Parasitological and molecular detection of in and in Khorasan Razavi province, Iran.

infects the haemolymphatic tissues of both domestic and wild dogs, resulting in symptoms such as anemia and lethargy. The transmission of this parasite occurs primarily through and various other ixodid tick species. A study was conducted to determine the tick vector of in dogs in the Mashhad region, Khorasan Razavi province, from 2018 to 2021. A total of 976 ixodid ticks were collected from 39 sheepdogs and 76 shelterdogs during activating seasons of ticks. Adult ticks were identified according to general identification keys. The collected female ticks were separated into 81 tick pools according to their species. The hemolymph smear was prepared from engorged and semi-engorged female ticks and stained with the Giemsa method, Then, the DNA of each tick pool was extracted using a commercial kit and analyzed by PCR. Two ixodid species, and were identified in infested dogs. The frequency of and infestation in sheepdogs was 80.25% and 19.75% and in shelterdogs 76.5% and 23.5%, respectively. DNA has only been detected in 15 (18.5%) tick pool samples of . Immature oocysts of were detected in two hemolymph smears obtained from engorged female that tested positive via PCR and were collected from shelter dogs. It is concluded that was the dominant tick in sheepdogs and shelter dogs in the Mashhad area. Moreover, the results of the molecular and parasitological examination indicated that ticks be a vector of in dogs in Iran for the first time.