Molecular identification of hemoparasites in ixodid ticks in Iran.

A total of 386 ticks were processed in order to investigate the occurrence of selected tick transmitted pathogens (i.e., Theileria, Babesia, Hepatozoon and Cytauxzoon) in ixodid ticks in six provinces of Iran (East Azerbaijan, Gilan, Kermanshah, Khuzestan, Sistan & Baluchestan and Tehran).

Study on Hard and Soft Ticks of Domestic and Wild Animals in Western Iran.

Background: 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 production 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.

The gall wasp fauna of Iran (Hymenoptera: Cynipidae: Cynipinae): species checklist and biogeographical assessment.

We provide a checklist of the gall wasps (Hymenoptera: Cynipidae: Cynipinae) of Iran, and place these records in a biogeographical perspective on three spatial scales, comprising (i) the Western Palaearctic, (ii) Western Asia (Turkey, the southern Caucasus and the Middle East) and (iii) regions within Iran. We present distribution and biological data for 121 species in 24 genera, representing nine of the 12 known cynipid gall wasp tribes. The most species-rich tribe in Iran is the oak gall wasp tribe Cynipini, with 74 species and 11 genera.

The first molecular detection of a -like species (Apicomplexa: Piroplasmida) in from western Iran.

The archived blood of rodents species such as , , and species was investigated in order to detect any piroplasms species. In this study 18S rRNA target gene of piroplasm parasite was amplified by PCR in a ; so, the Locus 1 and Locus 2 of 18S rRNA were sequenced, successfully. A -like taxa was suspected in accordance with the BLAST analysis of 18S rRNA L1 and L2 with 96% and 91% sequence homology, respectively.

Occurrence of (Trichomonadida: Trichomonadidae) in chicken feces from Lorestan Province, Western Iran.

Species of and , are found in the digestive tract of birds. To investigate trichomonads of a lower intestinal tract of native chickens, we examined 72 feces samples from the different life stages of fowl species in Khorramabad County, Lorestan Province, Western Iran. Using microscopical examination, out of 72 collected samples, 26 (31.

Louis-Pierre Delpy: A French Scholar and Former Director of the Razi Institute of Iran (1931-1951).

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.

Molecular detection of Coxiella (Gammaproteobacteria: Coxiellaceae) in Argas persicus and Alveonasus canestrinii (Acari: Argasidae) from Iran.

Background: Coxiella burnetii and non-C. burnetii bacteria or endosymbiotic Coxiella-like were reported in various tick species. We aimed to detect C.

Molecular identification of species (Hymenoptera: Cynipidae) inducing various oak galls in Central Zagros of Iran.

This study uses an integrated approach to address the taxonomic status of six different and problematic oak galls and their inducing wasps sampled from two sites in the Central Zagros Mountains (Lorestan province) in western Iran. Our aim was to establish whether morphologically similar but different galls are induced by the same or distinct gall-inducers. The gall wasp specimens were identified morphologically to species level, and their genomic DNA was extracted.

Molecular identification of Rhipicephalus species (Acari: Ixodidae) parasitizing livestock from Iran.

This study was designed to identify populations of Rhipicephalus sanguineus collected from Iran and also to study molecular taxonomy of Rhipicephalus species using cytochrome C oxidase subunit 1 (COI) and internal transcribed spacer 2 (ITS2) sequences. Tick specimens were collected from livestock (sheep and goat) in 14 Iranian provinces. DNA of individual specimens was extracted and PCR was done on these samples.

Ticks circulate Anaplasma, Ehrlichia, Babesia and Theileria parasites in North of Iran.

Ticks serve as important vectors of some pathogens of medical importance all over the world and identification of their rate of infection plays an important role for further control of diseases. In the current study, we investigated on ticks collected from north of Iran where raising and caring livestock are the main task of the people in order to find evidences of infection of Babesia, Theileria, Anaplasma and Ehrlichia microbial agents. Totally, 609 hard tick species from two genera Hyalomma and Rhipicephalus including; Hy.

Vectors of Crimean Congo Hemorrhagic Fever Virus in Iran.

Background: Ticks are important vectors and reservoirs of Crimean Congo Hemorrhagic Fever (CCHF) virus. Human beings may be infected whenever the normal life cycle of the infected ticks on non-human vertebrate hosts is interrupted by the undesirable presence of humans in the cycle. A total of 26 species of Argasid and Ixodid ticks have been recorded in Iran; including nine Hyalomma, two Rhipicephalus, two Dermacentor, five Haemaphysalis, two Boophilus, one Ixodes and two Argas as well as three Ornithodoros species as blood sucking ectoparasites of livestock and poultries.

Hard Tick Species of Livestock and their Bioecology in Golestan Province, North of Iran.

Background: A survey on tick species composition was carried out in Golestan Province Iran during year 2010-2011.The aim was to determine tick species parasitizing domestic ruminants and their seasonal population dynamics.

Methods: A total of 124 sheep, 92 goats, 84 cattle, 74 camels and 12 horses in several villages were inspected for tick infestation.