Abstract

Objective: To ascertain the prevalence of the Anaplasma/Ehrlichia infections in tick population within four provinces of Iran. Methods: A total of 384 tick specimens were collected from domestic animals inhabiting in four provinces (East Azerbaijan, Gilan, South Khorasan and Yazd). Specimens were identified based on morphological analysis. The detection of Anaplasma spp./Ehrlichia spp. within tick samples was carried out by nested PCR amplification of the 16S ribosomal RNA gene accompanied by DNA sequencing and analysis for verification. Results: A total of 10 tick species were identified as follows: Ornithodoros lahorensis (O. lahorensis) (44.8%), Hyalomma dromedarii (15.6%), Dermacentor marginatus (13.5%), Hyalomma anatolicum (11.2%), Hyalomma asiaticum (5.7%), Hyalomma marginatum (4.9%), Rhipicephalus sanguineus (2.3%), Hyalomma detritum (1.0%), Dermacentor niveus (0.5%) and Argas persicus (0.3%). The percentage distribution of Anaplasma/Ehrlichia was 55.5% (213) across 384 studied ticks. Conclusions: To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of Anaplasma ovis infection in O. lahorensis in Iran. We also conjecture the prevalence of Ehrlichia spp. in Yazd Province based on sequencing results; also, it is suggested that O. lahorensis is a potential vector in the studied area. This survey highlights the importance of Argasidae family to verify and correlate their threat in causing anaplasmosis and other diseases in animals.

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