Effects of vaccination against Q-fever in Lower Saxony dairy cattle farms

Abstract

Being a notifiable and zoonotic disease, Q-fever is coming under increasing focus of epizootic disease control. Current studies indicate that the disease is more widespread in Germany than the number of notifications suggest. Therefore, since 2013, under certain conditions a hardship allowance is granted by the Animal Diseases Fund of Lower Saxony for the vaccine costs of the basic immunization to support affected farms. Material und methods: All farmers, on whose farms clinical signs of Q-fever and the pathogen Coxiella burnetii had been detected prior to vaccination and who had taken advantage of the hardship allowance during the previous 2years were surveyed to assess the effectiveness of the measure. The survey was conducted by telephone using a previously compiled questionnaire. The topics included the observed clinical signs in cattle before and after the vaccination and the evaluation of the vaccination. Clinical manifestations indicating a Q-fever infection may differ widely and include aborts and fertility disorders and/or frequently occurring inflammations (pneumonia, mastitis, metritis) and/or unspecific symptoms presenting as higher susceptibility to disease, weakness, and fever attacks. Following vaccination, the vast majority of the farmers (84 %) observed a marked health improvement in their cattle and two thirds of the respondents intend to continue with the vaccination even without financial support from the Animal Diseases Fund. Adverse effects beyond general vaccination reactions, including transiently elevated body temperature, physical weakness and fluctuations in milk performance, were rarely observed. The clinical signs for Q-fever were diverse and often unspecific. According to the assessments by the farmers, clinical problems in most cases were considerably reduced following Q-fever vaccination. Vaccination appears to be a valuable tool in the control of this zoonosis.