Khuzestan province is one of the main areas in our country and many transmitting diseases with hard ticks such as babesiosis and theileriosis are endemic in this district.
Anaplasma organisms are belong to rickettsia group which one of the most predominant route of their transmission is by ixodid ticks. On this issue, Anaplasma phagocytophilum is the most important zoonotic species. The goal of presented study was to investigate the precense of this organism in salivary glands of hard ticks in Khouzestan province in order to better understand of dynamic of transmission.
In this work from January 2015 untill May 2016 more than 2000 ticks were collected from sheep and cattle in Ahwaz slaughterhouse.
After determining of tick species, salivary gland of ticks were removed and prepared for molecular examination in which 10 glands of same species were merged. DNA was extracted from these salivary glands and specific nested- PCR was applied afterwards. From selected ticks, Rhipicephalus sanguineus, Hyalomma anatolicum anatolicum and Hyalomma marginatum were the mainly separated species. Molecular examinations revealed that A.phagocytophilum were present in R. sanguineus and H.marginatum. This study showed that presence of infection in sheep and cattle ticks of around Ahwaz is relatively considerable. This issue prove the potential role of these ticks to spread the disease in its hosts.

Anaplasma phagocytophilum is an intracytoplasmic coccus that belongs to the family of Anaplasmataceae. Its outer cell wall is similar to gram-negative bacteria. The organism usually infects white blood cells except eosinophils and it seems that its greatest desire is to neutrophils. A. phagocytophilum forms microcolonies in white blood cells which called morula. Considering  the importance of dogs as one the main hosts of this zoonotic infection, the aim of this study was to investigate molecular prevalence of A. phagocytophilum in rural dogs from around Ahvaz. In this study, blood samples were collected from 103 rural dogs. Studied dogs were categorized into two groups, equal and lower than three years old and higher than three years old. For molecular analysis DNA was extracted from whole blood to detect A.phagocytophilum and primers based on 16S rRNA gene were used. Blood smears were prepared, fixed with 10 percent methanol, stained with Giemsa and examined by light microscopic with 1000× magnification. In microscopic evaluation more than 30 field were investigated and intraneutrophil from of A.phagocytophilum were recorded. Out of 103 samples, 59 samples (57.28 percent) in PCR and 12 samples (11.65 percent) in microscopic evaluation were positive for A.phagocytophilum. No significant differences were observed between sex, age and geographic region. It seems that dogs from around of Ahvaz can be the pothential reservoir for A.phagocytophilum. Therefore, these animals should be considered for control and prevention.

 Anaplasma marginale organisms are an obligatory intracellular agents that infect the red blood cells of some ruminants including cattle and buffaloes. The aim of this study was to investigate the Mulecular Prevalence of Anaplasma marginale in cattle and buffaloes from Ahvaz city. In the present study , blood samples of 75 cattle and 75 buffaloes were taken and smears of these specimens were investigated for presence of Anaplasma SPP. And these organisms were detected 14 (%18/6) and 4 (%5/3) in cattle and buffaloes respectively. PCR. was carried out also and ainfection in blood of examined animals were detected in 24 (%32) and 6 (%8/1) of cattle and buffaloes respectively. RFLP analysis revealed that all of the detected organisms were A.marginale. this finding revealed more sensitivity of PCR in comparison of conventional microscopic procedures especially in carrier anomals. Furthermore in this study we have not detect statistical difference between sex and age of examined animals and chance of infectivity but the presence of tick on skin of animals was significantly related to tick chance of infection. The presented study showed that anaplasmosis has noticible prevalence specially in cattle and also, buffaloes and older cattle may play a key role as active reservoirs of these organisms.

Toxoplasma gondii is a protozoan parasite worldwide that infects all of warm-blooded animals and humans. Felids are the definitive hosts of the parasite. Transmission of infection usually occurs by ingesting of Oocysts shed by felids, consumption of tissue cysts or congenitally from mother to fetus. These parasites are an important agents that can induse abnormalities in fetus as well as abortinhn sheep, goats and human and cause serious subsequent in Immune deficient individuas. Study on mode of transmissions and prevalence of infection in different hosts a key role to control and prevent of toxoplasmosis. So, the goal of this study was to determine the T. gondii infection in goat meat in Ahvas slaughterhouse by PCR For this purpoe, meat samples were taken from diffrentparts of slaughtered gouts. Totally, 48 samples were positive for T. gondii by PCR. Statisical analysis revealed that the incidence of infection elevate with increasing the age of animals. Our results showed that toxoplasmosis not only can cause serious economic loss in goat rearing in Ahvas, but also can afflict humans subsequent of consumption of goat meat.

