title: PCR-based Detection of Babesia spp. Infection in Collected Ticks from Cattle in West and North-West of Iran.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Babesiosis is a haemoparasitic disease of domestic and wild animals caused by species of the genus Babesia. Babesia bigemina, B. bovis and B. divergens are known to be pathogenic in cattle. The disease is transmitted during blood feeding by infected ticks and is the most economically important tick-borne disease in tropical and subtropical areas. Ixodid ticks are vectors in the transmission of babesiosis. The classic presentation is a febrile syndrome with apparent anemia and hemoglobinuria. This study was carried out to determine species of bovine Babesia spp. vector ticks collected from naturally occurring bovine babesiosis in West and North-West of Iran.
  
  
  METHODS
  Two hundred and eleven ticks were collected from 113 cattle and ticks' species were identified using the standard taxonomic keys. After DNA extraction from salivary glands of each tick, the presence of Babesia spp. infection in ticks was examined by PCR method using primers derived from the gene encoding rhoptry protein.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Rhipicephalus sanguineus and R. bursa ticks were infected with bovine Babesia spp.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Rhipicephalus spp. may play a major role in the transmission of infection of bovine Babesia spp. in West and North-West of Iran.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathobiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Urmia University, Urmia, Iran.
authors.forename: Mousa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tavassoli
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathobiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran.
authors.forename: Mohammad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tabatabaei
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathobiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Urmia University, Urmia, Iran.
authors.forename: Mosleh
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mohammadi
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathobiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Urmia University, Urmia, Iran.
authors.forename: Bijan
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Esmaeilnejad
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunology, Faculty of Medical Science, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Hemn
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Mohamadpour
keywords: Babesia; Iran; PCR; Rhipicephalus; bovine