Objective:To determine the bionomics and susceptibility status of the malarial vector Anopheles superpictus (An. superpictus) to different insecticides in the Sistan-Baluchestan province which has the highest malarial prevalence in Iran.
Methods:Different sampling methods, in addition to scoring abdominal conditions, were used to define the seasonal activity and endo/exophilic behavior of this species. In addition, the standard WHO susceptibility tests were applied on adult field strains.
Results: Most adult mosquitoes were collected from outdoor shelters. The peak of seasonal activity of An. superpictus occurred at the end of autumn. Most larvae were collected from natural and permanent breeding places with full sunlight and no vegetation. Blood feeding activities occurred around midnight. Compared with the abdominal conditions of adult mosquitoes collected indoors, the abdominal conditions of adult mosquitoes collected outdoors were gravid and semigravid. This species was suspected to be resistant to DDT, but was susceptible to other insecticides.
Conclusions:An. superpictus was present in almost all outdoor shelters, and the ratios of gravid, semigravid/unfed, and freshly fed confirmed that this species had a higher tendency to rest outdoors than indoors. This behavior can protect An. superpictus from indoor residual spraying in this malarious area. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report on the susceptibility status of An. superpictus in Southeastern Iran. We do not suggest the use of DDT for indoor residual spraying in southeast Iran.

OBJECTIVETo identify the scorpion fauna and classify the epidemiological aspects of scorpionism in an endemic region, Southeast Iran.

METHODSScorpionism data were collected from health centers and hospitals in Sistan-Baluchestan Province during 2010-2011. Specimens were collected at night, using UV light, between May and October 2012.

RESULTSIn total, 246 scorpions were collected from two families (Buthidae and Scorpionidae). Five species including Odontobuthus odonturus, Hottentotta (Buthotus) jayakari, Compsobuthus matthiesseni, Scorpio maurus and Orthochirus scrobiculosus are reported for the first time from this area. Androctonus crassicauda was the dominant species. In total, 3 638 scorpion sting cases were recorded by health system, the majority of which were females. Stings mostly occurred in July and the age group of 15-24 years presented the highest frequency. Scorpionism decreased during 2011 compared with that in 2010 (68.2%).

CONCLUSIONSBased on the results, scorpionism is a serious health problem in this area and increasing knowledge of residents regarding the prevention methods of scorpion stings is recommended. Additional research on the scorpion fauna, their ecological and molecular variety in this part of the country is needed as well as the correlation between scorpions' species and the clinical signs and symptoms.

Objective: To determine the prevalence of refractive errors among primary school children in Zahedan District, Southeastern Iran, as a tropical area. Methods: In this cross sectional study, a total of 400 students were selected randomly using multi-stage sampling technique. Myopia was defined as spherical equivalent (SE) of -0.5 diopter (D) or more, hyperopia was defined as SE of +2.00 D or more and a cylinder refraction greater than 0.75 D was considered astigmatism. Anisometropia was defined as a difference of 1 D or more between two eyes. Cycloplegic refractive status was measured using auto-refractometer (Topcon 8800). Data were analyzed using SPSS, version 22 software program. Results: Mean ± SD of SE was (1.71 ± 1.16) D. A total of 20 students [6.3%, 95% confidence interval (CI): 3.96%-9.64%] were myopic (≤ -0.5 D), 186 students (58.1%, 95% CI: 52.50%-63.56%) were hyperopic (≥ +2.00 D) and 114 students (35.6%, 95% CI: 30.43%-41.18%) were emmetropic. The prevalence of astigmatism (≥ 0.75 D) among students was 3.4% (95% CI: 1.82%-6.25%). Anisometropia of 1 D or more was found in 21.3% (95% CI: 16.98%-26.23%) of the studied population. The prevalence of refractive errors was higher among girls than boys (73.1% vs. 55.6%, P = 0.001), but it was not significantly different among different age groups (P = 0.790). Conclusions: Refractive errors affect a sizable portion of students in Zahedan. Although myopia is not very prevalent, the high rate of hyperopia in the studied population emphasizes its need for attention.