Abstract: Lack of documented information and statistics about the prevalence of Anaplasma phagocytophilum, the causative agent of tick-borne Human Granulocytic Ehrlichiosis (HGE), in ticks, animals and also human beings in Iran, was the aim of this study to evaluate for the first time the infectivity rate of A. phagocytophilum in Ixodes ricinus ticks collected from a suburban woodland area in the eastern part of Ghaemshahr City in northern Iran. DNA was extracted from 98 unfed adult I. ricinus ticks (72 females and 26 males). Nested PCR Primers were designed based on Ehrlichia spp. 16S rDNA gene and PCR reaction was carried out. PCR product was detected using 254 nm UV Trans illuminator. For differentiation of Ehrlichia spp. RFLP technique was used. A. phagocytophilum 16S rDNA was detected in 5 (5.1%) of tested ticks. The positive ticks were 4 females and 1 male. The presence of A. phagocytophilum in the Iranian free-living I. ricinus ticks should alert our country to the possibility of HGE.
کلید واژگان :
Anaplasma phagocytophilum, tick-borne Human Granulocytic Ehrlichiosis
