Farm Workers Research Articles

A Mobile based Decision Support System for Postural Evaluation of Agricultural Activities with Rapid Entire Body Assessment (REBA)

Agriculture is an unorganized sector and it is a very high drudgery prone profession due to the absence of awareness and entry of advanced agricultural technologies. Many farming activities and operations are carried out by farm workers in the agriculture sector, where they are subject to very poor working conditions which can lead to physical and mental stress. Workers in agriculture experience musculoskeletal disorders in various body parts throughout various agricultural operations. These problems are caused by heavy work loads, repetitive movements, uncomfortable postures, prolonged periods of time spent in neutral or unsupported positions and the use of conventional equipment and implements that are not ergonomically built. The ergonomic risk factors present in the workplace can be examined using various evaluation instruments to ascertain the workers abilities and drawbacks. The work-related risks are measured using the scientifically validated posture assessment instruments. Rapid entire body assessment (REBA) is a technique that assess a person’s complete body including wrists, fore arms, elbows, shoulders, neck, trunk, back, legs and knees. It uses a systematic process to find the postural musculoskeletal disorders and risks associated with the job tasks. A mobile application is developed to assess the agricultural activities on the basis of physiological analysis and postural analysis using REBA ergonomics technique. The application evaluates the drudgery involved in the agricultural work by using physical assessment followed by postural ergonomics methods and provide recommendation of correct posture to avoid developing musculoskeletal disorders.

Low-cost biosecurity measures are associated with reduced detection of non-Typhoidal Salmonella in Nigerian poultry while inappropriate antibiotic use is widespread

Large-scale poultry production in low- and middle-income countries may be a source of adulterated products (e.g., Salmonella contamination, antibiotic residues) that can be disseminated over wide areas. We employed a cross-sectional survey of 199 randomly selected poultry farms in Lagos State, Nigeria, to estimate the prevalence of non-typhoidal Salmonella (NTS), and biosecurity and antibiotic use practices. Pooled fecal samples were collected from laying chickens and from poultry handlers. Selective culture, biochemical assays, and PCR (invA) were used to isolate and confirm NTS isolates. NTS was detected at 14% of farms (28/199) and from 10% of farm workers (6/60). Multivariate logistic regression analysis indicated that antiseptic foot dips reduced the odds ratio (OR) for detecting NTS in chicken feces [OR: 0.55; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.07–0.58]. Most farms (94.5%, 188/199) used antibiotics for treatment and prophylaxis, but no farms (0/199) exercised withdrawal before sale of products. Most farms (86.4%, 172/199) reported using antibiotic cocktails that included medically important colistin, ciprofloxacin, chloramphenicol, and gentamicin. Egg production in Lagos State relies heavily on antibiotics and antibiotic residues are likely passed to consumers through poultry products, but there is evidence that low-cost biosecurity controls are effective for limiting the presence of NTS on farms.

Development of Rice Distribution Model to Support Food Security in East Java Province

This study aims to analyze problems in food distribution from upstream to downstream and the efficiency of the distribution values of the food chain, and formulate an efficient food distribution system model in Pacitan Regency. A mixed method, which combines quantitative and qualitative analyses, was used. The first objective was analyzed with the fishbone diagram, the second objective with the value chain model, and the third objective with the Matrix of Alliances and Conflicts: Tactics, Objectives, and Recommendations (MACTOR). This study used primary and secondary data obtained from observations, surveys, in-depth interviews, and focus group discussions. Respondents consisted of stakeholders in agriculture and distribution channels, namely farm laborers, landowners, wholesalers, warehousing, brokers, agents, retailers, bankers / financial institutions, and information providers. The objectives associated with product flow included transportation, risk, price, distribution, profit. The results show that there are problems in the four areas of production, post-harvest, trading system, and institution. There are three food distribution systems in Pacitan East Java but the most efficient model is farmers-millers-retailers-consumers. Although farmers must allow more time to reimbursement, prices are more affordable for consumers. The results of stakeholder analysis found that the stakeholders with the highest competitiveness are retailers, agents, information and warehousing, while those with the lowest are farm laborers and landowners. The results of the convergence show that close relationship is observed between farm laborers, collectors, warehousing and landowners in Order One 1; between warehouses, landowners, and collectors in Order Two 2; and between agents and collectors in Order Three 3. This shows that collectors have the strongest potential to play the central role in the agricultural chain.

Impact of Pesticide Training on Safety Climate Perception Among French Cereal Farmers.

