The genome of Coxiella burnetii Z3055, a clone linked to the Netherlands Q fever outbreaks, provides evidence for the role of drift in the emergence of epidemic clones

Abstract Coxiella burnetii can cause reproductive disease in sheep and zoonotic Q-fever infections in humans. The role of infectious diseases including coxiellosis in causing poorer reproductive performance of primiparous ewes is not well studied. The aim of this study was to determine if natural exposure to C. burnetii is associated with poor reproductive performance of primiparous ewes and compare seroprevalence of primiparous and multiparous ewes. Coxiella burnetii seroprevalence was 0.08% (95% confidence interval 0.01, 0.36) in primiparous ewes and 0.36% (0.07, 1.14) in mature ewes. Coxiella burnetii was not detected in tissue samples from aborted or stillborn lambs using molecular diagnostic tests (qPCR). These findings suggest that C. burnetii infection was unlikely to be an important contributor to abortion and perinatal mortalities observed for primiparous ewes, and exposure to C. burnetii was not widespread in ewes on farms located over wide geographical region of southern Australia.

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Molecular detection of Coxiella burnetii infection in aborted samples of domestic ruminants in Iran

PLoS ONE ◽

10.1371/journal.pone.0250116 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 16 (4) ◽

pp. e0250116

Author(s):

Ashraf Mohabati Mobarez ◽

Mohammad Khalili ◽

Ehsan Mostafavi ◽

Saber Esmaeili

Keyword(s):

Coxiella Burnetii ◽

Real Time Pcr ◽

Molecular Detection ◽

Q Fever ◽

Domestic Animal ◽

Domestic Ruminant ◽

Domestic Ruminants ◽

Pcr Targeting ◽

Different Parts

Background Coxiella burnetii is the causative agent of Q fever which is a highly infectious zoonotic disease. C. burnetii has become one of the most important causes of abortion in livestock, which can lead to widespread abortions in these animals. There are very limited studies on the prevalence of C. burnetii infection in cases of animal abortion in Iran. The aim of this study was to investigate the occurrence of C. burnetii in ruminant abortion samples in Iran. Methods Abortion samples from cattle, sheep and goats were collected from different parts of Iran and were tested using Real-time PCR targeting the IS1111 element of C. burnetii. Results In this study, 36 samples (24.7%) of the 146 collected samples were positive for C. burnetii. The prevalence of C. burnetii was 21.3% (20 of 94 samples) in sheep samples. Also, 10 of 46 cattle samples (21.7%) were positive. All six goat abortion samples were positive for C. burnetii. Conclusions The findings of the study demonstrate that C. burnetii plays an important role in domestic ruminant abortions in Iran, suggesting that more attention should be paid to the role of C. burnetii in domestic animal abortions by veterinary organizations. The risk of transmitting the infection to humans due to abortion of animals should also be considered.

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First serological record of Coxiella burnetii infection in the equine population of Slovakia

Biologia ◽

10.1007/s11756-021-00898-4 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Monika Drážovská ◽

Marián Prokeš ◽

Boris Vojtek ◽

Jana Mojžišová ◽

Anna Ondrejková ◽

...

Keyword(s):

16S Rrna ◽

Coxiella Burnetii ◽

Animal Species ◽

Q Fever ◽

Statistical Significance ◽

Elisa Method ◽

Zoonotic Pathogen ◽

Specific Antibodies

AbstractCoxiella burnetii is a worldwide zoonotic pathogen causing Q fever in various animal species and humans. In Slovakia, cases of C. burnetii infection in both animals and humans are confirmed every year. The role of horses in the epidemiology of this neglected disease is still unclear. In our study, we focused on a serosurvey of C. burnetii in the equine population in Slovakia by the ELISA method. Subsequently, a nested PCR was performed to detect the 16S rRNA fragment of the genus Coxiella. Among 184 horse sera, the presence of specific antibodies to C. burnetii was detected in four samples, representing a 2.17% seropositivity. All the positive horses were mares; two originated from Central Slovakia and two from Eastern Slovakia. Although the number of positive samples was too small for a determination of statistical significance, our results provide the first confirmation of antibodies to C. burnetii in horses from Slovakia. Although no positive PCR result was obtained, these serological findings may help to clarify the circulation of the pathogen in the environment.

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Genotypic Diversity of Coxiella burnetii in the 2007-2010 Q Fever Outbreak Episodes in The Netherlands

Journal of Clinical Microbiology ◽

10.1128/jcm.05497-11 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 50 (3) ◽

pp. 1076-1078 ◽

Cited By ~ 54

Author(s):

J. J. H. C. Tilburg ◽

J. W. A. Rossen ◽

E. J. van Hannen ◽

W. J. G. Melchers ◽

M. H. A. Hermans ◽

...