 Hard ticks (Ixodidae) infestation is the most perevalent ectoparasitic involvement of ruminants and can produce direct and indirect economic loss as well as transmission of pathogenic organisms including Babesia spp, Theileria spp , Anaplasma spp, Different kinds of virus and etc. khouzestan province (South-western, Iran) specially in Eastern regions, is an important area of sheep breeding and maintenance which tick transmitted disorders such as Babesiosis and Theileriosis are epizootic. The present study aimed to determine the fauna of Ixodid ticks of sheep in Eastern districts of this province and also to investigate the presents of Babesia spp and Theileria spp. In salivary glands of these relevant ectoparasitis. In this study totally 1500 ticks were harvested randomly from sheep of Western area of khouzestan province (izeh, dehdez, baghmalek, haftkel and ramhormoz). The morphologic study of ticks revealed that Rhipicephalus sanguineous and Hyalomma anatolicum anatolicum are predominant species. Furthermore according to PCR procedure on 18S rRNA gene Theileria lestoquardi, T. ovis and Babesia ovis were detected in salivary glands of Hyalomma anatolicum anatolicum. H. anatolicum excavatum, H. asiaticum asiaticum and Rhipicephalus bursa respectively. This study showed that which species of Ixodid ticks are predominant in Khuzestan and should be considered in transmission of Babesia spp and Theileria spp.

Toxoplasma gondii is an important zoonotic agent. Cat acts as the principal definitive host and also is one of the intermediate hosts of this parasite which may suffer from abortion as well as eye and cerebral disorders. The disease initially represents acute form and subsequently appears chronically in intermedia. This situation usually remains all lifetime. Cats are widely distributed in Ahvaz area and it sounds that this population has a key role on in prevalence of toxoplasmosis in intermediate hosts. In presented study sera and whole blood of 100 stray cats were examined for presence of toxoplasmosis using PCR, ELISA and MAT. Cats were also investigated for Neospora caninum infection utilizing the MAT. Data were analyzed by qui square test and fisher exact test using SPSS software. According to the results from the ELISA and the MAT, the prevalence of T. gondii infection was 30% and 35% respectively. This prevalence was 53/33% and 48/71% in males basel on ELISA and the MAT respectively and 46/66% and 51/28% in females respectively and also there was no significant difference between males and females (P>0.05). There was significant difference between age groups which the highest rate was in younger cats. PCR detected active phase of T. gondii infection in 8 of 100 examined cats. This survey showed that the prevalence T. gondii infection in cats from Ahvaz was considerably high especially in chronic form and these animals may either suffer from the disease or shed the parasites in the environment.

  Abstract
Surname: Ahmad Name: Heydarzadeh Yeganeh
Title: Pathological and immunohistochemical study on some organs in mice afflicted with experimental toxoplasmosis
Supervisors: Dr. Hossein Hamidinejat, Dr. Saleh Esmaelzadeh
Advisor: Dr. Alireza Alborzi
Degree: Ms.C in Veterinary Parasitology University: Shahaid Chamran University of Ahvaz
Faculty: Veterinary Medicine Department: Pathobiology
Keywords: Toxoplasmosis, Pathology, Immunohistochemistry, Rat
The protozoan parasite Toxoplasma gondii is a broadly ubiquitous zoonosis agent of increasing concern in both human and warm-blooded animals. Studies have been shown that the disease cause necrosis of tissue in acute phase, but distribution of parasites in different organs has not been well investigated. Immunohistochemistry method is highly sensitive and specific for the detection of T. gondii in tissues.
In the presented work, 41 rats were divided into 2 groups as experimental model. 29 were induced by 5×104 fresh tachyzoites of T. gondii (RH strain). 12 were kept uninfected as control group. From contaminated rat 15 were euthanized in 3, 5, 7, 10 and 25 dpi (3 sample for each day) and 21 rat preserved to establish chronic infection until 45 dpi and then their immune system suppressed by 10 day dexamethasone sodium phosphate injection (0.4 mg/day). Uninfected controls were examined as well as infected groups. After inducing the acute phase of toxoplasmosis rats were investigated for histopathological and immunohistochemical findings (3 sample for each day). Despite the parasite attendes in all examined organs of the rat, but the tissue lesions were mainly in lungs and liver both in normal and immunocompromised rat. T. gondii was appeared initially in lung and liver and then in heart, but distribution of the parasite in other organs had not distinct pattern.
The results of this study showed that the rat is good animal models for research on the biology of T. gondii as the disease manifests sub clinical form like human and sheep.