title: Detection of Asymptomatic Carriers of Plasmodium vivax among Treated Patients by Nested PCR Method in Minab, Rudan and Bashagard, Iran.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Plasmodium vivax is the most widespread species of Plasmodium in humans and causing about 80 million clinical cases annually. This study was undertaken to detect P. vivax in asymptomatic treated vivax malaria patients to trace latent/sub-patent malaria infection.
  
  
  METHODS
  The venous blood of all detected cases with P. vivax in Bashagard, Minab and Roodan Districts in Hormozgan Province from 2009 to 2010 was examined by microscopic and nested PCR methods for presence of the parasite.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In microscopic examination of peripheral blood smears, all samples were negative for the presence of the parasites. But, we detected two P. vivax related bands in the electrophoresis of the nested PCR products (120 bp).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Following up the malaria cases after treatment by a combination of methods, or new diagnostics such as RDTs can be included in the priorities of malaria elimination program in Iran.
authors.affiliation: Tabriz Research Center of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran.
authors.forename: Abbas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Shahbazi
authors.affiliation: Dept. of Medical Parasitology and Mycology, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran.
authors.forename: Pegah
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Farhadi
authors.affiliation: Institute of Public Health Researches, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Masoud
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yerian
authors.affiliation: Tabriz Research Center of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran.
authors.forename: Ahad
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bazmani
authors.affiliation: School of Medicine, Gorgan University of Medical Sciences, Gorgan, Iran.
authors.forename: Sara Khadem
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Nakhjiri
authors.affiliation: Dept. of Medical Parasitology and Mycology, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran.
authors.forename: Arash
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rasouli
authors.affiliation: Institute of Public Health Researches, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Disease Management Center, Ministry of Health, Iran.
authors.forename: Ahmad
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Raeisi
keywords: Asymptomatic; Iran; PCR; Plasmodium vivax