title: Occurrence, distribution, and role in abortion of Coxiella burnetii in sheep and goats in Sardinia, Italy.
abstract: Between 1999 and 2002, 9349 sera and 517 aborted samples (422 foetuses and 95 placenta) were analysed from 675 sheep and 82 goat farms distributed all over the island of Sardinia. After abortion notification, sera collected at random from adult animals were examined to detect antibodies specific to Coxiella burnetii by ELISA, whereas foetuses and placenta were analysed by PCR assay. Specific IgG antibodies were detected in 255 (38%) sheep farms and in 39 (47%) goat herds whereas 40 ovine (10%) and 3 (6%) caprine foetuses were C. burnetii PCR-positive. Although C. burnetii DNA was amplified from different types of tissues, placenta was the tissue with the highest detection rate. Seroprevalence analysis indicates that C. burnetii distribution in sheep and goats is very high, but PCR results demonstrate that C. burnetii has a relatively low role in abortion, especially in goats.
authors.affiliation: Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Sardegna G. Pegreffi, Via Duca degli Abruzzi 8, 07100 Sassari, Italy. giovanna.masala@izs-sardegna.it
authors.forename: Giovanna
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Masala
authors.forename: Rosaura
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Porcu
authors.forename: Giovanna
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Sanna
authors.forename: Giovanna
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Chessa
authors.forename: Grazia
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Cillara
authors.forename: Valentina
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Chisu
authors.forename: Sebastiana
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tola
mesh_terms: D037881:Aborted Fetus / Q000382:microbiology; D000034:Abortion, Veterinary / Q000382:microbiology*; D000818:Animals; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000097:blood; D016997:Coxiella burnetii / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay / Q000662:veterinary; D005260:Female; D015511:Goat Diseases / Q000382:microbiology*; D006041:Goats; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D010920:Placenta / Q000382:microbiology; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011247:Pregnancy; D011251:Pregnancy Complications, Infectious / Q000382:microbiology*; D011778:Q Fever / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D012756:Sheep; D012757:Sheep Diseases / Q000382:microbiology*
chemical_list: D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D004269:DNA, Bacterial