Our findings revealed that the performance of the EWMA in the real time detection influenza outbreak in Iran is appropriate. However, public health surveillance systems need to use different outbreak detection methods for detecting aberrations in influenza-like illnesses activity.

Objective:To address the epidemiology of animal bites and associated factors with delay in post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) in Nahvand district, western Iran.Methods: Data were obtained from Rabies Treatment Center (RTC) in Nahavan district from March 2015 to March 2017. All of referred cases to RTC include 1448 cases of animal bites using the census method were recruited. Epidemiological profile of participants was demonstrated using descriptive statistics and determinants of PEP was addressed by logistic regression model.Results:The majority of victims were males 1167(80.5%). superficial bites were more prevalent than deep status injuries (1145(79.0%) VS. 303(20.9%)). The biting rate differed according to season in the period of the study (p<0.001). Cases who experienced animal biting in the autumn was more likely to refer timely for PEP than cases in spring season (OR, 0.39; 95% CI: 0.26 - 0.59, p<0.001). Conclusion:Our findings addressed the pattern of potential delays in PEP including the role of season. Local authorities of Nahavand district should considered preventive activities and educational interventions to reduce animal biting and provide timely prophylaxis.

Objectives: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a blood-borne virus which is transmitted through the exposure to small amounts of blood. The objective of this study was to investigate trend and epidemiological pattern of hepatitis C infection during seven successive years in Hamadan province during 2011-2016. Materials and Methods: This cross sectional study was conducted on the new cases of HCV (n=803) who were recorded in the deputy of health of Hamadan University of Medical Sciences. The Cochran-Armitage test was used to investigate the changes in the trend of the disease according to various demographical and clinical characteristics. Incidence rates of HCV were estimated by district for 2016. Results: Totally, 705 (87.8%) cases were male and 98 (79.7%) were urban dwellers and the highest proportion of the cases (51%) belonged to the age group of 25-44 years. The overall incidence rate of HCV infection in Hamadan province was 5.26 per 100.000 in 2016, while the southern counties had higher incidence rate compared to the northern parts. Only 8.1% of cases were assessed due to clinical symptoms. Conclusion: Our results showed that HCV has a decreasing trend for both genders in Hamadan province and is most prevalent among males, age group of 25-44 years, married people and urban dwellers. Therefore, educational programs for the transmission and prevention of hepatitis C in the community and for high-risk groups should be conducted with the management of health centers and mass media.

BackgroundBrucellosis is an infectious zoonosis, which greatly afflicts human health and animal productivity.ObjectivesTo describe the trends and epidemiological characteristics of human brucellosis in Nahavand county, Hamadan Province, western Iran over 8 years (2010–2017).MethodsIn this registry-based longitudinal study, we analyzed all reported cases of human brucellosis, including 1,130 patients from 2010 to 2017. A checklist including demographic and clinical characteristics of patients with reported cases of brucellosis had been used to gather data. We calculated annual percent changes (APCs) and average annual percent changes (AAPCs) using Joinpoint software to determine the trend of brucellosis using a segmented regression model.ResultsAmong the patients, 60.9% were male and 87.3% lived in rural areas. The mean age of the patients was 35.9 ± 18.34 years. Compared with male patients, female patients were more affected when they were elderly (15.6% men vs. 24.2% women for those aged ≥55 years) (P = 0.001). Of patients with brucellosis, 65.2% had consumed unpasteurized dairy products and 82.3% had a history of contact with animals. The incidence of human brucellosis in Nahavand county increased between 2010 and 2014, then decreased in 2015, and thereafter remained steady. Per 100,000 population, the AAPC pertaining to the incidence was 17.4 in the male population (95% CI: 4.4, 31.9), 13.8 in the female population (95% CI: 0.2, 29.3), and 16.1 in rural dwellers (95% CI: 2.2, 31.8) indicating an increasing trend from 2010 to 2017 (P < 0.05).ConclusionThe incidence of brucellosis in the western part of Iran is high and remains a challenging health problem. In the present study, age, job, sex, and seasonal changes are important risk factors for human brucellosis.

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