Background: The training of farmers in pesticide safety is of prime importance for reducing pesticide use and exposure through the implementation of sustainable management practices. This study aimed to assess the impact of compulsory training on the knowledge and perceptions of cereal farmers, with the help of a safety climate scale. Method: We approached cereal farmers throughout France during compulsory training and certification procedures for pesticide-related activities. Trainees were asked to complete a safety climate questionnaire at the start and end of the course. In total, 733 cereal farm managers or workers completed the questionnaire at the start of the study, 131 of whom declined to complete the questionnaire at the end of the training session, leaving 602 subjects available for pre-training/post-training comparisons. Statistical analyses were based on paired t-tests and mixed models for repeated measures. Findings: The mean safety climate score increased from 82.37 to 88.22 after the training course (7.1 %, p < .001) in both univariate and multivariate analyses. Mean increases were also found for each of its seven dimensions (p < .001), ranging from 2.8% for "rules and best practices" to 12.4% for "communication and feedback." Few covariate-by-time interactions were found to be significant. Conclusion/Application to Practice: This study demonstrates that pesticide training is highly effective in increasing safety climate perception among cereal farmers and provides hints for improving the design of educational programs. Promoting the development and facilitation of lifelong learning with continuously updated training programs should be a top priority for minimizing pesticide exposure.

Epidemiology and antibiotic resistance of staphylococci on commercial pig farms in Cape Town, South Africa

Staphylococci are responsible for a wide range of infections in animals. The most common species infecting animals include Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis and Staphylococcus intermedius. Recent increases in antibiotic use and antibiotic resistance in animals highlight the need to understand the potential role of commercial livestock as a reservoir of staphylococci and antibiotic resistance genes. Nasal swabs were collected from 143 apparently healthy pigs and 21 pig farm workers, and 45 environmental swabs of feed and water troughs, from two commercial pig farms in the Western Cape, South Africa. Staphylococci were isolated, identified using mass-spectrometry, and antimicrobial susceptibility testing and Illumina whole genome sequencing were performed. One hundred and eighty-five (185) Staphylococcus spp. isolates were obtained, with Mammalicoccus sciuri (n = 57; 31%) being the most common, followed by S. hyicus (n = 40; 22%) and S. aureus (n = 29; 16%). S. epidermidis was predominantly identified in the farm workers (n = 18; 86%). Tetracycline resistance was observed across all species, with rates ranging from 67 to 100%. Majority of M. sciuri isolates (n = 40; 70%) were methicillin resistant, with 78% (n = 31) harbouring mecA. M. sciuri isolates had genes/elements which were associated with SCCmec_type_III (3A) and SCCmec_type_VIII(4A) and were mostly observed in ST61 strains. ST239 strains were associated with SCCmec_type_III(3A). High rates of tetracycline resistance were identified among staphylococci in the pig farms in Western Cape, South Africa. This highlights the need for policy makers to regulate the use of this antibiotic in pig farming.

Conceptualizing climate-induced migration in Africa

Climate change has detrimental effects on the livelihoods of Africans, given their dependency on agriculture and subsistence farming. As such, when the environment is no longer conducive due to climate change challenges, migration is opted to seek better, more supportive living conditions. The study aimed to understand migration trends in the African region and to identify sustainable development strategies to mitigate migration by employing a bibliometric and systematic literature review. This systematic literature review of 16 studies conceptualized climate-induced mobility in African countries with evidence on how climate change has influenced migration decisions for most dwellers in vulnerable African areas. The results revealed a rural-urban migration as farming workers searched for other ways to secure livelihoods. Migration to other countries was also identified, especially in countries like the United States, France and the United Kingdom. However, the results also revealed that those who remained in rural areas would opt for other livelihood activities such as businesses. It was also observed that climate-induced migration is growing in Africa, particularly in Ghana, Uganda, Tanzania and Ethiopia. Therefore, to mitigate climate issues and manage migration, strategies are required to support communities affected by climate-induced problems.This study recommends that governments and policymakers should consider strategies like climate development finance, capacitating communities depending on natural resources, conservation agriculture and innovative technology to help stabilize the economies in areas affected by climate change and to improve human security.

