Molecular detection of Babesia spp in sheep and vector ticks in North Khorasan province, Iran

Background: babesiosis is an important tickborne disease in the sheep of iran. objectives: a molecular study was carried out in north khorasan province, iran in 2010-2011, designed to identify babesia spp. infection of both sheep and ticks. methods: ninety sheep from different flocks were clinically examined and blood samples were collected with ixodid ticks . the collected ticks were separated into 82 tick pools and the salivary glands were dissected out in 0.85% (w/v) saline under a stereomicroscope. the blood and the salivary glands were examined using semi-nested pcr. results: piroplasm infection was detected in 37 blood smears using microcopic examination while 80 blood samples were piroplasm positive in the first round of semi-nested pcr and babesia ovis was only detected in 6 (6.6%) of positive samples in the second round of semi-nested pcr. of the 434 ticks that were collected, the most prevalent species was rhipicephalus turanicus (69.3%) followed by hyalomma marginatum turanicum (18.4%), dermacentor marginatus (6.4%) and rhipicephalus bursa (5.7%). one pool of h. m. turanicum salivary glands and one pool of r.turanicus were infected with b. ovis. conclusions: based on these results, it is concluded that b.ovis has a low prevalence among the sheep of north khorasan province and h. m. turanicum and r. turanicus may be the vectors of b.ovis in this area.