| Identification of Ticks of Hedgehogs in Different Regions of Iran |
| Paper ID : 1193-IPCA4 (R1) |
| Authors |
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Leili Moradi *1, Javad Khedri2, Marcos Bezerra-Santos3, Salman Zafari4, Hamidreza Javaheri-Pirooz5, Ali Mirzabeigi6, Zahra Bahiraei7, Alireza Sazmand8, Domenico Otranto9 1Department of Pathobiology, Faculty of Veterinary Science, Bu-Ali Sina 2Department of Pathobiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ferdowsi University, Mashhad, Iran 3Phd student 4Department of Medical Parasitology and Mycology, Hamedan University of Medical Science 5Department of pathobiology, Faculty of Veterinary Science, Bu-Ali Sina university 6Hamedan 7Department of pathobiology, Faculty of Veterinary Science, Bu-Ali Sina University 8Department of Pathobiology, Faculty of Veterinary Science, Bu-Ali Sina University 6517658978 Hamedan, IRAN 9Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Bari, Bari, Italy |
| Abstract |
| Ticks of wild animals, mainly those presenting synanthropic behaviour such as hedgehogs, can harbour different pathogens some of which are infectious for other animals and humans. In Iran four species of hedgehogs do occur: long-eared hedgehog (Hemiechinus auritus), Southern white-breasted hedgehog (Erinaceus concolor), Brandt’s hedgehog (Paraechinus hypomelas), and desert hedgehog (Paraechinus aethiopicus). However, there is shortage of knowledge about tick fauna of hedgehogs in the country. The aim of this study was to examine hedgehogs of different regions of Iran for tick infestation and to identify the collected ticks. During 2019–2021, totally167 hedgehogs i.e. 161 Hemiechinus auritus and 6 Erinaceuscon color were examined for tick infestation. Hedgehogs were from Sistan and Baluchestan in the southwest and bordering Pakistan and Afghanistan (n=161; H. auritus), Hamedan in the west (n=4; E. concolor) and Kermanshah in the west and bordering Iraq (n=2; E. concolor).Ticks were gently removed from the body of hedgehogs, preserved in 70% ethanol, and transferred to the laboratory for morphological identification. Out of 167 examined hedgehogs, 154 (92.2%) were infested by 262 ticks. Majority of the ticks (98.5%) were Rhipicephalus turanicus (147 M, 109 F, 1Ny, 1 L).Two male specimens of Hyalomma dromedarii, were collected from long-eared hedgehogs. Furthermore, one male specimen of Hyalomma aciaticum and one female Ixodes hexagonus tick were collected from one Southern white-breasted hedgehog in Kermanshah. Ixodes hexagonus and Hyalomma aciaticum are herein reported for the first time in an Erinaceus concolor from Iran. Hedgehogs living in Sistan and Baluchestan –one of the warmest regions in Iran– were more frequently infested by ticks in comparison with western provinces with colder climate. Since it has been shown that hedgehogs and their ticks contribute in the epidemiology of several animal and human pathogens, identification of microbial agents in this small mammalian species and its ticks is suggested. |
| Keywords |
| Erinaceus concolor, Hemiechinusauritus, Hyaloma dromedarii, Iran, Rhipicephalus sanguineous, Rhipicephalus turanicus |
| Status: Abstract Accepted (Poster Presentation) |