Gait recognition for farm workers via multi-scale temporal feature perception

The monitoring and management of farm workers play a crucial role in agricultural production. The real-time monitoring of farm workers can effectively identify them, facilitating standardized management and operation of the farm. Gait, as a unique biometric feature that can be recognized from a distance, is more suitable for identifying individual farm workers walking on the farm at a distance compared to facial and iris features. Despite the increasing research on gait recognition techniques, existing gait recognition models are still lacking in temporal modeling. The gait of farm workers walking through farmland is greatly influenced by the environment, making it crucial to model the temporal information of gait. In this study, we captured videos of 50 farm workers from 11 different perspectives walking in real agricultural fields and formed the Farm Worker Gait Dataset (FWGD). In comparison with existing gait recognition models, we present a multi-scale temporal feature modeling method based on the GaitBase model and obtain a performance improvement on the FWGD dataset. Specifically, we propose an Adaptive Temporal Self-Attention (ATSA) mechanism to extract the most representative features based on temporal contextual temporal relations. Additionally, we utilize a dilated convolutional layer to extract discrete temporal features and employ a Multi-scale Temporal Perception Module (MSTP) with three branches to perceive and aggregate temporal features. With the assistance of MSTP and ATSA, our model significantly improves the discriminability of temporal features, thus enhancing the performance of farm worker gait recognition. Extensive experiments demonstrated that our proposed method outperformed state-of-the-art gait recognition methods on the FWGD dataset.

Fatal occupational injuries in fishing, farming and forestry 2010-2015.

Every year, 2.3 million people worldwide succumb to work-related accidents and illnesses. The primary industries have long been acknowledged with elevated accident risks. Recent levels and trends of injury and associated fatalities in these sectors are uncertain. An enhanced understanding of these risks in these industries is required for effective injury prevention in the future. This study aimed to describe registered fatalities in the primary industries worldwide, exploring potential disparities between countries and identifying trends in injury rates. Data were obtained on fatal occupational injuries per 100,000 workers in farming, fishing and forestry for the years 2010-2015 from the International Labour Organization ILO-STAT database. Descriptive statistics and mixed-model regression analyses were conducted. Fatal occupational injuries in upper- and middle-income countries were compared. The study incorporated data from 32 countries: 21 from Europe. America had the highest mean occupational fatality injury rate (76.9). The highest recorded rates for individual countries occurred in Colombia in 2014 (265.2) and Lithuania in 2015 (75.0), and the lowest in Greece in 2012 (0.2). Significant variation in injury rates was evident among the countries. There was no trend in the incidence of fatal injuries from 2010 to 2015, neither for all countries, nor Europe. Middle-income countries had higher occupational fatality injury rate than upper-income countries. The occupational fatality injury rate exhibited considerable variation, ranging from 0.9 to 265.2, and the injury rate was lowest in upper-income countries. There was no trend in the figures 2010-2015.

Multidrug-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Colonizing Pigs and Farm Workers in Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil: Potential Interspecies Transmission of Livestock-Associated MRSA (LA-MRSA) ST398.

Multidrug-resistant (MDR) Staphylococcus aureus has been increasingly isolated from pigs and people in close contact with them, especially livestock-associated methicillin-resistant S. aureus (LA-MRSA). In this cross-sectional study, we investigated S. aureus colonization in pigs and farm workers, their resistance profile, and genetic background to estimate interspecies transmission potential within farms from Rio de Janeiro state, Brazil, between 2014 and 2019. We collected nasal swabs from 230 pigs and 27 workers from 16 and 10 farms, respectively. Five MDR strains were subjected to whole genome sequencing. Fourteen (6.1%) pigs and seven (25.9%) humans were colonized with S. aureus, mostly (64-71%) MDR strains. Resistance to clindamycin, erythromycin, penicillin, and tetracycline was the most common among the pig and human strains investigated. MDR strains shared several resistance genes [blaZ, dfrG, fexA, lsa(E), and tet(M)]. Pig and human strains recovered from the same farm shared the same genetic background and antimicrobial resistance profile. LA-MRSA ST398-SCCmecV-t011 was isolated from pigs in two farms and from a farm worker in one of them, suggesting interspecies transmission. The association between pig management practices and MDR S. aureus colonization might be investigated in additional studies.

The nineteenth century evolution of the threshing machine in Britain

Manual farm work with the traditional flail, beating out grain from the sheaf-corn, was an arduous, labour-intensive task. In the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, machines (driven by water, wind or horse-power) started to take over—firstly in Scotland and northern England, then further south. Farm workers, losing their winter-time employment with the flail, rose up in 1830 in anger against the machines. Their riots and disorder were violently repressed and threshing machine development resumed. New machines were proudly displayed at the 1851 Great Exhibition. Improvements over the following years concentrated on steam-powered machines, and on achieving better power utilisation and cleaner grain separation. Competitive trials—and careful measurements of efficiency—played a major role in machine development. The threshing machine became a widely visible symbol of technological progress in agriculture and contributed substantially to Britain’s growing agricultural engineering industry.

