title: Molecular characterization by MLVA of Coxiella burnetii strains infecting dairy cows and goats of north-eastern Italy.
abstract: Q fever is a worldwide zoonotic disease caused by Coxiella burnetii (C. burnetii), an obligate intracellular bacterium. In ruminants, shedding into the environment mainly occurs during parturition or abortion, but the bacterium is shed also in milk, vaginal mucus, stools and urine. In Italy few surveys have been conducted and reported seroprevalence values ranged between 10% and 60%, even if few human cases have been described. Genotyping of bacteria is crucial for enhancing diagnostic methods and for epidemiological surveillance. The objective of this study was to investigate genotypic differences of C. burnetii genotypes directly in 34 samples, collected during a 3-years survey among 11 dairy cattle and 11 goat farms in the north-eastern part of Italy using a 6-locus multiple loci variable number of tandem repeat analysis (MLVA) method. The samples analysed included 13 bulk tank milk (BTM), 6 individual milk, 11 vaginal swabs and 4 foetal spleens. MLVA-type 2 was determined as the most prevalent in cattle in this study. C. burnetii strains circulating in the studied cattle population are very similar to genotypes previously described, while genotypes from goats showed an important variability. Further investigation are needed to understand the reason of this pattern.
authors.affiliation: Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie, Viale dell'Università 10, 35020 Legnaro PD, Italy. Electronic address: lceglie@izsvenezie.it.
authors.forename: Letizia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ceglie
authors.affiliation: Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie, Viale dell'Università 10, 35020 Legnaro PD, Italy. Electronic address: eguerrini@izsvenezie.it.
authors.forename: Eulalia
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Guerrini
authors.affiliation: Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie, Viale dell'Università 10, 35020 Legnaro PD, Italy. Electronic address: erampazzo@izsvenezie.it.
authors.forename: Erika
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Rampazzo
authors.affiliation: Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie, Viale Fiume 78, 36100 Vicenza, Italy. Electronic address: abarberio@izsvenezie.it.
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Barberio
authors.affiliation: Canisius-Wilhelmina Hospital, Department of Medical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Nijmegen, The Netherlands. Electronic address: j.tilburg@cwz.nl.
authors.forename: Jeroen J H C
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Tilburg
authors.affiliation: Canisius-Wilhelmina Hospital, Department of Medical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Nijmegen, The Netherlands. Electronic address: f.hagen@cwz.nl.
authors.forename: Ferry
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Hagen
authors.affiliation: Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie, Viale dell'Università 10, 35020 Legnaro PD, Italy. Electronic address: llucchese@izsvenezie.it.
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lucchese
authors.affiliation: Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie, Viale dell'Università 10, 35020 Legnaro PD, Italy. Electronic address: fzuliani@izsvenezie.it.
authors.forename: Federica
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Zuliani
authors.affiliation: Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie, Viale dell'Università 10, 35020 Legnaro PD, Italy. Electronic address: smarangon@izsvenezie.it.
authors.forename: Stefano
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Marangon
authors.affiliation: Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie, Viale dell'Università 10, 35020 Legnaro PD, Italy. Electronic address: anatale@izsvenezie.it.
authors.forename: Alda
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Natale
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D002417:Cattle; D002418:Cattle Diseases / Q000382:microbiology*; D016997:Coxiella burnetii / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D005260:Female; D015511:Goat Diseases / Q000382:microbiology*; D006041:Goats / Q000382:microbiology*; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D008892:Milk / Q000382:microbiology; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011778:Q Fever / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D020080:Tandem Repeat Sequences / Q000235:genetics; D015047:Zoonoses / Q000382:microbiology
keywords: Coxiella burnetii; Dairy farms; Italy; Molecular epidemiology; Typing methods