asadollah hosseini chegeni

Coxiella burnetii (causative agent of Q fever) is an important zoonotic diseasewith a universal occurrence. Ticks are natural and potential reservoirs of this bacterium and play aneffective role in the transmission of Q fever. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of Coxiellaburnetii in hard ticks isolated from livestock in Sistan.

This cross-sectional study was conducted in five counties of the Sistan region. Thegenus and species of hard ticks were identified after collection from some domestic animals. The nested-PCR technique was used to identify the bacterial genome.

Results:

 Of all examined ticks, two genera, including 354 Hyalomma (59.399%) and 242 Rhipicephalus(40.6%) were identified. The hard ticks are in three types of species as follows: Rhipicephalus sanguineus(40.1%), Rhipicephalus nymph (0.5%), Hyalomma anatolicum (47.5%), Hyalomma sp. (1.5%), Hyalommanymph (10.4%), and Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) annulatus (0.16%). No infected specimen with Coxiellaburnetii was observed in the Sistan region.

According to the results of previous studies in Sistan and Baluchestan province and neighboringprovinces that reported a high prevalence of Coxiella burnetii in collected ticks, it seems that moreextensive research, with a larger sample size and host range, is necessary to clarify the situation of thispathogen.

Ticks are blood-sucking ectoparasites of many vertebrates and act as vectors of a wide range of vector-borne diseases. Alongside pathogens transmission, ticks also cause economic losses in animal industry such as produc tion loss, physical damage, anemia, and poisoning. This study aimed to determine the fauna, geographical distribution and seasonal activity of ticks collected from animals in Lorestan Province, west of Iran.

Ticks were collected from domestic animals including cattle, sheep, goats, chickens, turkeys, pigeons, as well as wild animals such as jackals in 2017–2018. Then, they were identified based on morphological characteristics using valid identification keys.

Out of a total of 706 ticks, 433 (61.33%), 104 (14.73%), 33 (4.67%) and 136 (19.26%) ticks were collected in spring, summer, autumn and winter, respectively. In terms of hard ticks, 4 genera and 6 species were identified: Hy alomma asiaticum (22.80%), Hyalomma anatolicum (3.68%), Hyalomma marginatum (2.40%), Rhipicephalus san guineus (0.84%), Dermacentor marginatus (1.13%), and Haemaphysalis sulcata (0.64%). Additionally, two genera and four species fell into soft ticks: Argas persicus (60.48%), Argas reflexus (6.65%), Ornithodoros canstrini (0.70%) and Ornithodoros erraticus (0.42%). There was significant variation in the seasonal activity and abundance of ticks in dif ferent seasons but in the tick abundancy among different regions.

The present study provides a perspective of the distribution status of ticks in Lorestan Province, their sea sonal activity and the likelihood of emergence of related diseases.

Ticks are vectors for several important zoonoses including different species of Anaplasma. The present study aims to determine the presence of Anaplasma spp. in hard ticks collected from livestock of South-Khorasan province, Iran. A total of 684 livestock were sampled and 269 ticks were collected. Two genera and 6 species of ticks were identified including Rhipicephalus sanguineus, Hyalomma detritium, Hyalomma marginatum, Hyalomma anatolicum, Hyalomma asiaticum, Hyalomma dromedarii and Hyalomma spp. Eleven Hyalomma nymphs and 3 Rhipicephalus nymphs were also identified. 100 Out of 269 ticks were chosen for molecular detection. DNA was extracted followed by PCR technique to detect Anaplasma spp. The presence of Anaplasma spp. was confirmed in 20 out of 100 tested samples (20%). All positive samples collected from Birjand county were Rhipicephalus sanguineus. Results of the present study showed a relatively high infection rate of Anaplasma in hard ticks in South-Khorasan Province.

Coxiella burnetii infection (causative agent of Q fever) is a public health problem and a zoonotic disease with a global prevalence. The importance of zoonotic diseases and their impact on the health of people in a community is undeniable. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of Coxiella burnetii in hard ticks isolated from livestock in different parts of South Khorasan, Iran.

