Abstract
This study was conducted to determine the prevalence of Coxiella burnetii in cattle and how that prevalence is influenced by cattle breed and growth type. A total of 491 cattle [cattle breed: 216 dairy cattle and 275 beef cattle; growth type: indoor housed (n = 294) and grazing (n = 197)] were used. The presence of C. burnetii DNA and antibodies was detected from blood and serum samples using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), respectively. The overall prevalence of C. burnetii was: 10.8% (95% CI: 8.0–13.5%) using PCR and 8.8% (95% CI: 6.3–11.3%) using ELISA. The prevalence of C. burnetii was significantly higher in beef cattle than in dairy cattle using both PCR (13.5% vs. 7.4%; P = 0.032) and ELISA (14.5% vs. 1.4%; P = 0.000), respectively. Comparison by growth type revealed that C. burnetii infection was significantly higher in grazing cattle than in housed cattle when using both PCR (24.9% vs. 1.4%; P = 0.000) and ELISA (21.3% vs. 0.3%; P = 0.000). Beef cattle were at a significantly higher risk of contracting C. burnetii compared with dairy cattle (odds ratio = 3.20, 95% CI: 1.80–5.67; P = 0.000). The risk of contracting C. burnetii in grazing cattle was increased by 32.57-fold (95% CI: 12.84–82.61; P = 0.000) compared with indoor housed cattle. The phylogenetic analysis based on the IS1111 gene revealed that our sequences grouped with human, tick, goat, and cattle isolates/strains found in several countries. C. burnetii sequences circulating in the Republic of Korea exhibit genetic variations. Thus, grazing is a high risk factor for the prevalence and transmission of C. burnetii.
Highlights
Coxiella burnetii, the causative agent of Q fever, is a highly infectious zoonotic intracellular bacterium that can infect a wide range of hosts including wild and domestic animals, birds, and arthropods [1,2,3]
With regard to the growth types, the prevalence of C. burnetii was significantly higher in grazing cattle (PCR: 24.9%, 95% CI: 18.8–30.9%; enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA): 21.3%, 95% CI: 15.6–27.0%) than in housed cattle (PCR: 1.4%, 95% CI: 0–2.7%; ELISA: 0.3%, 95% CI: 0–1.0%)
C. burnetii was detected at 33.34-fold higher using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis and 114.51-fold higher using the ELISA test, respectively, compared to housed cattle (Table 3)
Summary
The causative agent of Q fever, is a highly infectious zoonotic intracellular bacterium that can infect a wide range of hosts including wild and domestic animals, birds, and arthropods [1,2,3]. Transmission to humans is primarily caused by the inhalation of contaminated aerosols or dust, or from direct contact with infected animals (mostly sheep and goats) [4]. The shedding of C. burnetii in milk poses a potentially significant threat to public health since the consumption of raw milk and unpasteurized milk products is still practiced; this could be a source of human infections [9,10]. Q fever is a public health concern as it ranks as one of the thirteen leading global priority zoonoses. It has been considered as a potential biological weapon due to its widespread availability, aerosolized use, and environmental stability [11,12]
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