A molecular study on spp. in cattle and ticks in West-Azerbaijan province, Iran.

A total number of 450 blood samples were collected from 45 different randomly selected cattle herds. Light microscopic examination of blood smears revealed spp. infection in 4.2%, while 8.9% of blood samples were positive using PCR. Upon multiplex-PCR (mPCR), and infections were detected in 37/40 (92.5%) and 3/40 (7.5%) samples, respectively. 530 ticks of 10 Ixodid species were collected from the same cattle. was the most prevalent tick species (19.9%). An expected 520 bp fragment of spp. was generated in 22 (48.8%) of , 18 (40.0%) of . and 12 (30.0%) . The mPCR findings revealed that all infected ticks including , . and . were totally infected with . The DNA amplification of and in egg samples showed that only was detected in two specimens of . It could be concluded that was the dominant causative agent in this region but the evidence of infection of cattle in a few cases was noted, as well. The results suggested that and could be detected in the DNA extracted from , and confirming previous reports. Since is transmitted transovarially by , it might act as an important vector for .