Experimental <i>Coxiella burnetii</i> infection in pregnant goats: excretion routes

Bouvery, Nathalie; Souriau, Armel; Lechopier, Patrick; Rodolakis, Annie

doi:10.1051/vetres:2003017

Cited by 199 publications

(140 citation statements)

References 27 publications

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“…Low levels of C. burnetii DNA were also detected in milk (C T Ͼ30.5), which fits with the prevailing opinion among experts that sheep shed lower burdens of C. burnetii in milk than do cows and goats (3). We also confirmed that vaginal and fecal shedding durations varied among ewes (17,20) and that shedding may be discontinuous, as in goats (19,23,25,26,37) and cows (18,24). The latter finding suggests that the number of C. burnetii shedders may be underestimated if only one shedding route is investigated and/or if the animals are not repeatedly tested over time.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 77%

Circulation of Coxiella burnetii in a Naturally Infected Flock of Dairy Sheep: Shedding Dynamics, Environmental Contamination, and Genotype Diversity

Joulié

Laroucau

Bailly

et al. 2015

Appl Environ Microbiol

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Q fever is a worldwide zoonosis caused by Coxiella burnetii. Domestic ruminants are considered to be the main reservoir. Sheep, in particular, may frequently cause outbreaks in humans. Because within-flock circulation data are essential to implementing optimal management strategies, we performed a follow-up study of a naturally infected flock of dairy sheep. We aimed to (i) describe C. burnetii shedding dynamics by sampling vaginal mucus, feces, and milk, (ii) assess circulating strain diversity, and (iii) quantify barn environmental contamination. For 8 months, we sampled vaginal mucus and feces every 3 weeks from aborting and nonaborting ewes (n ‫؍‬ 11 and n ‫؍‬ 26, respectively); for lactating females, milk was obtained as well. We also sampled vaginal mucus from nine ewe lambs. Dust and air samples were collected every 3 and 6 weeks, respectively. All samples were screened using real-time PCR, and strongly positive samples were further analyzed using quantitative PCR. Vaginal and fecal samples with sufficient bacterial burdens were then genotyped by multiple-locus variable-number tandem-repeat analysis (MLVA) using 17 markers. C. burnetii burdens were higher in vaginal mucus and feces than in milk, and they peaked in the first 3 weeks postabortion or postpartum. Primiparous females and aborting females tended to shed C. burnetii longer and have higher bacterial burdens than nonaborting and multiparous females. Six genotype clusters were identified; they were independent of abortion status, and within-individual genotype diversity was observed. C. burnetii was also detected in air and dust samples. Further studies should determine whether the within-flock circulation dynamics observed here are generalizable.Q fever is a widespread zoonosis caused by Coxiella burnetii, a Gram-negative intracellular bacterium that has been reported in a broad range of host species. Livestock, especially small ruminants, are the main sources of human infections (1-3). In domestic ruminants, Q fever's major clinical manifestations are abortions and stillbirths, whose occurrence may translate into significant economic losses (1, 3). In humans, C. burnetii infections range from asymptomatic to severe. Acute forms of the disease may result in high fevers and severe pneumonia or hepatitis, and chronic forms are strongly debilitating and may be fatal when endocarditis develops in patients with underlying heart disease (4-6).Animals and humans become infected essentially through the inhalation of airborne particles contaminated with C. burnetii (3,7,8). Contaminated dust particles may remain infectious for long periods of time due to the capacity of the bacterium to differentiate into highly resistant spore-like forms (9, 10). Consequently, knowledge of C. burnetii's sources and shedding dynamics is essential to assessing the risks of disease transmission and pathogen persistence. On livestock farms, C. burnetii DNA has been found in various environmental matrices, such as dust (11-13) and aerosols (14-16). However, studies that examin...

