Coxiella burnetii in dogs and ticks from the Northeastern Anatolia region of Türkiye: serological and molecular findings
Volume 16, Issue 8, August 2025, Pages 431-437
Aliye Gülmez Sağlam, Elif Çelik, Fatih Büyük, Gencay Taşkın Taşçi, Seda Gökdemir, Nilgün Aydin, Eray Büyük, Salih Otlu
Abstract The Q fever is a zoonotic bacterial infection caused by an obligate intra-cellular bacterium, Coxiella burnetii. Members of the Canidae family (Mammalia), including dogs and foxes, are potential reservoirs of C. burnetii, which has a wide host range from mammals and birds to arthropods (primarily ticks). Infected dogs can transmit the disease to other animals and humans. This study aimed to investigate the presence of C. burnetii in dogs and ticks collected from infested dogs in the Kars, Ardahan, and Iğdir provinces of Türkiye by serological and molecular methods. Three hundred canine serum samples were analyzed for phase I and phase II C. burnetii antibodies using indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Whole blood samples (n = 300) from the dogs sampled for sera and 184 ticks randomly collected from these dogs were also analyzed for C. burnetii with touch-down polymerase chain reaction. The ticks were classified according to the taxonomic characteristics. In result, 107 tick DNA samples collected from individual females and pooled males were evaluated. The C. burnetii was detected in 3.73% (of the tick samples. However, C. burnetii was not detected in any of the canine blood samples by polymerase chain reaction. Out of the 300 dogs, 18.33% presented antibodies against C. burnetii in their blood serum. When assessed for location, C. burnetii seropositivity was found to be significantly high especially in the Northeastern Anatolia region (18.33%). Study data highlighted the zoonotic risk of ticks, demonstrating that ticks on dogs can carry C. burnetii.
Genomic detection of Coxiella burnetii based on plasmid genes in horses
Volume 14, Issue 6, June 2023, Pages 317-322
Manizheh Tehrani, Abdulghaffar Ownagh
Abstract Q fever is a worldwide zoonosis caused by an obligate intra-cellular pathogen called Coxiella burnetii affecting a broad range of animal hosts including horses. Most of the isolates found carry plasmids which genetic studies of C. burnetii strains suggest a critical role in C. burnetii survival. The correlation between an isolated plasmid type and the chronic or acute nature of the disease has always been controversial. This study was conducted to investigate the prevalence of C. burnetii QpH1 and QpDG plasmids in horses and assess the potential role of these species as reservoirs of infection and transmission. Nested-polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays were performed on 320 blood serum samples drawn from horses in West Azerbaijan province, Iran, in 2020. In total, 26 (8.13%) Q fever-positive samples based on containing the IS1111 gene were tested by nested-PCR approach to amplify QpH1 and QpDG plasmid segments. The QpH1 and QpRS plasmid-specific sequences were identified in 19 (73.07%) and none in the serum samples, respectively. According to the present study, the age of the animal can be considered as an important risk factor for the prevalence of C. burnetii; but, the season, sex, and breed of the horse had no effect on the prevalence of disease. The results indicate that nested-PCR method could be suitable for routine diagnosis, to gather new information about the shedding of C. burnetii, and to improve the knowledge of contamination routes.