Keyword(s):

The Netherlands ◽

Coxiella Burnetii ◽

Q Fever ◽

Genotypic Diversity

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Coxiella burnetii infection among blood donors during the 2009 Q-fever outbreak in the Netherlands

Transfusion ◽

10.1111/j.1537-2995.2011.03250.x ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 52 (1) ◽

pp. 144-150 ◽

Cited By ~ 54

Author(s):

Boris M. Hogema ◽

Ed Slot ◽

Michel Molier ◽

Peter M. Schneeberger ◽

Mirjam H. Hermans ◽

...

Keyword(s):

The Netherlands ◽

Coxiella Burnetii ◽

Blood Donors ◽

Q Fever

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Detection of Coxiella burnetii in Complex Matrices by Using Multiplex Quantitative PCR during a Major Q Fever Outbreak in The Netherlands

Applied and Environmental Microbiology ◽

10.1128/aem.05097-11 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 77 (18) ◽

pp. 6516-6523 ◽

Cited By ~ 46

Author(s):

A. de Bruin ◽

A. de Groot ◽

L. de Heer ◽

J. Bok ◽

P. R. Wielinga ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Bacillus Thuringiensis ◽

The Netherlands ◽

Quantitative Pcr ◽

Coxiella Burnetii ◽

Internal Control ◽

Q Fever ◽

Qpcr Assay ◽

Environmental Matrices ◽

Content Type ◽

Control Target

ABSTRACTQ fever, caused byCoxiella burnetii, is a zoonosis with a worldwide distribution. A large rural area in the southeast of the Netherlands was heavily affected by Q fever between 2007 and 2009. This initiated the development of a robust and internally controlled multiplex quantitative PCR (qPCR) assay for the detection ofC. burnetiiDNA in veterinary and environmental matrices on suspected Q fever-affected farms. The qPCR detects threeC. burnetiitargets (icd,com1, and IS1111) and oneBacillus thuringiensisinternal control target (cry1b).Bacillus thuringiensisspores were added to samples to control both DNA extraction and PCR amplification. The performance of the qPCR assay was investigated and showed a high efficiency; a limit of detection of 13.0, 10.6, and 10.4 copies per reaction for the targetsicd,com1, and IS1111, respectively; and no cross-reactivity with the nontarget organisms tested. Screening forC. burnetiiDNA on 29 suspected Q fever-affected farms during the Q fever epidemic in 2008 showed that swabs from dust-accumulating surfaces contained higher levels ofC. burnetiiDNA than vaginal swabs from goats or sheep. PCR inhibition by coextracted substances was observed in some environmental samples, and 10- or 100-fold dilutions of samples were sufficient to obtain interpretable signals for both theC. burnetiitargets and the internal control. The inclusion of an internal control target and threeC. burnetiitargets in one multiplex qPCR assay showed that complex veterinary and environmental matrices can be screened reliably for the presence ofC. burnetiiDNA during an outbreak.

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The role of wild rodents in spread and transmission of Coxiella burnetii needs further elucidation

Wildlife Research ◽

10.1071/wr10129 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 38 (7) ◽

pp. 617 ◽

Cited By ~ 12

Author(s):

Bastiaan G. Meerburg ◽

Chantal B. E. M. Reusken

Keyword(s):

Coxiella Burnetii ◽

Q Fever ◽

Direct Transmission ◽

Wild Rodents ◽

Exact Role ◽

Sylvatic Cycle ◽

Geographic Spread ◽

Domestic Cycle ◽

Food Losses

Rodents are known to cause massive food losses, but are also implicated as reservoirs for a wide variety of zoonotic pathogens. This review discusses the contribution of rodents in the spread and transmission of Coxiella burnetii, the causative agent of Q-fever. We found that rodents have been implicated as reservoirs for Q-fever, but their role in pathogen maintenance, geographic spread and transmission still remains to be clarified. As there are indications for a role of rodents in Q-fever epidemiology, including during the 2007–10 outbreak in the Netherlands, the overall lack of knowledge on the role of rodents warrants studies into their contribution in transmission of C. burnetii from the sylvatic cycle to the domestic cycle, in within-herd transmission, in transmission to surrounding farms and in direct transmission to humans. Although the basic sylvatic and domestic cycles of C. burnetii infection can operate independently, they will overlap in many instances as many areas in the world are occupied by both domestic and wild animals. This area of Q-fever ecology is of interest and research should focus on this aspect of Q-fever epidemiology and, in particular, on the role of rodents therein. More studies are needed that elicit the exact role of rodents in epidemiology of C. burnetii to further optimise disease control.

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