Bovine theileriosis caused by Theileria annulata is a dangerous and important disease in tropical and subtropical areas. There are large economical losses in these areas every year including in Iran. The vector of the disease, the tick of Hyalomma is found in most parts of Iran. The prevalence of the disease correlates with aboundance of the vector in spring and summer. In this study, prevalence of the disease in terms of month of the year, age, sex and breed of the animal were studied, during the first 6 months of the year 1377.The results showed that in spite of all the means of prevention and vaccination, the diseasehas been known as the most important disease in the region. In relation to the month, the maximum and minimum prevalence of disease was in Khordad and Farvardin, respectively. In relation to age, 76.2 percent of infected cattle were one month old or younger. In relation to the breed, infection of Holeshti.ne, cross breed and native were 1.6, 94.4 and 4.0 percent respectively. In relation to sex, infection rate of males were 55.4 percent and female was 44.6 percent. From the aspect of clinical signs, all cattle showed anorexia and enlargement of lymph nodes, and the other signs were in different percentages.In 58% of blood smears the infection rate of RBCs with the intraerythrocytic form of Theileria was less than 10%, in 38% more than 10%and in 4% the results were uncertain due to technical faults in staining.

Objective: To determine the rate of contamination in the liver of sheep infected with theileria parasite regarding the observation of Koch blue body (theilerian schizonet) in the city of Khorramabad.Design: Observational study.Animals: 300 sheep of which livers were analysed. Procedure: The collected livers were first examined in macroscopic aspect (size, color. existence of contamination in tissue, etc.) and the livers which see med to be unhealthy and had suspicious appearance were separated. Then by preparing slides directly from small parts of suspected livers at tissular necroses and part of the uninfected tissue belonging to the liver paranchyma, gimsa coloring was performed and following the coloring and drying the slides were examined for the existence or non- existence of Koch blue body using optical microscope with 40X and 100X lenses after which pictures and slides were prepared from positive samples.Statistical analysis: Descriptive statistics. Results: In macroscopic examination of livers most cases had indications as: large overall size of the liver, circular livers, increase in blood, and in some cases existence of white necroses centers with dimensions of 1-2mm in surface tissues and also liver parenchyma From the 300 livers examined, 150 livers were macroscopically determined to be suspicious and unhealthy and were taken in to microscopic examination. From the 150 livers which were examined microscopically, 29 cases came out positive (as for existence of koch blue body) the number which shows 20% liver contamination. Incidentally the highest rate of theileriosis in the region is reported to exist in months of May and June.Clinical implications: In the end considering the gradual development rate of the parasite and the way it is transmitted through tick and concerning the outcome of results, regular confrontation along with programming, supervision against existing tick in the county using new improved methods and pesticides effective on tick, also production of theileriosis vaccine in the country and formation of vaccination groups b) the veterinary bureau of the county to vaccinate the animals in seasons when ticks are not active (fall and winter) are the kind of actions that can be effective to lessen the contamination by tick in the region and consequently lessen the diseases transmitted through this pest and be an effective step to eliminate this problem from the industry of animal husbandry in the country.

Objective: Evaluation of an ELISA test using the cellular schizont antigen for the diagnosis of Theileria anulata infection. Design: Descriptive study. Animals: A total of 124 cattle, 56 cases with clinical features and 68 samples without clinical features and apparently healthy. Procedure: Serum was collected from cattle for the detection of anti-Theileria antibadies by indirect ELISA, using the cellular schizont antigen and the microplates coated with this antigen. On the blood-smears from the same cases, microscopic observation was done for determine the percentage of positive and negative cases of Theileria infection. Statistical analysis: Descriptive statistics. Results: Out of 56 serum samples, belong to animals with clinical features, 42 cases (75%) were ELISA-Positive and the rest (25%) were ELISA-negative whereas, all of them had positive bloodsmears. Also, out of 68 serum from apparently healthy animals, 19 cases (27.9%) were ELISA-positive and 15 cases (22%) were blood smear-positive. Conclusion: The present study by using of cellular schizont as solid phase antigen, showed high quality for detection of anti-Theileria antibodies by ELISA, and this test could detect 54 cases (76%) from a total of 71 animals with Thieleria-positive blood-smears. The results showed good correlation (80% coincidence between the data obtained by two methods. Therefore, the ELISA could be recommended as a screening test for detecting of Theileria infection in cattle.      

Objective: This study was carried out in order prevalence of Theileria infection and interrelatinship with clinical sign in sheep. Design: Field study. Animals: Three hundred sheep. Procedure: During summer season (2000) , 300 sheep were examined clinically and para clinically at Ghaemshahr abattior. Before slaughter, body temperature, heart rate and respiratory rate of sheep were taken and inspection of lymph nodes and color of mucouse membrane (eye and vagina) were also assessed. All parts of body surface were inspected for presence of tick and some of them were collected. Smears of peripheral blood were prepared from car. All of +nears were fixed with methanol and stained with Gimsa. Statistical analysis: Results from this study were analyzed with Student t test and Chi-square. Results: Out of 300 sheep the prepared blood smear showed that 39(13%) sheep infected with Theileria. 31(10.3%) sheep infected with tick (30 Hyaloma anatolicum and l Ripycephalus bursa). Clinical examination showed that heart rate, respiratory rate, lymph nodes and color of mucous membrane (eye and vagina) in all of sheep were in normal range and one case suffered from enlargement of right prescapular lymph node. There was no significantly difference between two groups (infected and nonifected sheep). Body temperature was significantly higher in infected group (P<0.05). Conclusion: Since none of infected sheep in this study showed the clinical sings of theileriosis, it seems that these sheep had been probably infected with Theileria ovis or had been infected with Theileria ovis or had were carriers at the time of study.

