Background and Aim: E.coli is a rod-shaped Gram-negative bacterium of the Enterobacteriaceae family; Normally, it is an important part of the healthy intestinal tract of humans and warm-blooded animals. It can live in airy or non-airy environments. Escherichia coli bacteria can be transmitted through contaminated water or food or contact with animals and people and cause a wide range of infections and cause diarrhea. Hard ticks are obligate blood-feeding parasites that transmit a wide variety of pathogenic microorganisms and cause significant economic losses. Any hard biting human tick is a vector for a different set of infectious agents. They can carry various pathogens and cause important human and animal diseases. Some types of Escherichia coli bacteria can cause urinary tract infection, respiratory disease and pneumonia and other diseases. Escherichia coli bacteria consists of a diverse group of bacteria. Escherichia coli pathogenic strains are classified by pathotype. Six pathotypes are associated with diarrhea and are collectively known as diarrheal Escherichia coli bacteria. The aim of this research is to investigate the 16SrRNA and papC genes of E.coli bacteria in ticks isolated from domestic animals in West Azarbaijan province.
Materials and Methods: In this research, 350 hard ticks were classified and identified based on diagnostic keys to investigate E.coli bacteria in hard ticks. A total of 350 hard ticks including 173 species of Hyalomma and 177 species of Rhipicephalus were identified. The samples were divided into 70 mixtures based on the tick species
and DNA was extracted from the ticks.
Results: Pathogens transmitted by ticks were detected using PCR and the samples were examined for the presence of E.coli bacteria. The results showed that Ripicephalus ticks with 7 (n=36; 19.44%; 95% Cl: 9.75%- 35.02%) and Hyaloma ticks with 6 (n=34; 25%; 95% Cl: 12%-44.90%) infection showed Escherichia coli bacteria.
Conclusion: The findings show that these pathogens are transmitted by different species of hard ticks. Ticks and tick-borne diseases are a major public health concern worldwide.