Seroprevalence of Brucellosis, Knowledge, and Risky Practices in Dairy Cattle Owners and Workers in Maekel and Debub Regions, Eritrea.

Brucellosis is a zoonotic disease with worldwide distribution. In Eritrea, the status of the disease in occupationally exposed dairy farmers is unknown. The objective of this study was to determine the seroprevalence of brucellosis, level of knowledge, and risky practices of dairy cattle owners/workers in Maekel and Debub regions, Eritrea. A cross-sectional study was conducted between August 2021 and February 2022. A total of 416 dairy cattle owners and workers underwent blood collection and interview using a standardized questionnaire. Blood samples were tested using Rose Bengal Plate Test, and positive samples were confirmed using competitive ELISA. Variation in knowledge scores by sociodemographic factors and practices were explored statistically. The apparent and true seroprevalence was 1.2% (95% CI: 0.05-2.8%) and 1.4% (95% CI: 0.6-3.4%), respectively. Apparent seroprevalence was similar in Maekel (1.1%) and Debub (1.2%) regions. Nearly half of the participants (49.5%) had never heard of brucellosis before. Overall, brucellosis knowledge score was low (mean score: 6.53/20). Knowledge score was higher in participants from Maekel region (P <0.001), older participants (P = 0.035), those with higher educational attainment (P = 0.001), and those with more years of experience working in dairy farming (P = 0.001). Knowledge score was lower in farm workers compared with family members (P = 0.016). No significant differences in knowledge score existed between participants who engaged in or did not engage in potential risky practices. In summary, the prevalence of brucellosis in dairy cattle owners/workers in Maekel and Debub regions, Eritrea, was low. Participants demonstrated limited knowledge of brucellosis and engaged in risky practices.

Dairy farmworkers' knowledge of the causes, risk factors, and clinical signs of bovine lameness.

Observing lameness in dairy cows is the primary animal-based indicator of their overall welfare and health status. The study evaluated dairy farmworkers' understanding of bovine lameness's causes, risk factors, and clinical symptoms in Kwa-Zulu Natal Province, South Africa. Eleven dairy farms provided the data through questionnaires. The questionnaire consisted of five sections: The first section (A) gathered demographic data (age, gender, experience, level of study), and the second section (B) dealt with farm specifics (size, grazing method). Sections C, D, and E cover farm workers' knowledge of lameness risk factors, clinical signs of lameness, and treatment and management of lameness, respectively. About 85.5% of horses experience lameness during summer, contrasted to 15% during autumn. The seasonal results were statistically significant (p < 0.05). 93% of respondents identified a decrease in appetite as the most common sign of lameness, while 94% reported reduced milk yield and 90% increased lying time; a significant correlation was found between awareness of clinical signs and localities (p < 0.05). Age, gender, and occupation level (p < 0.05) were identified as contributing factors to the movement problem in the dairy industry, necessitating training for farm workers to enhance their knowledge. Although there is a satisfactory (81%) understanding of lameness by farm workers. There is still need for improvement, hence, farm worker training and retraining are essential for managing and reducing the instances of bovine lameness.

Gender gap in agricultural productivity: evidence from Burkina Faso

PurposeWomen make a major contribution to the agricultural sector, especially in developing countries. Despite this, women still face many obstacles in carrying out their agricultural activities. These obstacles have a negative impact on their productivity and create a gender gap. This paper analyses the difference in agricultural productivity between male-headed and female-headed households in Burkina Faso.Design/methodology/approachUsing data from the Permanent Agricultural Survey (EPA), we applied the Blinder-Oaxaca decomposition method to determine the size of the gender gap and identify the variables explaining this gap. In this study, we used the value of production per farm worker as a measure of productivity.FindingsThe results indicate a gender gap of 43.8 percentage points in favor of male-headed households. Around 131% of this difference is explained by differences in observable household characteristics. The factor that most explains this difference in productivity is the difference in the total area of land available to households.Practical implicationsThis finding calls for women’s access to land to be considered in the design and implementation of agricultural development policies.Originality/valueOne of the main contributions of this article in relation to previous studies lies in the unit of analysis. Rather than focusing on individual producers, as in previous studies, we have instead considered the household as the unit of analysis, since in developing countries such as Burkina Faso, production decisions are taken at household level. It contributes to inform economic policy decisions by providing decision-makers with the factors on which they can act to bring about an increase in agricultural productivity by reducing the gap between male-headed households and female-headed households.Peer reviewThe peer review history for this article is available at: https://publons.com/publon/10.1108/IJSE-11-2023-0923

