Camel trypanosomiasis, or surra, is a serious disease caused by the haemoprotozoan parasite Trypanosoma evansi. This parasite is transmitted by biting flies and affects the health and productivity of camels. Surra causes fever, anemia, weight loss, edema, and abortion in infected animals. We used real-time PCR to detect T. evansi in 48 blood samples from dromedary camels in four counties of Golestan province, northern Iran. We found that 12.5% of the samples were positive for T. evansi, with the highest prevalence in Gonbad-e-Kavoos, Agh-ghala, and Kalaleh counties. No positive sample was found in Gomishan county. Our study shows that surra is prevalent among camels in Golestan province and that real-time PCR is a useful tool for diagnosis and control of this disease.

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