| First Molecular Detection of Ehrlichia gltA Gene in Hyalomma anatolicum Ticks from Iran |
| Paper ID : 1068-IPCA5 (R1) |
| Authors |
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Gholamreza Goudarzi1, Asadollah Hoseini-Chegeni *2 1Department of Microbiology, School of Medicine Lorestan University of Medical Sciences Khorramabad, Iran 2Department of Plant Protection, Faculty of Agriculture, Lorestan University, Khorramabad, Iran |
| Abstract |
| Ticks are important vectors of many bacterial pathogens, including Ehrlichia species, which are of great animal and public health importance. The aim of the current study was the molecular detection of Ehrlichia spp. in Hyalomma anatolicum ticks collected from sheep in western Iran using a new primer set designed for amplifying the gltA gene. In 2023, 50 tick samples were collected from sheep in Lorestan and Kermanshah provinces. DNA was extracted from whole tick bodies using the CTAB procedure, and PCR was conducted using a touchdown temperature profile. One sample was positive for Ehrlichia DNA when species-specific gltA primers were applied. Phylogenetic analysis and genetic distance calculation were performed using MEGA 11. The sequence showed 99% and 98% similarity to Ehrlichia spp. detected in Rhipicephalus microplus and Hyalomma asiaticum ticks from China, respectively; 96% similarity to Ehrlichia detected in R. decoloratus from Angola; and 90% similarity to both H. truncatum and another R. microplus Ehrlichia strain from China. Sequences with identity less than 95% were reported as related but not closely similar to avoid overinterpretation. While earlier reports have documented E. canis, E. ruminantium, and other Ehrlichia spp. from Iran, to our knowledge, this is the first report of detection of Ehrlichia gltA gene in Hyalomma anatolicum ticks from Iran. The phylogenetic placement and divergence from characterized sequences indicate a possibly new or uncharacterized strain. Due to the primer specificity and low detection rate, we recommend using more universal-range primers in future studies to understand the true prevalence of Ehrlichia spp. in Iranian ticks. |
| Keywords |
| Ehrlichia, gltA gene, Hyalomma anatolicum, Ticks, Molecular detection, Iran, First report, Pathogen surveillance, Vector-borne diseases |
| Status: Abstract Accepted |
