Molecular detection of Francisella tularensis in small ruminants and their ticks in western Iran. (April 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Rahravani, Maryam; Moravedji, Meysam; Mostafavi, Ehsan; Baseri, Neda; Seyfi, Hamid; Mohammadi, Mehrdad; Ziaei, Amir Hossein; Mozoun, Mohammad Mahdi; Latifian, Mina; Esmaeili, Saber
• Is Part Of: Comparative immunology, microbiology and infectious diseases. Volume 83(2022)
• Publication Date: 2022-04
• Subjects: Tularemia -- Tick -- Francisella tularensis subsp. holarctica -- Livestock -- Tick-borne disease; Communicable diseases in animals -- Periodicals; Veterinary immunology -- Periodicals; Veterinary microbiology -- Periodicals; Immunology -- Periodicals; Microbiology -- Periodicals; Communicable diseases -- Periodicals; Communicable Diseases -- immunology -- Periodicals; Communicable Diseases -- veterinary -- Periodicals; Allergy and Immunology -- Periodicals; Microbiology -- Periodicals; Veterinary Medicine -- Periodicals; Immunologie -- Périodiques; Microbiologie -- Périodiques; Maladies infectieuses -- Périodiques; Communicable diseases; Immunology; Microbiology; Electronic journals; Periodicals; 636.08969
• DOI: 10.1016/j.cimid.2022.101779
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0147-9571

Abstract

Abstract: Francisella tularensis is the causative agent of tularemia an infectious zoonotic disease. We attempted the molecular detecting of F. tularensis in small ruminants and ticks attached to these animals in Kurdistan province (the west of Iran). In this study, 250 blood and 244 tick samples were collected from sheep and goats and were tested for F. tularensis IS Ftu2 gene detection using the Real Time-TaqMan PCR method. The collected ticks were morphologically classified as Dermacentor marginatus (67.2%), Rhipicephalus turanicus (12.30%), Rhipicephalus sanguineus (10.66%), and Haemaphysalis concinna (9.83%). No positive F. tularensis were identified in animal blood samples. F. tularensis was detected in 2 (0.82%) ticks samples. Positive samples were identified as F. tularensis subsp. holarctica and collected from D. marginatus ticks and Divandareh county. In this study, the presence of F. tularensis in ticks of Kurdistan province was confirmed, the possible role of ticks in the transmission to livestock and human through tick bites in this region should be considered. Highlights: F. tularensis was detected in 0.82% of small ruminant ticks in western Iran. F. tularensis was detected in Dermacentor marginatus ticks. Positive samples were identified as F. tularensis subsp. holarctica . F. tularensis could be endemic in Iran.