Investigation of Q Fever Seroprevalence in Cattle in Turkey

Abstract

Objective: The aim of this study is to investigate Q fever seroprevalence in cattle in Turkey. Q fever is a highly infectious zoonotic disease which is caused by Coxiella burnetii and which has occurrence in many countries of the world. As it is a multiple species disease, many different domestic and wild animals could be the carrier of the pathogen. However, cattle, sheep and goats are the main reservoirs and the disease generally appears with an increase in the cases of abortion and stillbirth. Methods: Enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) is preferred and recommended for the diagnosis of Q fever because they are highly sensitive and easy to use. In this study, blood samples of cattle randomly collected from 22 provinces of Turkey between 2017-2018 were tested by ELISA. Results: Among 1114 blood samples analyzed, the detected seropositivity level is 18% and provincial seropositivity is between 2.3%-35.2%. Regional results are close to each other changing between 15.1% and 22.3%. Conclusion: The results gathered have revealed the C. burnetii exposure of cattle in different regions of Turkey.The findings of this study display the necessity of strategies against this disease which poses hazards for both public and animal health. Since this disease leads to serious loss in animal production, determination of the fighting strategies against Q fever and evaluation of the methods after practice is important. This study is believed to contribute to the fight against this disease with the leading and comparable data it presents.