AI Article Synopsis
- Coxiella burnetii is a bacterium that can infect both animals and humans, causing Q fever, and is commonly found in domestic ruminants and wildlife like ungulates and birds.
- A study analyzed spleen samples from 652 wild ungulates and 218 wild birds in the Basque Country between 2011 and 2019, finding varying infection rates among ungulates but only one positive case in birds.
- The prevalence of C. burnetii remained stable compared to a previous study from 2001-2006, but ongoing monitoring is essential due to concerns about increasing ungulate populations in Europe that could affect the bacterium's reservoir status.
Article Abstract
Coxiella burnetii is an obligate intracellular zoonotic bacterium widespread in nature that causes Q fever in animals and humans. The most common sources of human infection are domestic ruminants, but wildlife can also act as reservoir. Here, spleen samples from 652 wild ungulates and 218 wild birds collected in 2011-2019 in the Basque Country (northern Spain) were analysed by real-time PCR (IS1111 gene) and the results compared with data from a past study in 2001-2006. Among wild ungulates, C. burnetii DNA was detected in 7.0% (6/86) of roe deer (Capreolus capreolus), 1.9% (9/484) of wild boar (Sus scrofa) and 2.4% (2/82) of red deer (Cervus elaphus). The prevalence in roe deer was significantly higher compared to wild boar (p = 0.006). Among wild birds, only one white stork (Ciconia ciconia) tested positive. SNP-typing of C. burnetii-positive samples showed that wild ungulates shared SNP 2, SNP 6 and SNP 8 genotypes with domestic ruminants of the region. However, the white stork harboured a C. burnetii genotype (SNP 3) never identified in the studied area before. Comparing these results with those obtained in the same area a decade before (2001-2006), no significant differences were observed in the prevalence of C. burnetii in any of the wildlife species, indicating stability in C. burnetii prevalence. Nevertheless, continuous surveillance is needed to monitor any future changes in the reservoir role of roe deer and wild boar considering the increase in density of both species observed in Europe in the last decades.
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| http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.vetmic.2022.109422 | DOI Listing |
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