In summer 2019, ticks were collected from cattle, sheep, camels, and goats in five counties of South Khorasan province. The genus and species of hard ticks were identified after isolation from livestock. Nested-PCR was used to identify the bacterial genome.

We identified two genera and six species, including Rhipicephalus sanguineus (41. 3%), Hyalomma detritum (8.9%), Hyalomma marginatum (2.2%), Hyalomma anatolicum (3.3%), Hyalomma asiaticum (0.9%), Hyalomma dromedarii (33.5%), and Hyalomma spp. (3.7%). Hyalomma nymphs (n=11, 4.1%) and Rhipicephalus nymphs (n= 3, 1.1%) were also identified. In the present study, none of the samples were infected with Coxiella burnetii.

The present study revealed that South Khorasan province is free from epidemic and endemic foci of Coxiella burnetii.

Zaprionus indianus is a very successful invasive species with a high dispersion capacity. In this paper we present the first host record of the African fig fly pest for western Iran. We use molecular data to support the identification of this species. In total, 250 larval specimens were collected. After immature rearing and adult emergence under laboratory conditions, the specimens were identified as Z. indianus based on morphological characters. Then, the morphological identification was confirmed by BLAST analysis of the COI nucleotide sequence, which showed 97%–100% identity to COI sequences of Z. indianus, submitted from different parts of world. This study can provide some insights into the identification, ecology and host preference of Z. indianus as a new invasive and potentially major pomegranate pest in western Iran.

Argas reflexus group includes argasid ticks associated with bird species. We found adults of an Argas species within the houses near to domestic pigeon nests in Lorestan province, western Iran. Primarily, the specimens were recognized as A. hermanni Audouin, 1827 based on described morphological characters. The traditional taxonomic decision was supported by BLAST analysis of the mitochondrial nucleotide sequences. DNA barcoding approach can verify morphological identification of tick species. This study is the first Iranian record of A. hermanni, supported by DNA sequence evidences.

Delpy came to Iran as the third director of the Hesarak Vaccine and Serum Institute (Razi) in 1931 and revolutionized the institute by performing diagnostic and vaccine-producing techniques for 20 years. Dr. Delpy, as a veterinary microbiologist, was employed partly to control the outbreaks of rinderpest, but he did more important and lasting work in controlling other infectious and parasitic diseases, production of serums and vaccines, and developing tick taxonomy in Iran. Delpy was a very modest scientist who died in 1974 in France.

Bed bugs are regarded as one of the most important pests in human societies. Cimex hemipterus (Fabricius) is a parasite of humans and bats across tropical areas of the world. In the present study, the nymph and adult specimens were collected from residential buildings in central and western parts of Iran. Samples were identified using a diagnostic key at the species level and confirmed by molecular studies. Phylogenetic analysis using COI gene was also carried out. This study is the first report to have confirmed the presence of C. hemipterus in Iran.

The identification of Hyalomma is a challenging issue in the systematics of ixodid ticks. Here, we examined 960 adult males of Hyalomma tick from 10 provinces of Iran using morphological and molecular methods. PCR was carried out on 60 samples to amplify an ITS2 fragment of nuclear and a COI fragment of mitochondrial genomes. Nine species, namely H. aegyptium, H. anatolicum, H. asiaticum, H. scupense, H. dromedarii, H. excavatum, H. marginatum, H. rufipes and H. schulzei were identified. The validity of H. rufipes and H. excavatum can be challenged. We concluded that these species should be regarded as H. marginatum and H. anatolicum complexes, respectively. Furthermore, the taxonomic status of the two closely related H. anatolicum and H. asiaticum was confirmed as distinct species.

Passeromyia is a genus of flies associated with birds’ nests. Adults of Passeromyia heterochaeta were found within the houses near to domestic pigeon nests in Lorestan Province, western Iran. Flies were identified at the genus level by analysis of COI  sequences of a representative specimen. Then, the specimens were identified according to morphological characteristics as P. heterochaeta and the sequence was submitted to the GenBank under this name. DNA barcoding approach can be used for approximate identification before using morphological keys.

