Low seroprevalence of Coxiella burnetii in Boer goats in Missouri

Abstract

BackgroundGoats are known reservoirs of Coxiella burnetii, the etiologic agent of Q fever. However, there has been very little research on the prevalence of C. burnetii exposure and risk in meat goats farmed in the US. Banked serum samples were secondarily tested for C. burnetii specific antibodies.FindingsThe animal and herd-level seroprevalence estimates for C. burnetii were 1.2% (3/249) and 4.2% (1/24) respectively. Within-herd seroprevalence ranged from 0% to 1.2%.ConclusionsThis study indicates that seroprevalence of C. burnetii in Boer goats raised in Missouri was low, but it does not preclude the existence of a higher level of infection in Missouri’s meat goat herds. This result is inconclusive because this study was disadvantaged by the small number of individual animal and herds tested, which compromised the statistical power of this study to detect a possible higher seroprevalence of C. burnetii in this population, if present. More research is warranted to corroborate the preliminary findings reported here in order to determine the public health significance C. burnetii infection risks associated with contemporary goat production systems in the US.

Coxiella burnetii, agent de la fièvre Q

“…Des études de séroprévalence ont montré une grande variation selon les espèces avec la séroprévalence individuelle la plus importante chez les chèvres (41,6 %), suivie par les moutons (16,5 %) et les bovins (3,4 %) (McQuiston et Childs 2002). Plus récemment, une séroprévalence individuelle plus faible de C. burnetii chez la chèvre Boer (race viandeuse) a été estimée à 1,2 % dans le Missouri aux États-Unis (Baker et Pithua 2014). Les données de prévalence sont rares et difficilement comparables à cause des différentes méthodes de détection d'ADN et d'anticorps.…”