BACEKGROUND: Toxoplasmosisis one of the most important zoonotic diseases in Iran and the world. OBJCTIVES: Due to the high consumption of lamb meat and the high frequency of Toxoplasma infection in sheep in Iran, the aim of study was to determine frequency of Toxoplasma infection in the slaughtered sheep of Mashhad area. METHODS: In order to do this study, from summer 2015 to spring 2016, 25 blood and 25 heart muscle samples were seasonally collected from Torghabae slaughterhouse in Mashhad area. The samples were transferred to parasitology laboratory. First, the blood samples were centrifuged and the serum samples were isolated, then a portion of the heart muscles sample was taken for PCR examination. The sera and muscles samples were kept at -20 ºC in freezer until examination time. The sera samples were examined to detect antibody against T.gondii by ELISA method. DNA of heart muscle was extracted by commercial extraction kit and was examined to detect Toxoplasma DNA by nested –PCR. RESULTS: In the present study, of 100 sampled sheep, only 1 (1%) of the serum samples was seropositive, while 22 (22%) of the DNA samples were PCR positive. In this study, the highest frequency of Toxoplsma PCR-Positive was seen in spring and the lowest in summer in sheep. Also, the result of this study showed that the agreement between the molecular and EISA method was “fair”. CONCLUSIONS: Based on the high frequency of Toxoplasma infection in heart muscle of sheep, it seems that the risk of transmission of Toxoplasma infection from sheep meat is high.

BACKGROUND: During the last two decades, anthelmintic drugs have been increasingly applied against gastrointestinal parasites of sheep in Iran. OBJECTIVES: For this purpose, drug resistance to albendazole (Alb) and fenbendazole (Feb) in gastrointestinal nematodes in sheep of Saqez multiplicity was assessed. METHODS: In in-vivo experiment, a total number of 90 sheep in three groups (30 sheep/group) with EPG≤150 were examined for nematode resistance to Alb and Feb. They were treated with Alb and Feb or untreated (as a control group). RESULTS: There was significant difference between Alb and Feb treated groups and control group. The EPG in Alb, Feb and control groups was 59.8±1.93, 18.8±1.258 and 204.07±4.81, respectively. There was drug resistance against Alb in compassion with control group (R=71%). There was suspicion drug resistance for Feb in comparison with control group (R=90.66%). CONCLUSIONS: From the results of the present study, it was concluded that there was absolute and suspected drug resistance against Alb and Feb in sheep of Saqez municipality, Iran, respectively.

BACKGROUND: Ovine theileriosis is an important hemoprotozoal disease of sheep and goats in tropical and subtropical regions which causes high economic loss in the livestock industry. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was the differential detection of Theileria species in sheep using PCR method. METHODS: Two hundred blood samples of sheep were investigated in order to differentially diagnose Theileria species. DNA was extracted from blood samples and DNA samples were amplified using specific primers designed for 18S rRNA, TamS1 and TaSp genes. RESULTS: In this study, from 200 examined samples, 42 samples (21%) were infected by Theileria spp. and none of them were infected by Babesia spp. Moreover, from these 42 positive samples, 24 samples (57.1%) were only infected by T. ovis. 12 samples (28.5%) were only infected by T. lestoquardi, 2 samples (4.7%) were only infected by T. annulata and 4 samples (9.5%) were simultaneously infected by T. lestoquardi and T. ovis. The results of nucleotide sequencing showed that PCR product of 18S rRNA from T. lestoquardi has 99 and 95% similarity with T. annulata and T. ovis respectively. T. lestoquardi and T. annulata showed 86% similarity. Also TaSp gene of T. ovis in comparison with T. annulata and T. lestoquardi showed 96 and 86% similarity, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: In the present study could be shown that the two genes (TamS1 and TaSp) from examined three genes could be used for Theileria species specific diagnosis by PCR.