Limited transmission of carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae between animals and humans: a study in Qingdao

ABSTRACT Despite no carbapenem use in food animals, carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae (CRKP) perseveres within food animals, rising significant concerns regarding public health risks originating from these non-clinical reservoirs. To investigate the potential link between CRKP in food animals and its infections in humans, we conducted a cross-sectional study encompassing human clinical, meat products, and farm animals, in Qingdao city, Shandong province, China. We observed a relatively higher presence of CRKP among hospital inpatients (7.3%) compared to that in the meat products (2.7%) and farm animals (pig, 4.6%; chicken, 0.63%). Multilocus sequence typing and core-genome phylogenetic analyses confirm there is no evidence of farm animals and meat products in the clinical acquisition of K. pneumoniae isolates and carbapenem-resistant genes. However, potential transmission of K. pneumoniae of ST659 and IncX3 plasmid harbouring bla NDM-5 gene from pigs to pork and farm workers was observed. Our findings suggest a limited role of farm animals and meat products in the human clinical acquisition of K. pneumoniae, and the transmission of K. pneumoniae is more common within settings, than between them.

Recurrent Occupational Hantavirus Infections Linked to Feeder Rodent Breeding Farm, Taiwan, 2022.

We investigated 2 acute cases and 1 previous case of Seoul hantavirus infection in workers in a feeder rodent breeding farm in Taiwan. Prevalence of hantavirus IgG among the tested feeder rats was 37.5%. Appropriate prevention measures, including using disinfection protocols and personal protective equipment, are crucial to lowering risk.

‘Fettered mobility’ and translocality: Irregular farm workers and the informal labour market in rural Taiwan

Investigating the multi-layered mobility of Southeast Asian irregular farm workers in rural Taiwan, this article examines the formation of their mobility in a physical, geographical, occupational and socio-economic sense. Focusing on frequent movement in these four aspects, this article coins the term ‘fettered mobility’ for workers’ constant relocation in the villages’ informal farm labour market. In tandem with the focus of this Special Issue on the ongoing transformations of migration at the crossroad between the legal, social and economic obstacles dictated by nation states and the market, and new patterns of movement, this article shows how ‘fettered mobility’ is an unintentional result of the Taiwanese state’s mobility regime, which regulates foreign nationals’ mobility by categorizing a hierarchical legal status. Fettered mobility is facilitated by the translocal migrant community constituted by the co-ethnic link between migrant workers and migrant spouse farmers, and also by the inter-ethnic link between the migrant community on the one hand and Taiwanese farmers and unlicensed brokers on the other. When migration is reconfiguring at a global, regional and local scale, fettered mobility is an assemblage in which the state, market and individual amalgamate into a networked, mobile, irregular and precarious labour force in which unprotected migrant workers are vulnerable to the state’s power to repatriate. Repatriation is an omnipresent threat, and anyone who knows of a migrant worker’s fettered mobility can put an end to their migration. Presenting fettered mobility as an assemblage, this article enriches the ongoing debate on the relationship between mobility and immobility and underlines its conditionality and instability.

KAJIAN SOSIOLINGUISTIK BAHASA INDONESIA PADA PETANI DAN BURUH TANI DI KECAMATAN COMAL

This research is based on the use of Indonesian among marginalized communities. In everyday life, Indonesians still does not attract public attention. This research aims to describe the use of Indonesian among farming communities and farm workers in Comal District, Pemalang Regency. This type of research is descriptive qualitative which aims to describe the use of Indonesian in the people of Sikayu Village, Comal District, Pemalang Regency. The data collection technique in this research was carried out using skilled listening and involvement techniques.The results of the research show that in the language variation category, farmers and farm workers predominantly master Javanese. This is confirmed by the results of interviews which state that the most dominant language used is Javanese. Meanwhile, the results of interviews with the speech community category show that farmers and farm workers are already accustomed to using Javanese when communicating or interacting anywhere. Based on the results of this analysis, it can be concluded that the use of Indonesian in the speech community in Sikayu Village, Comal District, Pemalang Regency, is an example of a bilingual community. The use of Indonesian among marginal farmers and farm laborers in Sikayu Village is influenced by social status and the place of use.

