Coxiella burnetii DNA detected in domestic ruminants and wildlife from Portugal.
Coxiella burnetii is the etiological agent of Q fever or Coxiellosis, a zoonosis mainly affecting domestic ruminants. Information on the population structure and epidemiology of C. burnetii in animals is scarce in Portugal. Evidence of C. burnetti infection was sought in domestic, wild and captive animals based on the detection of bacterial DNA. Tissue samples from 152 domestic animals (cattle=24, goats=51, sheep=76 and swine=1), 55 wild carnivores (Egyptian mongoose=45, red fox=4, common genet=3, weasel=2 and European badger=1) and 22 zoo animals (antelopes=15, impala=1; rhinoceros=1, deer=2, zebras=2 and giraffe=1) were screened by nested-touchdown PCR. Cloacae swabs from 19 griffon vultures were also analysed. Among the domestic ruminants, goats presented the highest prevalence of infection (23.53%), followed by cattle, (20.83%) and sheep (10.53%). C. burnetii DNA was also detected in five Egyptian mongooses and two antelopes and one giraffe. Using a 6-locus multiple-locus variable-number tandem repeat analysis (MLVA-6) six complete genotypes, T, I and CM and the first reported CN, CO and CP, were identified, respectively, in small ruminants and Egyptian mongooses. Clustering analysis of genotypes exposed four distinct groups, according to detection source, enlightening an apparent association between C. burnetii genotype and host.
Instituto Nacional de Investigação Agrária e Veterinária (INIAV, IP), Lisboa, Portugal.
Aminata
A
Cumbassá
Instituto Nacional de Investigação Agrária e Veterinária (INIAV, IP), Lisboa, Portugal.
Maria J
MJ
Barahona
Instituto Nacional de Investigação Agrária e Veterinária (INIAV, IP), Lisboa, Portugal; Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes (CE3C), Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, Campo Grande, Lisboa, Portugal.
Mónica V
MV
Cunha
Centro de Estudos e Recuperação de Animais Selvagens (CERAS)/Quercus ANCN, Castelo Branco, Portugal.
Beatriz
B
Azórin
4Departamento de Biologia & CESAM, Universidade de Aveiro, Campus de Santiago, Aveiro, Portugal.
Carlos
C
Fonseca
Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes (CE3C), Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, Campo Grande, Lisboa, Portugal.
Luís Miguel
LM
Rosalino
Department of Medical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Canisius-Wilhelmina Hospital, Nijmegen, the Netherlands.
Jeroen
J
Tilburg
Department of Medical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Canisius-Wilhelmina Hospital, Nijmegen, the Netherlands.
Ferry
F
Hagen
Centro de Estudos de Vectores e Doenças Infecciosas (CEVDI), Instituto Nacional de Saúde Dr Ricardo Jorge (INSARJ), Águas de Moura, Portugal.
Ana S
AS
Santos
Instituto Nacional de Investigação Agrária e Veterinária (INIAV, IP), Lisboa, Portugal. Electronic address: ana.botelho@iniav.pt.
Ana
A
Botelho
D000818:Animals; D000835:Animals, Wild / Q000382:microbiology; D000866:Antelopes; D002417:Cattle; D002418:Cattle Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology*; D016997:Coxiella burnetii / Q000235:genetics*; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics*; D003670:Deer / Q000235:genetics; D005838:Genotype; D015511:Goat Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology*; D006041:Goats / Q000382:microbiology; D018598:Minisatellite Repeats; D011174:Portugal; D011778:Q Fever / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D012756:Sheep; D012757:Sheep Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology*; D013552:Swine
D004269:DNA, Bacterial
Coxiella burnetii; MLVA-6 typing; Q Fever; Reproductive disorders; Wild carnivores; Zoonosis