DETECTION OF COXIELLA BURNETII INFECTION IN A SAHARAWI DORCAS GAZELLE (GAZELLA DORCAS NEGLECTA).
Coxiella burnetii, the causative agent of Q fever, can infect a wide range of host species, but limited information exists on the occurrence and implications of infection in wild species. This study describes a natural infection in a population of dorcas gazelles ( Gazella dorcas ) from a zoo. A 9-yr-old male Saharawi dorcas gazelle ( Gazella dorcas neglecta) tested positive on enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and fecal polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Despite treatment with oxytetracycline, the animal did not clear the infection after 6 mo, as confirmed by a PCR test on a semen sample. This is the first report of a Saharawi dorcas gazelle infection with C. burnetii and the first time that C. burnetii was detected in semen from a zoo animal, suggesting the possibility of venereal transmission in captive wild species. This may have major implications for management of zoo populations, particularly in endangered species.
Teresa
T
García-Seco
Marta
M
Pérez-Sancho
Eva
E
Martínez-Nevado
Julio
J
Álvarez
Julián
J
Santiago-Moreno
Joaquín
J
Goyache
Lucas
L
Domínguez
Nerea
N
García
D000818:Animals; D000866:Antelopes; D016997:Coxiella burnetii / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D008297:Male; D011778:Q Fever / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000382:microbiology / Q000662:veterinary*
Coxiella burnetii; Gazella dorcas neglecta; Saharawi dorcas gazelle; semen; wild ruminants