title: Diagnosis of Coxiella burnetii-related abortion in Italian domestic ruminants using single-tube nested PCR.
abstract: Coxiella burnetii, an obligate intracellular parasite with a worldwide distribution, is the causative agent of acute and chronic Q fever in humans. Although infection is often unapparent in cattle, sheep and goats, there is increasing evidence that C. burnetii infection in these species is associated with abortion and stillbirth. This paper describes the introduction of a single-tube nested PCR protocol for the diagnosis of C. burnetii-related abortion in domestic ruminants in Italy. A total of 514 aborted foetuses from cattle (n = 138) and sheep and goat (n = 376), collected from 301 farms, were analyzed from January 2001 to March 2005. Ninety-seven of 514 (18.9%) animals tested PCR-positive, with 16/138 (11.6%) cattle and 81/376 (21.5%) sheep and goat. Eleven of 102 (10.8%) farms with reproductive disorders in cattle and 37/199 (18.6%) farms with reproductive disorders in sheep and goats were infected with C. burnetii. A greater incidence was observed in three of the seven investigated provinces (p < 0.01), with rates of infected farms of up to 23.8%. Data showed that almost all the C. burnetii-related abortions were recorded between October and April (p < 0.01). These findings suggest that Q fever in humans is largely underestimated in Italy, probably because its occurrence is obscured by flu-like symptoms in acute forms.
authors.affiliation: Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Puglia e della Basilicata, V. Manfredonia 20, 71100 Foggia, Italy. parisi.izs@tin.it
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Parisi
authors.forename: Rosa
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Fraccalvieri
authors.forename: Mariassunta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cafiero
authors.forename: Angela
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Miccolupo
authors.forename: Iolanda
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Padalino
authors.forename: Cosimo
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Montagna
authors.forename: Federico
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Capuano
authors.forename: Roldano
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sottili
mesh_terms: D000034:Abortion, Veterinary / Q000382:microbiology*; D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle; D002418:Cattle Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology; D016997:Coxiella burnetii / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D015511:Goat Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology; D006041:Goats; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods / Q000662:veterinary*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011251:Pregnancy Complications, Infectious / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000382:microbiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D011778:Q Fever / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D012621:Seasons; D012756:Sheep; D012757:Sheep Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology
chemical_list: D004269:DNA, Bacterial