Ahmad Tavakoli

Prevalence of influenza A infection in the Middle-East: A systematic review and meta-analysis

This systematic review and meta‐analysis was performed to determine the prevalence rate of influenza virus from different parts of Middle East region, and present an overall relative frequency (RF) for this region.

Asymptomatic Herpes Simplex Virus Infection in Iranian Mothers and Their Newborns

ABSTRACT This study aims to determine the prevalence of herpes simplex virus (HSV) infection among pregnant women as well as congenital infection of their newborns in Tehran. One hundred samples of blood sera from pregnant women were analyzed for the presence of HSV specific antibodies. Umbilical cord blood samples from the newborns were analyzed for the presence of HSV DNA using real-time PCR. HSV IgG and IgM antibodies were found in 97% and 2% of pregnant women, respectively. Of all the 100 cord blood samples, 6 were positive for HSV DNA in which 2 cases were from mothers who had detectable IgM. It was notable that all corresponding mothers of six HSV positive infants had detectable IgG antibodies in their sera. It was demonstrated that the presence of HSV DNA in cord blood of newborns could be a risk marker for maternal-fetal transmission of the virus in asymptomatic pregnant women.

Human parvovirus B19 in patients with beta thalassemia major from Tehran, Iran

Background Due to the tropism of human parvovirus B19 to erythroid progenitor cells, infection in patients with an underlying hemolytic disorder such as beta-thalassemia major leads to suppression of erythrocyte formation, referred to as transient aplasia crisis (TAC), which may be life-threatening. We investigated the prevalence of parvovirus B19 among patients with beta thalassemia major attending the Zafar Adult Thalassemia Clinic in Tehran, Iran. Methods This cross-sectional study was performed to determine the presence of parvovirus B19 DNA in blood samples and parvovirus B19 genotypes in plasma samples of patients with thalassemia major. The population consisted of 150 patients with beta-thalassemia major who attended the Zafar clinic in Tehran. Specimens were studied using a real-time polymerase chain reaction assay. Results The prevalence of parvovirus B19 in our study population was 4%. Of 150 patients with thalassemia, six (4%) were positive for B19 DNA. There was no significant correlation between blood transfusion frequency and B19 DNA positivity. Finally, phylogenetic analysis of human parvovirus B19 revealed genotype I in these six patients. Conclusion In this study, acute B19 infections were detected in patients with beta thalassemia major. Screening of such high-risk groups can considerably reduce the incidence and prevalence of B19 infection; thus, screening is required for epidemiologic surveillance and disease-prevention measures.

Frequency of human Parvovirus B19 among patients with respiratory infection in Iran

Background: Human parvovirus B19 was known as one of the possible cause of mild respiratory tract diseases in previous studies. However, there are some reports of acute obstructive respiratory disease and severe pneumonia. The purpose of current study was to assess the prevalence and clinical features of parvovirus B19 in respiratory infection. Methods: This study was conducted on 156 patients diagnosed with respiratory infection at the Iran University of Medical Sciencesaffiliated hospitals. After extraction of viral DNA from swab samples, detection of parvovirus B19 was performed by real-time PCR assay. Results: In 156 patient’s samples, parvovirus B19 was found in 8 (5.1 %) cases including 5 males (5.9%) and 3 females (4.1%). The most common clinical symptoms were wheezing (100%), tachypnea (100%), fever (75%) and rhinorrhea/pharyngitis (75%). Conclusion: This is the first attempt to assess the prevalence of parvovirus B19 infection in Iranian patients with respiratory infection. The low frequency of parvovirus B19 detected in our study does not support the role of this virus in the development of respiratory infection. However, further studies are needed to better evaluate the etiological role of parvovirus B19 in respiratory infection.

No molecular evidence of Hepatitis E infection among patients with HIV in Iran

1. Department of Virology, School of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. 2. Department of Microbiology and Virology, School of Medicine, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran. ↑What is “already known” in this topic: Previous studies have suggested that patients with HIV infection are at risk for acquiring HEV infection. Based on the several studies that have been conducted thus far, detection rate of HEV-RNA was low and ranges from 0 to 1.3% among HIV positive patients.

Human parvovirus B19 and parvovirus 4 among Iranian patients with hemophilia

Background Human parvovirus B19 (B19V) is one of the smallest DNA viruses and shows great resistance to most disinfectants. Therefore, it is one of the common contaminant pathogens present in blood and plasma products. Parvovirus 4 (PARV4) is a newly identified parvovirus, which is also prevalent in parenteral transmission. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the prevalence of B19V and PARV4 DNA among patients with hemophilia in Birjand County in eastern Iran. Methods This was a cross-sectional epidemiological study comprising nearly all people with hemophilia in this region. Whole blood samples were taken after patient registration and sent for plasma isolation. After nucleic acid extraction, B19V was detected with real-time polymerase chain reaction, PARV4 DNA was then detected using sensitive semi-nested PCR. Results In total, there were 86 patients with hemophilia, with mean age 28.5±1.5 years. Of these, 90.7% were men and 9.3% women; 84.9% had hemophilia A and 7.0% had hemophilia B. We found 11 patients (12.8%) were positive for B19V DNA and 8 were positive (9.3%) for PARV4 DNA. The prevalence of B19V was higher in middle-aged groups rather than younger people, whereas PARV4 infection was more common in younger patients (P <0.05). Conclusion There was a high prevalence of B19V and PARV4 infection in this high-risk group of patients with hemophilia. Due to the clinical significance of the B19 virus, imposing more precautionary measures for serum and blood products is recommended.