
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Amirkhani
authors.forename: Norair
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Piazak
authors.forename: Ahmad Reza R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Esmaeili
authors.forename: Mahin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Farahmand
authors.forename: Mohammad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zare
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000818:Animals; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D019353:Endemic Diseases; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007492:Iran / Q000453:epidemiology; D008288:Malaria / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000235:genetics* / Q000469:parasitology; D008297:Male; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012621:Seasons; D017678:Sex Distribution; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D055815:Young Adult