Detection of Borrelia persica infection in Ornithodoros tholozani using PCR targeting rrs gene and xenodiagnosis

Relapsing fever caused by Borrelia persica, is an acute tick-borne disease which is transmitted by soft ticks of Ornithodoros tholozani to human. Value of PCR and xenodiagnosis for detection of B. persica in O. tholozani ticks was compared. Sixty-four Borrelia- free ticks were fed on infected guinea pigs and used for the experiments. For xenodiagnosis, a group of 32 ticks in subsequent blood meal were fed on sterile guinea pigs and the indication of B. persica in the animal blood was tested 5-14 days later by dark-field microscopy. For PCR, all 64 ticks were subjected to PCR against B. persica rrs gene [16S-rDNA]. Also sensitivity of PCR in terms of minimum detectable number of spirochetes as well as the effects of tick sex and post digestion was tested. PCR revealed B.persica DNA in 98.4% ticks, in which B. persica were found in 25.0% by xenodiagnosis. PCR was enough sensitive to give positive results for DNA of 1 spirochete. PCR success rates were similar for male or female ticks. Course of time did not affect the efficacy of PCR and similar results were observed for ticks of immediately fed, semior completely gravid or completely digested blood ones. Our results indicate that due to very low specificity and time consuming, xenodiagnosis is not a useful method whereas PCR method has advantages for study the Borrelia prevalence in ticks

Prevalence of Echinococcus spp. infection using coproantigen ELISA among canids of Moghan plain, Iran

Echinococcosis is one of the most important helminthic zoonotic diseases in Iran. Intestinal Scraping Technique [IST], the traditional method for diagnosis of the infection in definitive hosts, has many disadvantages including low susceptibility and being expensive, hazardous and laborious. Detection of coproantigens in fecal samples by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay [CA-ELISA] is known as a useful tool for intravital mass-screening of definitive host populations. This study was performed to determine the prevalence of Echinococcus spp. infection among canids in Moghan plain, the only area in Iran known to be endemic for E. multilocularis. One hundred thirty eight fecal samples were collected from red foxes and domestic dogs in three counties of Moghan plain namely Pars Abad, Bileh Savar and Germi. The samples were examined using an ELISA, designed for the detection of Echinococcus-specific coproantigen and the formalin-ether concentration method as well. Totally, out of 138 fecal samples, 27 [21.6%] turned positive for Echinococcus. Coproantigen was detected in 16.7% and 27.1% of red foxes and domestic dogs, respectively. Formalin-ether concentration method revealed that 43 [31.2%] of samples harbored at least one parasitic helminth, but Taenia eggs were detected only in 3 fecal samples. Since coproantigen presence reflects current intestinal infection with adult worms, CA-ELISA can be regarded as one of the most useful immunological tools for diagnosis of Echinococcus infection. Besides, the high susceptibility, low cost and rapidity

Distribution of soft ticks and their natural infection with Borrelia in a focus of relapsing fever in Iran

Tick-borne diseases such as relapsing fever and Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever [CCHF] are of public health importance in Iran. There are 471 reported cases of relapsing fever in 2003, according to the Ministry of Health of Iran. The number of cases has been increased in recent years. Its distribution is more or less prevalent in different parts of Iran. The aim of this study was to find out the fauna and natural infection of soft ticks with Borrelia in Qazvin Province, during their seasonal activity. The province covers 15821 km[2] between 48-45 to 50-50 east of Greenwich Meridian of longitude and 35-37 to 36-45 north latitude of the equator. For this purpose a field study was carried out in the region. A total of 54 villages from 19 districts were selected randomly and ticks were collected from their habitats according to the standard method. A total of 3197 Argasidae ticks were collected from human dwellings, poultry and animal shelters. They belonged to Argas and Ornithodoros genera which 36.8% were Argas persicus, 4% A. reflexus, 6.4% O. canestrini, 45.5% O. lahorensis and 7.3% O. tholozani. It should be noted that 12 ticks of O. erraticus were collected from 12 rodents borrows. We found that 8.82% of O. tholozani ticks were infected with Borrelia persica and half of the O. erraticus were infected with Borrelia microti. All the people who are involved with veterinary activities should be aware of disease transmission by the ticks. In the endemic area of the disease tick control is recommended

Some ecological aspects of phlebotomine sand flies in an endemic focus of cutaneous leishmaniasis in Iran

Following annual report of new cases of cutaneous leishmaniasis from different areas of Kuhpayeh district, Esfahan County, an investigation was carried out on some ecological aspects of Phlebotomine sand flies during 2000-2002. Sand flies were collected biweekly from outdoor and indoor resting places with the aid of 30 sticky traps from the beginning to the end of the active season. Female sand flies from rodent burrows were dissected and examined for the presence of pro-mastigote infection. Blood meals of engorged sand flies were identified by ELISA method. Totally, 4993 sand flies were collected and identified. The following species were found indoors: P. papatasi, P. sergenti, P. caucasicus, P. mongolensis, P. alexandri, P. ansarii, P. major, P. kandelakii, S. sintoni, and the subsequent species were found outdoors: P. papatasi, P sergenti, P. caucasicus, P. mongolensis, P. ansarii, P. major, S. sintoni, S. dentata, S. pawlowskyi. The sand flies active season began from May till October in this region. Natural promastigote infections observed in 1.06% of P. papatasi and also in one out of four of P. caucasicus. The human and rodent blood indices in P. papatasi were 61.9% and 20.69%, respectively. It seems that P. papatasi is the probable vector among rodents and also transmit Leishmania major, the causative agent of zoonotic cutaneous leishmaniasis to man, and P. caucasicus transmit the agent of the disease among rodents

first report of amblyomma lepidum [Donitz, 1909] in Iran

Amblyomma lepidum [Donitz, 1909], collected on sheep from Gilan gharb, is reported for the first time from Iran. The species has been reported from Sudan, Ethiopia, Kenya, Egypt and Zanzibar as well. Male diagnosis: A small to medium -sized tick; scutum with characteristic ornamentations; postero- median stripe broad at the base, slightly knobbed at the anterior extremity, not reaching the falci- form stripe; posteroaccessory stripes short, fairly close to the 3[rd] lateral spots, almost vertical; eyes small, dark coloured, hemispherical, orbited; festoons parti- coloured