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Background & Objectives: Candida Albicans is a fungus that frequently infects diabetic patients. Because it is very common infection in diabetics, we tried to determine the prevalence of infection and the asymptomatic carriers and show factors like age, sex, duration of diabetes and quality of disease control that  probably  have effect on infection.
Methods: In this study 200 diabetic patients were chosen randomly and blood samples were taken for FBS and HbA1C and then skin smears were performed from body folds (Axillaries groin interdigital folds) and probable lesions. The skin samples were cultured in Chrom-Agar medium. Then the gathered data were analyzed.
Results: Overall, from 200 patients, there were 180 (90%) negative culture and 20 (10%) positive cultures. Candidial infection in men and older patients were relatively higher than others. Candida infection in poor controlled diabetes was considerably higher .Infection in type-1 diabetes was more than type-2 diabetes. There was no correlation between duration of diabetes and prevalence of infection.
Conclusion: Candida infection is more common in diabetic patients with poor control, male and older ones.

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Background & objectives: Visceral leishmaniasis is a zoonotic disease and is considered as the most important disease in dogs. The disease has been reported in North West and South of the country, in Iran. In addition to stray dogs, some apparently healthy dogs can be contaminated without showing any sign or symptoms in this area. In the present study, canine visceral leishmaniasis was investigated in dogs lacking clinical signs in Meshkinshahr city in Ardabil, Iran.

Methods: This study was a cross-sectional survey conducted during 2011-2014. A total of 110 serum samples collected from dogs either having or lacking clinical signs and tested by direct agglutination test (DAT) assay. Then 10 dogs (41.6%) showing clinical signs and 15 dogs (17.4%) without any symptoms were autopsied and their spleens were sampled. The samples were used for smear preparation and culturing.

Results: Based on the results, among 24 dogs with clinical signs 20 cases (83.3%) and of 86 dogs without signs, 16 cases (18.6%) found to be positive. On the other hand, smear and culture results were found to be positive in 100% and 60% of dogs with and without clinical signs, respectively. The interesting and impressive results of this study was that the dogs with symptoms but negative DAT and asymptomatic dogs with negative DAT were positive in parasitological tests.

Conclusion: This proves that asymptomatic dogs like symptomatic dogs can be effective in L. infantum infection and is able to maintain the transmission of the disease in endemic areas. On the other hand, a number of symptomatic dogs with negative anti-leishmania antibodies were positive in parasitological tests. Thus, this study also shows that although DAT is effective in determining asymptomatic dogs and canine visceral leishmaniosis control programs but it does not seem to be satisfying in endemic areas such as Meshkin-shahr. Thus in endemic areas, it is recommended that the low antibody titer should be considered.