The aims of the present study were to characterize ticks infesting the dromedary camel and cattle in Hofuf, Eastern Saudi Arabia and to determine the piroplasms that they may harbor. DNA was extracted from ticks, collected from camels and cattle, using commercial kits and subjected to polymerase chain reaction using specific primers for the amplification of ticks and piroplasms DNA. The cytochrome oxidase subunit I mitochondrial gene (COI) was used for characterization of ticks whereas partial 18S rRNA gene (18S rRNA) was used for piroplasms characterization. Ticks were genetically identified as Hyalomma dromedarii and Hyalomma anatolicum. Both cattle and camel in Hofuf, were found to be infested with both species. Both ticks identified as H. dromedarii and H. anatolicum from camels and cows showed 100% identity to COI sequences from the same species available in GenBank. Only Theileria annulata DNA was amplified from both H. anatolicum and H. dromedarii infesting cattle. None of the ticks collected from camels revealed DNA of piroplasms. T. annulata DNA was reported for the first time from Hofuf and the role of both H. anatolicum and H. dromedarii as potential vectors for this parasite in cattle in Saudi Arabia has been documented for the first time.

本研究的目的是确定沙特阿拉伯东部胡富夫感染单峰骆驼和牛的蜱的特征，并确定它们可能含有的梨原体。使用商业试剂盒从蜱中提取DNA，并从骆驼和牛身上收集，并使用特异性引物进行聚合酶链反应，以扩增蜱和梨质DNA。细胞色素氧化酶亚基 I 线粒体基因 ( COI ) 用于表征蜱，而部分 18S rRNA 基因 ( 18S rRNA ) 用于表征梨质。蜱经基因鉴定为Hyalomma dromedarii和Hyalomma anatolicum。胡富夫的牛和骆驼都被发现感染了这两种物种。被鉴定为来自骆驼和牛的H. dromedarii和H. anatolicum 的两种蜱与 GenBank 中同一物种的COI序列具有 100% 的同一性。仅从H. anatolicum和H.中扩增出环状泰勒虫DNA 。德罗墨达里虫感染牛。从骆驼身上采集的蜱虫均未发现梨原体 DNA。Hofuf 首次报道了T. annulata DNA，并且首次记录了H. anatolicum 和 H. dromedarii作为沙特阿拉伯牛体内这种寄生虫的潜在载体的作用。