897Environmental contamination of Coxiella burnetii in and around an endemically infected goat farm

Abstract

Abstract Background Coxiella burnetii is the cause of Q fever, a zoonotic disease spread by aerosol transmission. This study investigated C. burnetii environmental contamination in and around an endemically infected, intensively managed dairy goat farm in Victoria, Australia. Methods Dust, soil and water were collected in and around kidding pens. Samplings were collected before, during and after each kidding season. Soil was sampled along a 500 m transect from the main kidding pen in the predominant wind direction to assess the risk of C. burnetii spread from the main farm shed as a point source. DNA extraction and quantitative PCRs targeting the IS1111 and com1 genes were performed. Analyses are ongoing to describe the change in the frequency of C. burnetii positive environmental samples as a function of distance from the main farm shed. Results Dust inside the kidding pen contained C. burnetii DNA at all time points, with higher loads during the kidding seasons. Soil samples were positive for both PCR targets and were evenly dispersed within close ranges (500 m) from the main farm shed. Only those water samples taken from close to the main farm shed were positive. Conclusions C. burnetii was readily found in dust and soil in and around a farm shed where coxiellosis was endemic. Further environmental sampling will allow us to estimate the distance over which C. burnetii contamination occurs around a known point source. Key messages Results of this study will provide information critical for estimating Q fever risk around livestock facilities.