According to the presence of T. gondii DNA in meat, the potential risk of the transmission of the disease through T. gondii containing meat should still be considered a public health threat. So it is suggested that not only pregnant women should be addressed but the whole population should be informed how to prevent infection. Background:Toxoplasma gondii is an obligate, intracellular parasite, which is widely spread in the world. The parasite is able to infect all warm-blooded hosts including human. The infection occures via consumption of food or water containing oocytes, eating undercooked meats containing tissue cysts, and placenta. Undercooked meat consumption is one of the most important ways of Toxoplasma transmission especially in pregnancy period. Raw and undercooked meats have been reported responsible for 50 % of congenital toxoplasmosis. Objectives: The current study was conducted to determine the prevalence of T. gondii in lamb and beef, and also meat products by molecular method in Ahvaz,southwest of Iran. Materials and Methods: Totally 190 samples were collected from local retailers in Ahvaz city. Samples of tongue, heart and muscle were taken from 50 lamb and 50 beef distributors and 90 meat product samples (sausages, hamburgers and salami, 30 samples of each). Collected samples were minced by electric meat grinder. DNA was extracted from 190 meat and meat product samples by Qiagen DNA Mini Kit. specific primers for the T. gondii B1 gene was used to detect the parasite in samples, by PCR method. Results: A total of seven lamb out of 50 (14 %) and two beef out of 50 (4 %) were found as positive for T. gondii cyst. The parasite was not isolated from any of the meat product samples. Conclusions:The detection of the parasite in slaughtered animals, indicated that the risk still exists for food-transmitted toxoplasmosis, and consumption of raw or undercooked meat can transmit the infection to human community.

Toxoplasma gondii is an obligate, intracellular parasite, with worldwide distribution. The main source of infection for humans is livestock and meat-producer animals. The relationships between Toxoplasma genotype and biological characteristics of the parasite have already been identified. According to the pathogenicity of the parasite in laboratory animals, Toxoplasma is divided into three genotypes included type I, II and III. Understanding the genotype of the parasite, could help us to predict clinical features and severity of disease. The aim of this study was to identify genotypes of T. gondii in cattle and sheep meat and meat products in Ahvaz city southwest of Iran.One hundred and ninety samples of tongue, heart and muscles of sheep and cattle and meat products, including sausages and burgers, were collected from slaughterhouses and stores. To identify Toxoplasma gondii, DNA were extracted from samples and B1 gene were amplified by specific primers. To determine the genotype of T.gondii, PCR-RFLP was done on positive samples using by amplifying GRA6 gene and endonuclease Msel enzyme. Data analysis showed that the strain of the parasite in all positive samples belonged to genotype I.In this study the predominant Toxoplasma genotype was type I which can cause severe clinical symptoms in immunocompromised patients. Further research is needed to determine the genotype of the parasite in humans and other animals.

Background:Helicobacter pylori has been recognized as the most common pathogen of human gastroduodenal tract and it has been suggested that adhesins, including HopQ and SabA, are associated with the organism's virulence. Objectives: The current study aimed at determining the frequency of hopQI, hopQII, and sabA genes among H. pylori isolates from patients with gastroduodenal disorders in Shahrekord, Iran. Methods: Gastric corpus samples were obtained from 150 symptomatic patients admitted to the endoscopy unit at gastroenterology clinic. After DNA extraction from all corpus samples, H. pylori molecular confirmation and genotyping was performed by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR), using specific primers for glmM, 16SrRNA and hopQ, sabA genes, respectively. Results: The hopQI, hopQII, and sabA genes were found in 74 (49.3%), 59 (39.3%), and 43 (28.7%) cases, respectively. The hopQI gene was detected in 75% of patients with gastric cancer (GC), 42.4% with chronic gastritis (CG), and 57.4% with peptic ulcer disease (PUD). The hopQII among patients with GC, CG, and PUD was also detected in 50%, 38.8%, and 39.3%, respectively. Moreover, sabA was diagnosed in 50% of patients with GC, 29.4% with CG, and 26.2% with PUD. Conclusions: No significant association was observed between hopQI, hopQII, and sabA genes with clinical outcomes.