Epidemiological investigation of Coxiella burnetii in cattle and its association with Ixodid tick infestation in different agro-ecological zones of Southwest Ethiopia

Abstract

Coxiella burnetii is a serious zoonotic disease that causes significant economic losses in cattle production, including abortion, stillbirth, infertility, and reduced milk yield. However, little is known about the epidemiology of C. burnetii in Ethiopia. From November 2020 to November 2021, a cross-sectional study was conducted to estimate the seroprevalence and associated risk factors of C. burnetii in cattle in various agro-ecologies of Southwest Ethiopia. Blood samples were collected from 461 cattle, and the serum samples were tested for the presence of C. burnetii antibodies using an indirect ELISA. To identify potential risk factors for C. burnetii seropositivity, a multivariable mixed-effect logistic regression analysis was used. The study found an overall seroprevalence of 8.68% (95% CI: 6.11–11.25) and 13.57% (95% CI: 9.56–17.58) at the animal and herd levels, respectively, in the study areas. The results of the study indicated that C. burnetii infection was a widespread disease in the study areas. C. burnetii seropositivity at the animal level was significantly associated with age (OR = 4.1, 95%CI: 1.47–10.92), herd size (OR = 3.9, 95%CI: 1.21–12.66), management system (OR = 9.7, 95%CI: 1.27–27.25), cattle access to dogs, cats, and mice (OR = 2.5, 95%CI: 1.21–5.28), accessibility of cattle to wild animals (OR = 4.2, 95%CI: 1.01–17.18), presence of ticks on cattle (OR = 2.3, 95%CI: 1.12–4.83), and history of abortion (OR = 3.8, 95%CI: 1.78–8.23). A herd level analysis identified several risk factors for C. burnetii infection, including the management system (OR = 3.8, 95%CI: 1.59–8.98), agro-ecology (OR = 2.8, 95%CI: 1.43–7.21), herd size (OR = 4.3, 95%CI: 1.69–9.76), and accessibility of cattle to dogs, cats, and mice (OR = 2.6, 95%CI: 1.18–3.96). Therefore, it is important to implement appropriate control methods and raise public awareness about C. burnetii zoonotic transmission. Moreover, further studies should be conducted to isolate and characterize C. burnetii as a cause of reproductive problems and in disease reservoirs such as ticks and wildlife in the study areas.