A tick survey was carried out in four different geographical areas of Iran, where the majority of the domestic ruminants in Iran exist. About 1,500 sheep, 1,200 goats and 500 cattle of 12 herds in different provinces lying in the corresponding zones were inspected for tick infestation. The occurrence of ticks on cattle, sheep and goats were 62, 55 and 57%, respectively, with no differences between the zones. The mean number of ticks on each animal was low (10-20 ticks per animal). Ixodid ticks were found throughout the year, whereas the soft tick Ornithodoros sp., which occurred in mountainous area with a significant difference in abundance, showed a clear pattern of seasonality, being generally present from November to March. The largest numbers of adult ixodid ticks were generally present from April to August. Rhipicephalus, Haemaphysalis and Dermacentor ticks occurred in the mountainous area, whereas Boophilus and Ixodes ticks were only present in the Caspian region. Hyalomma were very abundant in each zone but especially in the mountainous area, whereas Ixodes ticks were the minor genus.

A fatal disease of sheep and goats in the northwestern part of China has been reported to be due to Theileria lestoquardi (syn. T. hirci). However, some characteristics of the causative agent are not in accordance with attributes ascribed to this parasite. We therefore determined the nucleotide sequence of the small-subunit ribosomal RNA (srRNA) gene of T. lestoquardi and the parasite identified in China and compared it with that of other Theileria and Babesia species. In the inferred phylogenetic tree the srRNA sequence of the Chinese parasite was found to be most closely related to T. buffeli and clearly divergent from T. lestoquardi, suggesting that it is an as yet unrecognized Theileria species. Extensive structural similarities were observed between the srRNA sequences of T. lestoquardi and T. annulata, revealing a close phylogenetic relationship between these two Theileria species. On the basis of the srRNA nucleotide sequence, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) primers were designed that specifically amplified genomic DNA of the Chinese Theileria species. These primers may be valuable tools in future epidemiology studies.

Artemisinin has received much attention in the treatment of malaria in recent years, and it is now considered as a potential candidate to reduce coccidial infection in chickens. It is a sesquiterpene compound which has been isolated from Aretemisia annua for the first time. The present study aimed to investigate the occurrence of artemisinin in A. sieberi (AS) and to test the anticoccidial effects of plant extract in broiler chickens. The aerial parts of the plant were collected during different seasons from Yazd Province, in the centre of Iran. The artemisinin content of the AS was extracted with petrol ether and analysed by high-performance liquid chromatography using UV detection. Anticoccidial effects of the plant extract were tested on chicks challenged with various species of Eimeria. The infected chickens were treated with doses of 1 or 2.5 mg/kg per day artemisinin via oral administration of plant extract. The analytical results showed that the level of artemisinin in AS was 0.2% and 0.14% of dried weight (DW) of plant materials in summer and autumn, respectively. Treatment of experimentally infected chickens with AS extracts showed that artemisinin was able to reduce the severity of coccidial infection induced by Eimeria tenella and E. acervulina, but not E. maxima. The anticoccidial effects of artemisinin were shown by significant decrease in output of number of oocysts per gram of faeces in chickens challenged with different species of Eimeria. This study showed that the levels of artemisinin in AS were comparable with those in other species including A. annua, and that the extract of this plant can reduce coccidial infection in broiler chickens.

Abstract. Newcastle disease (Paramyxoviridae) is a highly infectious virus shed in the faeces of infected birds. Non-biting Muscid flies characteristically visit manure and decaying organic material to feed and oviposit, and may contribute to disease transmission. The housefly, Musca domestica (Linnaeus, 1758) (Diptera: Muscidae), has been implicated as a mechanical vector of numerous pathogens. In this study 2000 aerial net-captured houseflies were examined for their ability to harbour Newcastle disease virus (NDV). In an adjacent study, laboratory-reared flies were experimentally exposed to NDV La Sota strain. The virus was detected in the dissected gastrointestinal tract of laboratory-exposed flies for up to 72 h post-exposure, whereas the untreated control flies were negative.

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