In this study, 30 wild rabbits in Ahar city of Iran from April to June 2020, to determine the prevalence of Endo parasites were selected by hunting with weapons or trapping and were prepared for necropsy. They were euthanized and inspected for helminths and protozoa infection. Faecal sampling was carried out directly from recti and the oocysts or cysts were isolated using sedimentation and floatation techniques and the sporulated oocyst were identified based on morphological. Endo parasites infestation was encountered in 12 (40%) of Necropside rabbits. Two different Nematodes and one species of Metacestoda and two different protozoa were identified in the contaminated cases. The endo parasites found were identified as: Passalurus ambigus (6.66%), Trichostrongylus retortaeformis (6.66%), cysticercus pisiformis (13.33%), Eimeria magna (10%), Eimeria steidae (3.33%). Wild rabbits are a potential source of human parasitic zoonosis. Public health concerns indicate the need for epidemiological studies on zoonotic diseases affecting wildlife species that are a source of food for humans. In this respect, the role of wild rabbits as reservoirs of zoonotic parasites has been widely documented.

Introduction: Given the prevalence of leishmaniasis in some parts of Iran and the medical problems caused by it and considering some reports on the effectiveness of monomycin in treating the disease, this study was performed to determine the effect of this drug on Leishmania major promastigotes in vitro. Materials and Methods: The study was conducted experimentally. Drug films containing 15% monomycin sulfate and 0.5% gentamicin sulfate were prepared using ethyl cellulose and hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose (HPMC) with the aim of developing a treatment for cutaneous leishmaniasis. In order to investigate the mechanism of drug release and its effect on parasites, the modified Novy-MacNeal-Nicolle (NNN) medium was used for the amplification of the parasites and the growth inhibition zone around the drug release areas was measured. The studied environments included environments containing drug discs, environments without drug discs, and environments with placebo discs. The rates of dead and live parasites were determined in these environments and statistically compared using chi-square test. Results: It was revealed that the growth of parasite colonies was inhibited in the plates containing drug films. In 3-cm halo around the drug film, no parasite growth was observed and promastigotes were observed to be dead and degenerated. However, in the plates containing placebo and medium without film, parasitic colonies were observed. The survival rate of the parasites in placebo and drug-free plates was 96% and it was 7% in the drug plate (P<0.000). Conclusion: Monomycin and gentamicin sulfate drug discs have good potential for gradual release. They affect the growth of the parasite and can be used in humans.

Background: Fascioliasis is a worldwide parasitic infection caused by a food-borne trematode called Fasciola, and Fasciola infection has been reported in more than 80 countries. Recently, the WHO has presented a roadmap for overlooked diseases from 2021 to 2030, which aims to increase the prevention and control of overlooked different diseases such as Fascioliasis. Methods: Our main objective was to conduct a systematic review aiming to summarize recent knowledge on the Antiparasitic Compounds against Human Fascioliasis. A keyword search was performed in PubMed, Web of Science, to gather relevant literature published between the 17th of April 1992 and the 23rd October 2022. A total of 329 records were initially retrieved, with 28 full-text articles retained for the qualitative synthesis. Results: Up to now, various antiparasitic drugs have been used to treat human fascioliasis, the most important of which are: Triclabendazole, Albendazole and Bithionol, Praziquantel, Emetine and Dehydroemetine, Mebendazole in combination with Metronidazole and Nitazoxanide, Chloroquine, Hexylresorcinol. From the past to the present, natural herbal medicines have traditionally been used in most countries to treat various parasitic diseases in humans and animals so that these are known as active anthelmintic phytochemicals such as Artemisinin, Mirazid, Plumbagin, Lycium chinense. Conclusion: Although Triclabendazole is an effective and useful drug of choice for the treatment of human fascioliasis, but due to the gradual resistance of fasciolas to Triclabendazole, further research is needed to find new drugs. Despite many advances in antiparasitic compounds used against human fascioliasis, a number of integrated control measures should be implemented as strong management strategies for fascioliasis.

Introduction: Cryptosporidium is a coccidian parasite that causes diarrhea in animals and humans, especially children. Although several studies have been done on Cryptosporidium infection in some parts of Iran, this parasite is not examined in routine parasitological tests. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine the frequency of Cryptosporidium infection in children with diarrhea in Tabriz, Iran. Materials and Methods: In this study, 100 fecal samples of children under 13 years of age with acute diarrhea who referred to medical diagnostic laboratories in Tabriz during 2018 were examined for Cryptosporidium infection. The samples were first concentrated by formalin-ether method and after staining with modified acid fast method, they were examined by light microscope. Results: In this study, 3 children (3%), 2 boys, 3 years old and 5 years old, and a 3-year-old girl had cryptosporidiosis. Conclusion: The results of the present study show the presence of Cryptosporidium infection in children in Tabriz. The very low percentage of infection with this parasite indicates that this parasite is not yet considered as a health problem in this area.

Introduction: Toxoplasma gondii is an intracellular protozoan that causes toxoplasmosis in humans and domestic animals. It causes abortion, especially in small ruminants. Sheep and goats have a significant role in the maintenance and survival of the parasite as well as its transmission to humans. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the seroprevalence of toxoplasmosis in small ruminants in Kaleybar region, East Azerbaijan province, using Indirect ELISA. Materials and Methods: In this study, blood samples of 270 sheep and goats were collected from October 2019 to December 2019 and anti-Toxoplasma IgG antibodies in sera were evaluated using indirect ELISA. Data analysis was performed using chi-square test in SPSS version 24.0. A P value of less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: Totally, 26 of 270 (9.62%) animals had anti-Toxoplasma gondii antibodies in their sera. Analysis showed that sheep were more susceptible to toxoplasmosis than goats and 21 (10.5%) sheep and 5 (7.14%) goats were seropositive for T. gondii; however, there was no statistically significant difference (P=0.413). The highest frequency (15.87%) of infection was observed in sheep and goats aged 3-4 years, respectively. Moreover, the rate of infection was higher in female (22/205) animals than in males (4/65); however, the relationship between gender and age and the frequency of positive samples was not significant (P=0.276 and P=0.121). Conclusions: The results of this study indicated that the seroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondii infection in small ruminants of the Kaleybar region (North West of Iran) is relatively low compared to other parts of the country. Further studies should be conducted on the rate of infection in definitive hosts of T. gondii in the region as a potential source of human infection.