BACKGROUND A molecular survey was conducted to investigate the presence of pathogenic Borrelia persica species causing the tick borne relapsing fever (TBRF) in Takistan district Qazvin Province, western Iran. METHODS A number of 1021 soft ticks were collected from 31 villages including previously reported infected and none-infected TBRF cases and individually examined for the presence of B. p...

BACKGROUND Rodents have important role as reservoirs of different parasites. The aim of this study was to determine helminth parasites of abundant rodents in Meshkin-Shahr, Ardabil Province northwest Iran. METHODS From April 2014 to March 2015; 205 rodents including 118 Meriones persicus, 63 Mus musculus and 24 Cricetulus migratorius were collected, using live traps. All rodents were dissecte...

The ticks reported in Paraguay, which are here reviewed, can be categorized as 'endemic or established' (Argas persicus or a sibling species, Ornithodoros hasei, O. rostratus, O. rudis, O. talaje/O. puertoricensis, Amblyomma aureolatum, Am. auricularium, Am. brasiliense, Am. cajennense, Am. calcaratum, Am. coelebs, Am. dissimile, Am. dubitatum, Am. incisum, Am. longirostre, Am. nodosum, Am. ova...

BACKGROUND The objectives of our research were to search for Leishmania species in rodents in Fars province, south of Iran, and to compare molecular with conventional methods for detecting these parasites. METHODS Rodents were captured using live traps and screened for Leishmania species using molecular and conventional methods, including the taking of smears from each ear. Nested PCR was emp...

Some haematological variables including Red Blood Cells (RBC), White Blood Cells (WBC) differential counts, Haemoglobin (Hb), Haematorite (HCT), Mean Corpuscular Volume (MCV), Mean Corpuscular Haemoglobin (MCH) and Mean Corpuscular Haemoglobin Concentration (MCHC) were measured in 90 stellate sturgeon juveniles Acipenser stellatus (1-2 years old) and 90 Persian sturgeons Acipenser persicus (1-2...

Some haematological variables including Red Blood Cells (RBC), White Blood Cells (WBC) differential counts, Haemoglobin (Hb), Haematorite (HCT), Mean Corpuscular Volume (MCV), Mean Corpuscular Haemoglobin (MCH) and Mean Corpuscular Haemoglobin Concentration (MCHC) were measured in 90 stellate sturgeon juveniles Acipenser stellatus (1-2 years old) and 90 Persian sturgeons Acipenser persicus (1-2...

BACKGROUND Majority of parasitic infections in rodents have zoonotic importance. This study aimed to determine the frequency and intensity of intestinal protozoa infections of rodents including Meriones persicus, Mus musculus and, Cricetulus migratorius. METHODS This survey was conducted in Meshkin Shahr district in northwestern Iran from Mar. to Dec. of 2014. Intestinal samples of 204 rodent...

Motility of spermatozoa was studied on 12 and 7 specimens of Acipenser persicus and A. stellatus, respectively. The density measured to be 2.22±0.65x109ml-1 in A. persicus and 2.21±0.55x109ml-1 in A. stellatus. Semen samples were diluted with two extenders containing tris 118mM, sucrose 23.4mM, pH=8, egg yolk (20%), dimethyl sulfoxide (15%) and penicillin potassium (500IU/ml) and biociphus exte...

The effects of water temperature and ammonia concentration on swimming capacity of brook charr (Salvelinus fontinalis, Mitchill, 1814) were determined by measuring gait transition speed (U(gt), cms(-1)), maximum burst speed (U(max), cms(-1)), tail-beat amplitude (a, cm), tail-beat frequency (f, Hz), maximum acceleration of bursts (A(max), cms(-2)), number of bursts, distance of bursts (cm) and ...

Diel activity patterns are often fixed within species such that most animals can be classified as diurnal, crepuscular, or nocturnal, and have sensory abilities that reflect when they are active. However, many snake species appear capable of switching between diurnal and nocturnal activity. Here, we evaluate the hypothesis that some species are constrained in their activity by the sensory cues ...