In the present study, occurrence of Hyalomma asiaticum on wild rodents was explored. Rodents were trapped using Sherman traps. The tick specimens were collected by forceps from the rodents. Overall, one larva and 59 nymphs of immature ticks were collected on 23 Meriones persicus from three different locations in western Iran. A 408 bp length fragment of nuclear 5.8S/internal transcribed spacer 2 (ITS2) genes was amplified in 60 examined tick specimens using PCR, of which one sample was sequenced, successfully. The BLAST results showed 99% similarity between a new haplotype from this study and two sequences of H. asiaticum from GenBank and. Therefore, we conclude that immature stages of H. asiaticum live on M. persicus and/ or their burrows. This finding helps us to better understand tick's ecology and control tick borne diseases.

To date, no study was designed to detect Ae. pullorum in tick vectors in Iran. In the present study, we collected ticks from Lorestan Province, west of Iran.

Otobius megnini is a tick species which it's larvae and nymphs feed deep in the external ear canal of a variety of ungulates. In this study, twelve adult and four nymph specimens were collected from cattle hosts in Sistan and Baluchestan, and Hamedan Provinces. The specimens were identified using morphological key and the datawas confirmed by molecular assays. In the present study, we could find O. megnini in tick fauna of Iran with new hosts for this species.

Ticks harbor many pathogenic, as well as endosymbiotic and non-pathogenic agents. They are host of a variety of as yet unidentified microbes that continue to be described. In the present study, a Brucella-like bacterium was detected in a Boophilus tick by PCR amplification of a partial fragment of 16S rRNA locus followed sequencing. Our results show that the members of the genus Boophilus may act as vectors of brucellosis in nature, but further studies are required to confirm the real role of ticks as vector or reservoirs of specific Brucella species.

Borrelia anserina is the agent of avian borreliosis, an acute septicemic disease of a variety of avian species in tropical and warm temperate regions of the world. Avian borreliosis is one of the most widespread poultry diseases in Iran, and is of great economic importance. The present study was designed to detect B. anserina in Argas persicus ticks. Specimens were collected from the cracks of aviary in Lorestan province of Iran. Then the salivary glands, ovaries and uterus of ticks were dissected to detect B. anserina within the specific organ using molecular methods. DNA was extracted by Phenol-chloroform method and then a fragment of flagellin gene (flaB) of B. anserina was amplified by polymerase chain reaction. According to our results, the flaB target fragment was detected in Argas persicus ticks collected from Lorestan province. It seems that B. anserina is widely distributed in A. persicus vector ticks. Based on the result, B. anserina strain of Iran is similar to B. anserina flaB sequences reported from other parts the world.

Hyalomma and Haemaphysalis are two most important genera of ticks (Acari: Ixodidae). The rapid and accurate identification of field collected specimens is crucial in faunal works, laboratory assays, anti-tick vaccine experiments, etc. The present study was designed to introduce a rapid and more sensitive method for the differentiation of closely related Hyalomma and Haemaphysalis species namely the pairs Hy. anatolicum-Hy. asiaticum and Ha. punctata-Ha. sulcata, as the main vectors of different animal and human pathogenic agents. Tick specimens were collected from domestic animals in Ardabil, Hormozgan, Khuzestan, Kurdistan, Lorestan, and Mazandaran and identified according to the taxonomic keys. DNA was extracted by the Phenol-Chloroform method. Then, PCR was carried out in a single PCR reaction tube using three pairs designed primers (one forward and two reverse) adapted from the internal transcribe spacer 2 (ITS2) and cytochrome oxidase subunit 1 (COI) genes for Hyalomma and Haemaphysalis, respectively. In the present study, results of Multiplex-PCR revealed that the pairs Hy. anatolicum-H. asiaticum and Ha. punctata-Ha. sulcata could be well differentiated on gel electrophoresis. Morphological misidentification of Hy. anatolicum-Hy. asiaticum and Ha. punctata-Ha. sulcata could be reduced significantly after using Multiplex-PCR.

