Tehran University of Medical Sciences Journal of Arthropod-Borne Diseases 2322-1984 16 2 2023 01 27 1340 1340 Manijeh Yousefi Behzadi Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Research Centre for Emerging and Reemerging Infectious Diseases, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran ANDNational Reference Laboratory of Plague, Tularemia and Q Fever, Research Centre for Emerging and Reemerging Infectious Diseases, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Akanlu, Kabudar-Ahang, Hamadan, Iran Neda Moazzezy Molecular Biology Department, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran Mehdi Rohani Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Research Centre for Emerging and Reemerging Infec-tious Diseases, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran, AND Department of Microbiology, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran Saied Reza Naddaf Department of Parasitology, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran Ehsan Mostafavi Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Research Centre for Emerging and Reemerging Infec-tious Diseases, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran AND National Reference Laboratory of Plague, Tularemia and Q Fever, Research Centre for Emerging and Reemerging Infectious Diseases, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Akanlu, Kabudar-Ahang, Hamadan, Iran Ali Mohamadi Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Research Centre for Emerging and Reemerging Infec-tious Diseases, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran Masoomeh Shams-Ghahfarokhi Department of Mycology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran Nasrin Pashootan Department of Mycology, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran Mehdi Razzaghi-Abyaneh Department of Mycology, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran 2020 09 02 2023 01 23 Background: Ticks are vectors of many pathogens that involve various important diseases in humans and animals, they have several diverse hosts consequently can retain a diverse group of indigenous microbes, from bacteria to fungi. Little is known about the prevalence and diversity of tick microflora colonizing the midgut and their effects on ticks and their interaction. This information is important for development of vector control strategies. Methods: This study was carried out in northern Iran during autumn 2019. Ticks, Ixodes ricinus caught alive on the bodies of domestic animals in the fall. The tick homogenate was prepared. The identification of fungal isolates was car­ried out according to a combination of macro and microscopic morphology and molecular sequencing. Pathogenic bac­teria of the family Borreliaceae, Francisella tularensis, Borrelia burgdorferi and Coxiella burnetii were tested by real-time PCR. Results: A total of 133 mature I. ricinus ticks were collected from domestic animals, including 71.5% cattle and 28.5% sheep. The tick frequency rates were 87.21% for Mazandaran, 8.28% for Golestan and 4.51% for Gilan Provinces. Total prevalence of fungal tick contamination was 53.4% (75/133) of which Trichoderma harzianum (57%) was the most prevalent species followed by Aspergillus spp. (42%), Mortierella alpine (19%) and Penicillium polonicum (14%). All tick samples were negative for three pathogenic bacteria including Francisella tularensis, Coxiella burnetii, and Borre­lia burgdorferi by real-time PCR analysis. Conclusion: These results show a first picture of the microbial diversity of ticks and highlight the importance of micro­biota and their role in host-pathogen interaction. https://jad.tums.ac.ir/index.php/jad/article/view/1340 https://jad.tums.ac.ir/index.php/jad/article/download/1340/589