Seroprevalence of Coxiella burnetii in dairy cattle from Sicily

Paola Galluzzo, Sara Villari, Francesco Geraci, Carmela Sciacca, Francesca Grippi, Vittoria Currò, Giuseppina Chiarenza
2019 Veterinaria Italiana  
Q fever is a widespread zoonotic disease caused by Coxiella burnetii, an obligate intracellular bacterium with a wide range of hosts. The aim of this study was to estimate the seroprevalence of C. burnetii infection in cattle in Sicilian farms. A total of 4,661 serum samples, from cattle belonging to 198 Sicilian farms, were examined by ELISA test and 246 resulted positive. The average seroprevalence at the farm level was 38.8% (77/198) (95% CI), while at the animal level it was 5.28%
more » ... ) (95% CI). The present study highlights the need for continuous monitoring of C. burnetii spread as it represents a serious risk for human health.
doi:10.12834/vetit.1391.7602.2 pmid:31599549 fatcat:uper52m2gfblbiodpsjvkbk7sy