Frequency estimation of the ixodidae ticks of Babesian carriers and determination of the frequency of human and animal contamination to babesiosis in the Miankooh District of Chaharmahal va Bakhtiari Province, Iran, in 2017

Abstract

Background: Traditional livestock has a lot of prosperity in the Miankooh district of Chaharmahal va Bakhtiari Province in Iran. Due to the prevalence of hard ticks among livestock in the region, there is the possibility of babesiosis in the region. The aim of the present study was to investigate the frequency of ticks, as well as the frequency of human and animal contamination with babesiosis in this region. Methods: In this study, 205 livestock including sheep and goats and 160 human blood samples and 317 ticks were collected from livestock. All smears were stained to identify the Babesia genus by microscopic method, after which the positive smears were examined by molecular method for identification of Babesia Ovis (B. Ovis) species. Findings: From 205 livestock samples, 64 samples of Babesia infection were confirmed by microscopic method, and 42 samples were confirmed as B. Ovis. Among the 160 human samples, 21 samples were confirmed by the microscopic method as Babesia that 7 of them were confirmed as B. Ovis. To confirm the negative samples, a number of human and animal samples were selected randomly and examined by molecular method, and all of them were negatively confirmed by the molecular method. The tick specimens were also identified by the reliable morphological key to the level of genus and species. All of them identified as Rhipicephalus sanguineus. Conclusion: The prevalence of Babesia infection in livestock in this region is significant; therefore, it is possible to restrict the disease in the area with proper diagnosis and timely treatment. © 2020 Isfahan University of Medical Sciences(IUMS). All rights reserved.