Repeat wildfire and smoke experiences shared by four communities in Southern California: local impacts and community needs

Abstract Families in unincorporated communities in Southern California’s Eastern Coachella Valley (ECV) increasingly experience the burden of repeat wildfires and smoke. This study describes their lived wildfire and smoke experiences, health impacts, unique community-level inequities that compound wildfire risk and air quality effects, communication preferences, and resource needs for future wildfire preparedness. A wildfire community vulnerability framework informed the focus group discussion guide, exploring individual, community, and local government level factors that potentially influence community response and mitigation behaviors to repeat wildfire and smoke. Ten focus groups with 118 participants occurred in spring 2023 with four communities in ECV, California. Findings center on narratives of acute wildfire-related experiences, including evacuation and burned trailer homes, acute and chronic self report physical and mental health impacts of wildfires and smoke, daily life disruptions, staying indoors for protection, and local interactions described as a community strength in responding to fires. Participants from unincorporated, low-income, and monolingual Spanish-speaking communities predominantly consisting of farm workers requested greater emergency preparedness and response information, training and education in Spanish, postfire resources, lower trash service fees, increased enforcement of illegal dumping and burning, and use of multimodal and bilingual communication channels for wildfire, smoke, and wind alerts.

Review of Capability of Methods for the Verification of Country of Origin for Food and Feed

Country of origin is defined as the country where food or feed is entirely grown, produced, or manufactured, or, if produced in more than one country, where it last underwent a substantial change. In the UK, EU-assimilated legislation states that indication of the country of origin is a mandatory labelling requirement for food and feed, including products such as meat, vegetables, eggs, honey and wine. The country of origin claim plays an important role for consumers who tend to relate certain country of origin labelling to superior quality or brand identity. Patriotism (or ethnocentrism) can also play a role in consumer food choice. In Europe, there are 3500 products with a specific geographical origin and their production methods are officially protected (Protected Designation of Origin = PDO; Protected Geographical Indication = PGI; Geographical Indication (for spirit drinks) = GI). These goods often carry a premium price. In addition to customer preference and sale price, country of origin claims are important to businesses when they seek to (i) monitor food miles (carbon footprint), (ii) ensure sustainable sourcing of, for example soy and palm oil (including new Regulation (EU) 2023/1115 on deforestation-free products), (iii) avoid trading of goods which are subject to sanctions, (iv) reassure consumers over concerns of farming and animal welfare standards, (v) avoid foods which are linked to exploitation of farm workers, enforced, or child labour. ‘Verification’ of geographical origin involves testing against a database to confirm that the data for a sample are consistent with those for that geographical location as claimed on a product label. Verification therefore does not involve testing a sample from an unknown location to unequivocally identify its provenance, as such methods are not available or are extremely limited in scope.

Clinical Coxiella burnetii infection in sable and roan antelope in South Africa.

Various zoonotic microorganisms cause reproductive problems such as abortions and stillbirths, leading to economic losses on farms, particularly within livestock. In South Africa, bovine brucellosis is endemic in cattle, and from 2013-2018, outbreaks ofBrucella melitensisoccurred in sable.Coxiella burnetii, the agent responsible for the zoonotic disease known as Q-fever and/or coxiellosis, also causes reproductive problems and infects multiple domestic animal species worldwide, including humans. However, little is known of this disease in wildlife. With the expansion of the wildlife industry in South Africa, diseases like brucellosis and coxiellosis can significantly impact herd breeding success because of challenges in identifying, managing and treating diseases in wildlife populations. This study investigated samples obtained from aborted sable and roan antelope, initially suspected to be brucellosis, from game farms in South Africa using serology tests and ruminant VetMAX™ polymerase chain reaction (PCR) abortion kit. The presence ofC. burnetiiwas confirmed with PCR in a sable abortion case, while samples from both sable and roan were seropositive forC. burnetiiindirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (iELISA). This study represents the initial report ofC. burnetiiinfection in sable and roan antelope in South Africa. Epidemiological investigations are crucial to assess the risk ofC. burnetiiin sable and roan populations, as well as wildlife and livestock in general, across South Africa. This is important in intensive farming practices, particularly as Q-fever, being a zoonotic disease, poses a particular threat to the health of veterinarians and farm workers as well as domestic animals.Contribution:A report of clinicalC. burnetiiinfection in the wildlife industry contributes towards the limited knowledge of this zoonotic disease in South Africa.