Objective: Ticks are parasite that can cause anemia by blood sucking in different animals in addition to some factors which are transmitted by ticks. Therefore, identification of ticks in each area is important in prognosis of the potential of presence of the transmitted diseases.Design: Descriptive study.Animals: Totally, 5491 animals’ inc1uding 3992 sheep, 695 goats, 426 cattle, 329 camels and 48 astray dogs were subjected to study.Procedure: While inspection animals, to determine the number of the present ticks on the skin of anima]s, inspecting the above mentioned the researcher examined three zones of the body including ear, head and below the tail and perianal region and around of mammary glands in females and, scrotum in males. After counting the ticks, they were removed and transmitted to Alchohol-Glyeerin for the diagnosing of Genus and Species.Statistical analysis: Descriptive statistics. Result: Totally, 6259 ticks were found which included 3 Genlls and 9 Species namely, Rhipicephalus bursa, R. sanguinus, Hyalomma anatolicwn excavatum, H a. anatolicum, Hdromedarii, H schulzei, H.detritum, H.asiaticum asiaticum and Ornithodoros lahorensis.In the foregoing study Rhipicephalus bursa was mainly found in sheep, goats and dogs, Hyalomma anatolicum excavatum in cattle and If. dromedarii in camels. The highest level of infestation by ticks in cattle was concentrated in the cast of Garmsar which has the largest number of animal farms, in sheep and goats, this concentration was located in south of Garmsar, in camels and dogs, in the north of the city. Astray dogs as compared to the animalsin the above study, showed the highest degree of infestation by ticks (83.33%). The average number of ticks on the animals in this study in Garmsar was found to be fewer than 10 and the highest number was observed in goats in the cast of Garmsar.Clinical implications: Regarding the role of Rhipicephalus bursa and at a lesser rate R. sanguinus in the transmission of Babesia spp. in cattle, shcep, goats, horses and dogs, also the role of Hyalomma spp. in the transmission of The ileria spp., dipping is one of the most important methods for the control of protozoa at lone month intervals from early of spring. In camels, Ornithodorus lahorensis can have a role in the transmission of Anaplasma. However, further studies arc necessary to improve its role.

This study was carried out to determine the prevalence and distribution of tropical theileriosis in cattle in Zahedan based on clinical examination, inspection of herd and microscopical methods. Giemsa-stained thin blood smears were prepared between April 2003 and May 2004 from cattle and examined for the presence of Theileria. A total of 600 whole blood smear samples were collected from cattle of various breeds and ages in Zahedan.Piroplasms of Theileria annulata were detected in 5.6% of the samples (34/600). In clinical examination of infected cattle: paleness of mucosal membrane (61.7%), enlargement of lymph nodes (50%), icterus (17.6%), petechial hemorrhage (14.7%), diarrhea (2.9%), and coughing (2.9%) have detected in infected cattle. Ticks were identified to be Hyalomma anatolicum anatolicum on the basis of morphological features. In conclusion, lowest rate of infection were in group of >3 years old (5%) and the highest rate of infection was in cattle under one year old (76%) and this difference was statistically significant (P<0.05). Also there was a significant difference between the rate of infection in Holstein breed and local or hybrid cattle (P<0.05). The study showed that native calves were also more resistant than European Bos taurus (Holstein) calves to tick-borne tropical theileriosis (Theileria annulata infection).Additionally, no significant difference was observed between male and female (p>0.05).comparison of results in different seasons indicated that the lowest and highest rate of infection were respectively observed in winter and summer.

Theileriosis is an important clinical disease and cause of mortality of ruminants in the enzotic area such as Iran. Meat from this animal must be deleted. This study was made to determine the prevalence of bovine Theileriosis in sanandaj slaughterhouse in 1385. A total of 252 suspected cases with enlargmented lymph node (theileria annulata cause severe lymphoproliferative disorders in cattle) were examined and investigated for the presence of Theileria schizont in appropriate lymph node smears. In this study, 26 cases (10.3 %) were infected. Seasonally, the prevalence of Theileria infection reached the highest level in June (32%) and July (16%) and August (20%), while a decrease was observed in February (0 %) and march (0 %). There was significant differences between the rates of affection in breed` sex and age. The most prevalence of Theileria infection absorved in third age group (above 4 years old) (66%) and female genus (77%) and hybreed race (54%).

In order to develop a method for detecting and identification of Theileria annulata, the specific primers from the major merozoite-piroplasm surface antigen sequence of Theileria (Tams1) were used to detect the T. anniulataby nested-PCR technique. The assay provides a valuable tool for the identification of Theileria annulata directly from clinical samples and enables determination of the infecting species by a facile technique with high sensitivity and specificity power. The sensitivity of the PCR was determined up to 1.34 pg infected DNA, and specificity of the PCR was confirmed by DNA sequencing. The Tams1 nested-PCR assay will facilitate parasite infection follow up and might improve diagnosis and therapeutic approach of bovine tropical the ileriosis. Moreover, multiple alignment and phylogenetic analysis of Tams1 sequences of available strains/isolates showed that there is a particular restriction site in T. annulata Iran-vaccine strain could be recognized by AvaII enzyme. These findings can be used in further disease control and prevention program as wed as epidemiological studies.