Abstract
Coxiellosis is a zoonotic disease caused by the obligate intracellular bacterium Coxiella burnetii affecting the productive and reproductive capabilities of animals. This study was conducted to gain insight into the seroprevalence of coxiellosis in small ruminants in seven farms of the Punjab, Pakistan. Potential risk factors were assessed. In total, 1000 serum samples (500 from sheep and 500 from goats) and 163 ticks were collected from the ruminants. All these 163 ticks were merged into 55 pools (29 pools for ticks from sheep and 26 pools for ticks from goat). Serum samples were investigated using an indirect ELISA and PCR. Coxiella burnetii DNA was detected in 29 pooled seropositive samples and 11 pooled ticks by real-time qPCR. Serological analysis revealed a prevalence of 15.6% and 15.0% in sheep and goats, respectively. A significant association was found between seropositivity and different variables like district, lactational status, reproductive status, body condition and reproductive disorders. Univariate analysis showed that detection of C. burnetii DNA in tick pools was significantly associated with the presence of ticks on sheep and goats. However, a non-significant association was found for the prevalence of C. burnetii DNA in serum pools. Hence, C. burnetii infection is prevalent in small ruminants and ticks maintained at livestock farms in Punjab, Pakistan.
Highlights
Coxiellosis (Q Fever) is a zoonotic bacterial infection affecting various hosts including humans, ruminants, and pets
The results of iELISA showed that 153 serum samples were seropositive, and 81 serum samples were considered as suspected
Univariate analysis was conducted to investigate the relationship of seven livestock farms and associated variables with the prevalence of C. burnetii infection (Tables 1 and 2)
Summary
This study was carried out in small ruminants kept in seven different livestock farms of the Punjab province of Pakistan. Punjab is the largest province, with the highest human and animal population in Pakistan. It is the second largest province in the country, with an area of 205,344 km. It is the second largest province in the country, with an area of 205,344 km2 It is located at 31.1704◦ N and 72.7097◦ E in the semiarid lowland region. The temperature ranges from −2 to 45 ◦ C but can reach 50 ◦ C (122 ◦ F) in summer and may fall to −10 ◦ C in winter
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