In this study, 2,500 different livestock were studied and 30.5% of livestock and 25% of stalls and stables were infested with different ticks, this is one of the first studies to include more samples and tick populations were also studied in Iran. In related surveys, the infection rate of ticks was 11%, 9.37%, 43% and 24% in northwest, west and north Iran (Salim Abadi et al 2011, Hashemi-Fesharaki et al 2011, Telmadarreyi 2010, Bakhshai et al 2012).

The highest frequency of captured ticks was related to spring (37.24%) and the lowest frequency is related to winter (11.83%) and this indicates the seasonal behavior of ticks in the mountainous and northwestern regions of Iran, mainly in spring, which can be attributed to the Nasiri study in Abdanan County, Ilam Province (Nasiri et al 2010). Nonetheless, more seasonal tick activity was recorded in summer and autumn in areas such as Golestan province northern Iran, which have ecologically different climates and have lower altitudes and higher temperatures than the mountainous areas (Sarani et al 2014).

The highest tick infection was observed in sheep and goats in this research (79.23 %) and it was consistent with another study in the province of Ardabil, northwest Iran (Telmadarreyi 2010).

In the sample area, the tick biodiversity, according to the Shannon-Wiener index, was found to be moderate to high (2.432) and the biodiversity index of Simpson (D-1) was also determined to be 0,856. The dominant species in the area therefore had a great diversity. We found the highest richness of ticks captured from cows and ox and the lowest   from horses and donkeys, according to the Margalef species richness index. The findings of this research did not confirm previous studies in the province of Golestan (Sarani et al 2014) that found more sheep species compared to cows. The diversity of the species was highest in autumn, and lowest in winter. The findings of this research were consistent with study for seasonal ticks activities in northwestern Iran (Vatandoost et al 2012).

Six genera and 14 species of hard and soft ticks were collected in this research, of which the dominant genus was Hyalomma (48.12 %). The findings of this research revealed that the region was prone to diseases like Crimean Congo hemorrhagic fever.  According to the study (2004) in the eastern province of Azarbaijan, northwestern Iran, the Hyalomma genus was confirmed to have the highest abundance (52.81 %) which was consistent with recent study(unpublished data). Interestingly, in a survey conducted in West Azerbaijan province, 7 tick species with more abundant in the Hyalomma genus (unpublished data) were reported to have the highest abundance and distribution, as our recent research did. Based on the findings of this study and the above research, it can be inferred that the provinces located in northwestern Iran including East Azerbaijan, West Azerbaijan and Ardabil had a high abundance of Hyalomma species and were ecologically suitable habitat for this tick.

Identifying high-risk and low-risk disease and vector areas allows to make better decisions on the management of the vectors and diseases transmitted by them, and to arrange for the control and preventive management of the region. Throughout this research, the spreading of ticks as the vectors was found randomly around the region, but internal analysis revealed that the high-risk area of ticks was very high in the west of the study area as well as being a large hotspot. The high population of livestock and livestock occupation which have been the key hosts of ticks were some of the factors involved in this region. Therefore, in terms of tick-borne diseases, this area is indeed one of the high-risk areas and control measures should be taken to prevent bites of ticks and diseases that they transmit.