A four year epidemiological and chemotherapy survey of babesiosis and theileriosis, and tick vectors in sheep, cattle and goats in Dehgolan, Iran

Babesia and Theileria are two protozoa belonging to the phylum Apicomplexa, which result in babesiosis and theileriosis in different hosts, cause considerable problems in domestic animals and as a consequence economic losses. These two diseases are transmitted by ticks. This survey was carried out due to the lack of studies and information regarding tick vectors and Theileria and Babesia species in the Dehgolan area of Iran, which is a center of agriculture and animal holding industry. This study was conducted during a four-year period, between 2012 and 2016. Infection with Theileria and Babesia was observed throughout the year while in contrast to cattle and sheep, infection with Babesia in goats was not observed between December and February. Infection with Babesia and Theileria reached the highest peak in July and this was more considerable for Theileria in cattle and sheep with a prevalence of 37–47% and 46–79%, respectively. The infection rate in goats for both diseases was 20%. The results in this study showed that Imidocarb Diproprionate and Buparvaquone are effective treatments for Babesia and Theileria, respectively. In this survey, the ticks of Rhipicephalus spp. and Hyalomma anatolicum had the highest infection rate with Babesia and Theileria, respectively. Considering the significant relationship between the prevalence of Theileria and Babesia with tick infection in this study and other studies, more studies on climate changes and tick vector prevalence are necessary.