en انگل شناسی Parasitology Research Article Research Article <div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:12px;"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;"><b>Background:</b> Leishmaniasis is a zoonotic disease transmitted between humans and animals and is caused by the <i>Leishmania</i> parasite. This parasite is transmitted through the bite of the female sandfly. Rodents and canids serve as reservoir hosts, while humans act as incidental hosts for this parasitic disease. Given the crucial role of rodents as reservoirs for zoonotic cutaneous leishmaniasis in the endemic regions of Golestan province, we aimed to investigate the presence of <i>Leishmania</i> in rodents and their hard ticks in the Agh Qala and Inche Broun areas of Golestan province.<br> <b>Methods:</b> This study is a descriptive cross-sectional study. It involved the analysis of 28 liver and 28 skin samples from 28 rodents and their isolated hard ticks for the presence of <i>Leishmania</i> parasites using the ITS1-PCR method.<br> <b>Results:</b> In this study, 6 species were identified among the 28 rodents captured in the Agh Qala and Inche Broun areas of Golestan province, with the dominant species being <i>Rhombomys opimus</i>, accounting for 75% of the rodents. Through PCR analysis, 13 rodents (46.4%) and 15 hard ticks (10.7%) were positive for <i>Leishmania major</i> parasites. Interestingly, it was observed that 69% of the rodents infected with <i>Leishmania</i> parasites were female. Most rodents infected with <i>Leishmania</i> were found to inhabit the Inche Broun area. The majority of ticks belonged to the genera <i>Rhipicephalus</i> spp., <i>Ornithonyssus bacoti</i>, and <i>Ixodes ricinus</i>.<br> <b>Conclusion</b>: Given the positivity of <i>Leishmania</i> parasites in some ticks isolated from infected animals, it is important to consider the potential epidemiological role of hard ticks in the transmission of rodent leishmaniasis.</span></span></div> Leishmania, Rodents, Hard Ticks, Polymerase Chain Reaction, Internal Transcribed Spacer 1, Golestan Province 35 38 http://mlj.goums.ac.ir/browse.php?a_code=A-10-654-3&slc_lang=en&sid=1 Farideh Tohidi tohidi66@yahoo.ca 100319475328460032112 100319475328460032112 Yes Infectious Diseases Research Center, Golestan University of Medical Sciences, Gorgan, Iran Abazar Nejati Abazar7596@gmail.com 100319475328460032113 0009-0008-3322-1578 No Student Research Committee, Golestan University of Medical Sciences, Gorgan, Iran Ayeneh Hagieh Pangh ayenehpangh56@gmail.com 100319475328460032114 100319475328460032114 No Department of Parasitology and Mycology, Faculty of Medicine, Golestan University, Gorgan, Iran Zeinolabedin Mohammadi mohammadi.zeinal84@gmail.com 100319475328460032115 100319475328460032115 No Department of Biology Education, Farhangian University, Tehran, Iran Mohammad Reza Ghanbari ghanbarimr@yahoo.com 100319475328460032116 100319475328460032116 No Department of Public Health, School of Health, Golestan University of Medical Sciences, Gorgan, Iran