The role of wildlife in the complex balance of tick-borne diseases within ecosystems is crucial, as they serve as hosts for tick carriers and reservoirs for the pathogens carried by these ticks. This study aimed to investigate the presence of zoonotic pathogenic bacteria in wildlife, specifically in hares and long-eared hedgehogs (Hemiechinus megalofis), in the eastern region of Iran. The focus was on the detection of Borrelia spp., Coxiella burnetii, Anaplasma spp., Francisella spp., and Leptospira spp., using the Nested-PCR method. We analyzed a total of 124 blood samples, and 196 ticks collected from hares and long-eared hedgehogs were analyzed. The Nested-PCR method was employed to identify the presence of zoonotic pathogenic bacteria DNA. Our study revealed the presence of these zoonotic pathogenic bacteria in both wildlife species, indicating their potential role as hosts and reservoirs for the ticks carrying these pathogens. The specific presence and prevalence of Borrelia spp., Coxiella burnetii, Anaplasma spp., Francisella spp., and Leptospira spp. were determined through the Nested-PCR method. This study contributes to the limited knowledge about the involvement of wild animals in the transmission of tick-borne diseases. By using the Nested-PCR method, we successfully identified the presence of zoonotic pathogenic bacteria in hares and long-eared hedgehogs. This study emphasizes the need for further research to better understand the ecological process of tick-borne diseases, particularly the role of wildlife in their spread. Such knowledge is crucial for wildlife conservation efforts and the management of tick-borne diseases, ultimately benefiting both animal and human health.

野生动物在生态系统内蜱传疾病的复杂平衡中发挥着至关重要的作用，因为它们是蜱虫携带者的宿主和这些蜱虫携带的病原体的储存库。本研究旨在调查伊朗东部地区野生动物中人畜共患致病菌的存在情况，特别是野兔和长耳刺猬 (Hemiechinus megalofis) 中。重点是使用巢式 PCR 方法检测伯氏疏螺旋体、伯氏柯克斯体、无形体、弗朗西斯菌和钩端螺旋体。我们总共分析了 124 份血液样本，并对从野兔和长耳刺猬身上采集的 196 只蜱进行了分析。采用巢式PCR方法鉴定人畜共患致病菌DNA的存在。我们的研究揭示了这两种野生动物物种中都存在这些人畜共患致病菌，表明它们作为携带这些病原体的蜱虫的宿主和宿主的潜在作用。伯氏疏螺旋体、伯氏柯克斯体、无形体、弗朗西斯菌和钩端螺旋体的具体存在和流行情况。通过巢式PCR方法测定。这项研究有助于我们对野生动物参与蜱传疾病传播的了解有限。通过使用巢式PCR方法，我们成功鉴定了野兔和长耳刺猬体内是否存在人畜共患致病菌。这项研究强调需要进一步研究，以更好地了解蜱传疾病的生态过程，特别是野生动物在其传播中的作用。这些知识对于野生动物保护工作和蜱传疾病的管理至关重要，最终有利于动物和人类的健康。