Abstract. Between 1998 and 2001, a total of 1,062 human cases of visceral leishmaniasis were reported from the rural district of Meshkin-Shahr in the mountainous, north-western Iranian province of Ardabil. In the summer of 2008, a cross-sectional study of dogs was conducted in this endemic area by randomly selecting 384 animals from 21 villages and testing them serologically for leishmaniasis. Villages, in which more than 10% of investigated dogs showed antiLeishmania titres ≥1/320, were considered to be high-risk environments. Regression analysis showed no statistically significant correlation between topographic conditions and the prevalence of positive cases. However, when the results were compared with past meteorological records, a statistically significant positive correlation (P = 0.007) was found between the number of infected dogs with anti-Leishmania titres ≥1/640 and the number of days in a year with temperatures below 0 °C. While humidity showed an inverse correlation (P = 0.009) with the anti-Leishmania titres, a positive correlation (P <0.001) was found in relation to the amount of rainfall. Mapping of the areas at risk for kala-azar in the Meshkin-Shahr district supports the impression that the low temperatures prevalent in the Ardebil province constitute an important factor influencing the distribution of leishmaniasis there.

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According to ecological condition and mentioned cut-off points, predictive map was generated using cokriging method.

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The increase in number of human fascioliasis and its outbreaks in the last two decades have changed the status of fascioliasis from a zoonosis to an immerging health problem. The infection is found in 61 countries where 160 million peoples are at risk. Fasciola infection in livestock may be found in some parts of Iran with various infection rates in cattle. As the human infection was rarely reported with patchy distribution in some provinces of Iran, the condition was changed since 1989 when the first outbreak of human fascioliasis occurred in Gilan Province located in north of Iran where about 10,000 people found infected and total number of infected cases estimated to be 2465. The contributing factors of the outbreak were higher number of rainfalls, using the infested water and high consumption of wild aquatic plants in infested areas. Various methods applied for identification of Fasciola species leading to human infection in infected areas revealed that three species of Fasciola, namely, F. hepatica, F. gigantica and a hybrid of the two species the causes of infection. The role of local snails in transmission of the infection was determined and using the serodiagnostic methods for future epidemiological survey was recommended.Keywords: Fascioliasis; Fasciola; Disease Outbreaks; Iran Implication for health policy/practice/research/medical education: This is a review article of published papers and congress presentations and even experts' opinions about the epidemiology of human Fascioliasis in Iran since 30 years ago.