No abstract

Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) is the most economically important viral-induced livestock disease worldwide. From April to May of 2015, tongue epithelial tissue samples were collected from 36 cattle in six villages, which share the border with Iran. Samples were screened using RT-PCR to amplify a conserved region in the VP1 gene, and phylogenetic tree analysis was performed based on the VP1 nucleotide sequence results. Furthermore, the nucleotide sequence was converted to an amino acid sequence in order to detect similarities between the studied samples and those previously published in GenBank (NCBI). Epidemically, based on the amino acid residues, genetic similarity, and amino acid substitutions, the VP1 nucleotide sequences were determined to be close to a novel group, group VII, with 94% identity. The VP1 amino acid sequence analysis revealed a close relationship to the Asia/BAL/PAK/iso-2/2011 isolate (Accession no. JX435109), with 95.7% identity. Analysis of the studied samples revealed that the FMDV serotype Asia1 causing the outbreak in the Basne district belonged to group VII, which was introduced from the Balochistan province of Pakistan through illegal movement of animals from this region.

The current study included 421 cases (221 with type 2 diabetic) and (200 non-diabetics- control group). ELISA and conventional PCR techniques were used for detection of anti-HCV antibodies and HCV-RNA respectively. The percentage rates of HCV seropositivity were (9.5%) among type 2 diabetic patients that were significantly higher (p < 0.05) compared to controls. Moreover, HCV-RNA detection was more frequent among diabetic patients (5.88%), although no significant differences found with non-diabetic cases (p > 0.05). No significant effects of sex found among positive results (p > 0.05). Duration of diabetes, residence, the job type, the patient’s education level, history of jaundice, smoking and alcohol consumption showed significant effects (p < 0.05) on the percentage rates of HCV infection among type 2 diabetic patients. It was concluded that these parameters are a risk factor for HCV infection among Type 2 Diabetic patients. Moreover, diabetes itself can consider as a risk factor for HCV infection.

No abstract

To evaluate the incidence of immunocompetence, including cell-mediated and antibody fitness, among survivors of the chemical bombardment of Halabja in the Kurdistan region of Iraq, forty exposed and forty unexposed subjects regarded as controls were studied to determine their immune system status 12 years after bombardment. Skin reactivity to tuberculin, D.T.P. vaccine, T.T toxoid and measles vaccine was negative in 62.5% of the exposed cases in compare to unexposed persons who showed no negative reactions 0%. The total leukocyte count was normal among 70% of exposed cases, whereas the total lymphocyte count was within   sub-normal ranges in 80% of exposed cases. All the subjects displaying negative skin reactions had sub- normal lymphocyte counts, which reflect impaired cell-mediated immunity. The immunoglobulin assay for   exposed cases revealed sub-normal values for IgG (12.5%) and IgA (52.5%), while the IgM level was above the normal range in 22.5% of cases when compared to that of controls that showed no abnormal values. This result revealed that there was a deficiency in antibody-mediated immunity. There were significant differences between the exposed and the control samples with respect to total leukocytes (p = 11× 10-5), neutrophil count (p = 0.88 × 10-3), lymphocyte count (p = 0.0), IgG (p = 0. 74 × 10-10) and IgA (p = 0. 1 × 10-10). The immunological reactions were more closely related to the effects of mustard gas, which appeared to be long lasting.