Background & Objective: Nutritional status of individuals and community are influenced by different factors. Investigating nutrition and food problems as well as determining dietary pattern play a crucial role in determining nutrition programs and policies, preventing food deficiency, improving nutrition level and preventing malnutrition diseases. The aim of this study was to determine calorie and nutrients intake, food habit and dietary pattern in rural areas of Ardabil.

 Methods: In this cross-sectional study 250 families from 15 rural areas of Ardabil were selected using simple random method. Nutrition status of all the individuals was studied using 24 hour recall and food frequency. Data were analyzed using SPSS and Food processor.

 Results: This study showed that intake of some nutrients (Zinc, Selenium, Folic acid and Vitamin B₂) in the subjects were significantly less than Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) of WHO (P<0.001), but intake of protein, iron and calcium was more than the RDA of WHO (P<0.001). Calorie intake of 20% of rural people was less than 75% of RDA(mostly seen among men). The findings of food frequency showed that main foods of rural individuals in Ardabil were local bread (Lavash), potato, egg, milk, biscuit, yogurt, garlic, onion, vegetable fat, butter and tomato.

 Conclusions: This study showed unsuitable intake of some nutrients. In order to improve the nutritional status of these people, regular intake of different groups of foods should be instructed.

 Background & Objective: Ardabil province is the main area of Iran affected by relapsing fever (RF) for which Borrelia Persica is the most common cause. The aim of this study was to determine the epidemiologic characteristics of the disease, and the frequency of infection among ticks in this region in order to take necessary measures to decrease it is incidence and increase awareness about the characteristics of this disease.

 Method: In this study a total of 391 patients who were diagnosed to have been effected by tick borne relapsing fever were investigatated in terms of clinical epidemiology between 1998 and 2001. The kind of Borrelia as well as the clinical characteristics of the disease were observed. The kind and prevalence of Borrelia infection was determined in 1,421 ticks collected from 130 indoor and 14 outdoor sites. The ticks were crushed and the suspension obtained was injected into the peritoneum of two mice and two guinea pigs to determine the frequency of infection among the ticks living in this region. Data including the tick species determination were collected through a questionnaire and analyzed using Chi-square and ANOVA tests.

 Results: The most prevalent clinical manifestations were fever, chills and headache. Other findings included nausea, vomiting, sweating, abdominal pain, arthralgia, cough, photophobia, eosinophilia, hematuria, jaundice, petechiae and sclera congestion. Laboratory tests performed on 60 patients showed leukocytosis, high erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and anemia. Of the 1,421 ticks collected, 45.9%, 40.3% and 13.8% were infected by Ornithodoros lahorensis Ornithodoros tholozani and Argas persicus species, respectively. The prevalence of ticks was highest in Khanadabil village. The ticks collected from three villages were found to be infected with Borrelia.

 Conclusions: The clinical manifestations were similar to those reported in other studies. Petechiae occurred less frequently in our study compared to louse-borne RF. The high frequency of anemia in this region, which was not stated in other reference articles, requires further investigation.