Hyalomma and Rhipicephalus (Acari: Ixodidae: Rhipicephalinae) are the most important ectoparasites and biological vector of pathogen agents. The taxonomy of some Hyalomma and Rhipicephalus species is more debatable. The traditional taxonomy of ticks have been revolutionized using polymerase chain reaction. The specificity, efficiency and accuracy of PCR is highly dependent on the oligonucleotide primers. In this study, five primers designed for amplification of a fragment ITS2 so-called TAH-1, TAH-2, TRH (for Hyalomma) and TAH-3, TAH-4 (for Rhipicephalus). Successfully, 24 and 29 ITS2 sample was sequenced using these primers. As well as, an ITS2 phylogenetic tree were constructed using BEAST basis on the Bayesian Inference (BI) method. The most Hyalomma and Rhipicephalus species well differentiated using ITS2 fragment since the designed primer fail to amplify gene target in few cases.

Ticks of the order Ixodida are among the most proficient ectoparasites worldwide. Haemaphysalis is the second largest genus within Ixodidae. Southeast Asia is thought to be the original center of development and dispersal of the genus. Six species of Haemaphysalis, H. concinna, H. erinacei, H. inermis, H. parva, H. punctata and H. sulcata, have been recorded as occurring in Iran. The current paper deals with notes on taxonomy of H. erinacei and provides a provisional key for the identification of Haemaphysalis species that occur in Iran.

The taxonomic status of ticks in the genus Hyalomma, as prominent vectors of domestic animal and human pathogen agents as well as hematophagous parasites of all terrestrial animals has a problematic history due to variability. The present paper is based on our observations on the Iranian Hyalomma species during 2009 to 2013. In this study, for nine Hyalomma species including H. aegyptium, H. anatolicum, H. asiaticum, H. detritum, H. dromedarii, H. excavatum, H. marginatum, H. rufipes and H. schulzei, morphologic characteristics and some notes on their variability, biology and distribution are presented. In this paper, diagnoses, host information, distribution data, illustrations of adult males and a taxonomic key to the native Hyalomma species of Iran are provided to facilitate their identification.

Ticks (suborder Ixodida) ecologically divided into two nidicolous and non-nidicolous groups. More argasid ticks are classified into the former group whereas they are able to coordinate with the specific host(s) and living inside/adjacent to their host’s nest. The current study focused on an argasid tick species adapted to bats in Iran. Tick specimens collected on a bat were captured in a thatched rural house located in suburban Koohdasht in Lorestan province, west of Iran. Tick’s larvae and nymphs were identified as Argas vespertilionis (Latreille, 1796) by using descriptive morphological keys. This argasid tick behaves as a nidicolous species commonly parasitizing bats. We suggest that future studies be conducted on ticks parasitizing wild animals for detection of real fauna of Iranian ticks.

Taxonomy and identification of the ticks in the genus Hyalomma, the most significant vectors of animal and human pathogen agents, have always been debatable. Scientists believe that variation within the taxa of the genus Hyalomma is the most important factor which causes misidentification. The purpose of this study is to identify valuable characters for male H. anatolicum anatolicum by statistical methods. Tick specimens from 11 geographical regions in Iran including Khuzestan, Lorestan, Sistan & Baluchistan, Yazd, South and Razavi Khorasan provinces as well as an island in southern Iran were studied. Totally, 3 qualitative and 9 quantitative characters were measured by a stereomicroscope armed with scaled lens and the data were analyzed by SPSS software. Also, coefficient of difference (C.D.) was calculated for some important characters. Then, varied shapes of species were drawn with a drawing tube connected to a light stereomicroscope. One way ANOVA test revealed significant differences among the quantitative characters in 11 zones (p<0.001), also each zone to another zone by LSD. No significant differences (p>0.14) in the lateral grooves length/scutum length ratio character were found. The C.D. value equal to 1.28, is a conventional level of subspecific differences but is lesser in this study than this category. The present study focused on the determination a quantitatively relative stable trait for differentiating H. a. anatolicum. Therefore, lateral groove is introduced as a reliable character for interspecific identification of species. Our study supports this matter since the value of this character, relative to scutum length in the under studied regions was not statistically significant. This means that the variation range of the mentioned character in the specimens is much limited.