<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">

<sec id="j_jvetres-2022-0070_s_005">
<h3>Introduction</h3>
<p>The intracellular bacterium <italic>Coxiella burnetii</italic> is the aetiological agent of Q fever, a zoonosis affecting many animal species worldwide. Cattle and small ruminants are considered the major reservoirs of the bacteria and they shed it through multiple routes.</p>
</sec>
<sec id="j_jvetres-2022-0070_s_006">
<h3>Material and Methods</h3>
<p>A total of 2,180 sera samples from 801 cattle herds in all Polish voivodeships were tested by ELISA for the presence of specific antibodies. Milk samples were obtained from seropositive cows in 133 herds as part of a separate study. The milk samples were examined by ELISA and real-time PCR tests.</p>
</sec>
<sec id="j_jvetres-2022-0070_s_007">
<h3>Results</h3>
<p>Seroprevalence at the animal level was 7.06% and true positive seroprevalence was 6.0% (95% confidence interval (CI) 1.1–9.4). Seroprevalence at the herd level was estimated at 11.1% and true positive seroprevalence was 10.5% (95% CI 3.2–15.8). Shedding of the pathogen in milk was detected by real-time PCR in 33 out of 133 tested herds (24.81%, 95% CI 17.74–33.04%) and the presence of <italic>C. burnetii</italic> antibodies was confirmed in 85 of them (63.9%, 95% CI 55.13–72.05%). The highest level of conformity between ELISA and real-time PCR results was obtained for bulk tank milk samples.</p>
</sec>
<sec id="j_jvetres-2022-0070_s_008">
<h3>Conclusion</h3>
<p><italic>Coxiella burnetii</italic> infections are quite common in cattle herds across the country, which emphasises the crucial roles of surveillance and adequate biosecurity measures in the prevention and limitation of Q fever spread in Poland.</p>
</sec>
</abstract>

Introduction
The intracellular bacterium Coxiella burnetii is the aetiological agent of Q fever, a zoonosis affecting many animal species worldwide. Cattle and small ruminants are considered the major reservoirs of the bacteria and they shed it through multiple routes.


Material and Methods
A total of 2,180 sera samples from 801 cattle herds in all Polish voivodeships were tested by ELISA for the presence of specific antibodies. Milk samples were obtained from seropositive cows in 133 herds as part of a separate study. The milk samples were examined by ELISA and real-time PCR tests.


Results
Seroprevalence at the animal level was 7.06% and true positive seroprevalence was 6.0% (95% confidence interval (CI) 1.1–9.4). Seroprevalence at the herd level was estimated at 11.1% and true positive seroprevalence was 10.5% (95% CI 3.2–15.8). Shedding of the pathogen in milk was detected by real-time PCR in 33 out of 133 tested herds (24.81%, 95% CI 17.74–33.04%) and the presence of C. burnetii antibodies was confirmed in 85 of them (63.9%, 95% CI 55.13–72.05%). The highest level of conformity between ELISA and real-time PCR results was obtained for bulk tank milk samples.


Conclusion
Coxiella burnetii infections are quite common in cattle herds across the country, which emphasises the crucial roles of surveillance and adequate biosecurity measures in the prevention and limitation of Q fever spread in Poland.

Screening for <italic>Coxiella burnetii</italic> in dairy cattle herds in Poland

Journal of Veterinary Research

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Screening for  in dairy cattle herds in Poland

Introduction
The intracellular bacterium Coxiella burnetii is the aetiological agent of Q fever, a zoonosis affecting many animal species worldwide. Cattle and...

Screening for Coxiella burnetii in dairy cattle herds in Poland

Published Online: Dec 18, 2022

Page range: 549 - 557

Received: Oct 19, 2022

Accepted: Dec 06, 2022

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/jvetres-2022-0070

Keywords
Q fever, cattle, seroprevalence, prevalence

© 2022 M. Szymańska-Czerwińska et al. published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Screening for Coxiella burnetii in dairy cattle herds in Poland

Published Online: Dec 18, 2022

Page range: 549 - 557

Received: Oct 19, 2022

Accepted: Dec 06, 2022

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/jvetres-2022-0070

KeywordsQ fever, cattle, seroprevalence, prevalence

© 2022 M. Szymańska-Czerwińska et al. published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Keywords
Q fever, cattle, seroprevalence, prevalence