The identification of genus, species and distribution of hard and soft ticks collected from Khorramabad district, Lorestan province, Iran

Hard ticks (Ixodidae family) transmit Arboviruses، bacteria and parasites to human and animals. One of the most important viruses that ticks transmit from animals to human is Crimean-Congo haemorhagic fever virus، the fact that its importance has been proved. So the study of fauna of ticks in the area، for the control and prevention of the mentioned disease، is of great importance. Ticks were collected from bodies of sheep، goats and cows in 40 villages of Khorramabad district and using Russian hard ticks species identification and other keys، their species were identified. Eight hundred livestocks were examined and 3156 ticks were collected from their bodies، of which 2319 ticks (73%) collected from sheep، 823 (26%) from goats and 14 (1%) from cows. Among them 4 genus including Hyaloma، Dermacentor، Haemaphysalis and Rypicephalus were identified. Three species of genus Hyaloma (Hyaloma anatolicum، H. asiaticum، and H. marginatum)، one species of genus Dermacentor (Dermacentor marginatus)، one species of Genus Haemaphysalis (Haemaphysalis sulcata)، one species of genus Rypicephalus (Rypicephalus sanguineous) were identified. The dominant species was Rypicephalus sanguineous. Argas persicus was identified as only soft tick in the area that were collected from fowl bodies. In this study four genus and six species of hard ticks (Ixodidae family) were collected from livestocks and only one species was collected from fowls. Due to importance of ticks as vectors of diseases to humans، control of these external parasites and campaign against them are important tools in prevention of vector – borne diseases.