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 77%

Circulation of Coxiella burnetii in a Naturally Infected Flock of Dairy Sheep: Shedding Dynamics, Environmental Contamination, and Genotype Diversity

Joulié

Laroucau

Bailly

et al. 2015

Appl Environ Microbiol

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“…The primary transmission route of C. burnetii to humans and animals is thought to be through the inhalation of contaminated aerosols generated by animal products (15,21,27,34). The highest concentrations of C. burnetii in veterinary matrices are found in birth materials, like amnion fluids and placentas (3,24), and in lower quantities in milk (9,30) and blood (40). Therefore, the most likely route for C. burnetii to enter the environment is by shedding through placenta materials and amnion fluids, for instance, during the lambing season.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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

Bruin

Groot

Heer

et al. 2011

Appl Environ Microbiol

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Q fever, caused by Coxiella 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 of C. burnetii DNA in veterinary and environmental matrices on suspected Q fever-affected farms. The qPCR detects three C. burnetii targets (icd, com1, and IS1111) and one Bacillus thuringiensis internal control target (cry1b). Bacillus thuringiensis spores 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 targets icd, com1, and IS1111, respectively; and no crossreactivity with the nontarget organisms tested. Screening for C. burnetii DNA on 29 suspected Q fever-affected farms during the Q fever epidemic in 2008 showed that swabs from dust-accumulating surfaces contained higher levels of C. burnetii DNA 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 the C. burnetii targets and the internal control. The inclusion of an internal control target and three C. burnetii targets in one multiplex qPCR assay showed that complex veterinary and environmental matrices can be screened reliably for the presence of C. burnetii DNA during an outbreak.

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“…Aborting animals shed large quantities of infectious agents and pose considerable risk to humans in contact, including farmers, animal caretakers and veterinarians (Pospischil et al, 2002). In some cases, consumers may also be at risk; for example, Coxiella burnetti, responsible for Q-fever, can be excreted in the milk of aborting goats for up to 52 days (Arricau Bouvery et al, 2003). The possibility of a zoonotic agent infection as the cause of abortion is an additional impetus for performing a PM on the aborus.…”

Section: Causes Of Fetal Deathmentioning

confidence: 99%

Fetal death: comparative aspects in large domestic animals

Jonker

2004

Animal Reproduction Science

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Although the majority of pregnancy failures occur during the embryonic period, reports indicate that approximately 5% of detected pregnancies are lost during the fetal period, underlining the fact that fetal death is a substantial cause of economic loss. However, examination for fetal development or death during pregnancy is not performed routinely in domestic animals, and reference curves for normal fetal growth are, therefore, scarce. In this paper, the numerous possible causes of fetal death are reviewed briefly, with emphasis on the role of placental problems in fetal death and impaired fetal viability. In this respect, the role of placental insufficiency as a cause of pregnancy loss in twin pregnancies in monotocous species is well known, whereas the abnormal placental development leading to retarded fetal growth during pregnancies in recipients of in vitro produced (IVP) or nuclear transfer (NT) embryos has been less extensively documented.Fetal viability or death can be evaluated using hormonal, chemical and ultrasonographic parameters. For example, the viability of the feto-placental unit can be examined by measuring maternal plasma concentrations of oestrone sulphate or the placental proteins, including pregnancy-associated glycoprotein (PAG) and pregnancy-specific protein B-60 (PSPB-60). Low concentrations of any of these three indicate either no pregnancy, or if pregnancy was confirmed earlier, fetal death and abnormally high or low levels can indicate fetal abnormality.Ultrasound can be used to examine the fetal heart rate (FHR), the incidence of fetal movements (FM), the appearance of fetal fluids and the development of the fetus and placenta. However, although abnormal FHRs have been correlated to subsequent fetal death, it is important to remember that there is a large physiological variation in FHR at the end of gestation, due to different behavioural states and differences in FM patterns. Although monitoring fetal viability and death using hormonal and ultrasonographic evaluations is possible during pregnancy in domestic animals, there is considerable physiological variations in the 'normal' values. Therefore,- 82-83 (2004) [415][416][417][418][419][420][421][422][423][424][425][426][427][428][429][430] suitable combinations of tests need to be identified and more accurate reference values generated before such approaches can be considered reliable for monitoring the status of individual fetuses.

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Experimental Coxiella burnetii infection in pregnant goats: excretion routes

Cited by 199 publications

References 27 publications

Circulation of Coxiella burnetii in a Naturally Infected Flock of Dairy Sheep: Shedding Dynamics, Environmental Contamination, and Genotype Diversity

Circulation of Coxiella burnetii in a Naturally Infected Flock of Dairy Sheep: Shedding Dynamics, Environmental Contamination, and Genotype Diversity

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

Fetal death: comparative aspects in large domestic animals

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