Detection of a Brucella-like (Alphaproteobacteria) Bacterium in Boophilus spp. (Acari: Ixodidae) from Iran

Ticks harbor many pathogenic, as well as endosymbiotic and non-pathogenic agents. They are host of a variety of as yet unidentified microbes that continue to be described. In the present study, a Brucella-like bacterium was detected in a Boophilus tick by PCR amplification of a partial fragment of 16S rRNA locus followed sequencing. Our results show that the members of the genus Boophilus may act as vectors of brucellosis in nature, but further studies are required to confirm the real role of ticks as vector or reservoirs of specific Brucella species.