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Shujat S, Shehzad W, Anjum AA, Hertl JA, Gröhn YT, Zahoor MY. Molecular identification of Coxiella burnetii in raw milk samples collected from farm animals in districts Kasur and Lahore of Punjab, Pakistan. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0301611. [PMID: 38843180 PMCID: PMC11156400 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0301611] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2023] [Accepted: 03/17/2024] [Indexed: 06/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Coxiella burnetii is the worldwide zoonotic infectious agent for Q fever in humans and animals. Farm animals are the main reservoirs of C. burnetii infection, which is mainly transmitted via tick bites. In humans, oral, percutaneous, and respiratory routes are the primary sources of infection transmission. The clinical signs vary from flu-like symptoms to endocarditis for humans' acute and chronic Q fever. While it is usually asymptomatic in livestock, abortion, stillbirth, infertility, mastitis, and endometritis are its clinical consequences. Infected farm animals shed C. burnetii in birth products, milk, feces, vaginal mucus, and urine. Milk is an important source of infection among foods of animal origin. This study aimed to determine the prevalence and molecular characterization of C. burnetii in milk samples of dairy animals from two districts in Punjab, Pakistan, as it has not been reported there so far. Using a convenience sampling approach, the current study included 304 individual milk samples from different herds of cattle, buffalo, goats, and sheep present on 39 farms in 11 villages in the districts of Kasur and Lahore. PCR targeting the IS1111 gene sequence was used for its detection. Coxiella burnetii DNA was present in 19 of the 304 (6.3%) samples. The distribution was 7.2% and 5.2% in districts Kasur and Lahore, respectively. The results showed the distribution in ruminants as 3.4% in buffalo, 5.6% in cattle, 6.7% in goats, and 10.6% in sheep. From the univariable analysis, the clinical signs of infection i.e. mastitis and abortion were analyzed for the prevalence of Coxiella burnetii. The obtained sequences were identical to the previously reported sequence of a local strain in district Lahore, Sahiwal and Attock. These findings demonstrated that the prevalence of C. burnetii in raw milk samples deserves more attention from the health care system and veterinary organizations in Kasur and Lahore of Punjab, Pakistan. Future studies should include different districts and human populations, especially professionals working with animals, to estimate the prevalence of C. burnetii.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shahpal Shujat
- Institute of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan
- Department of Population Medicine and Diagnostic Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, United States of America
| | - Wasim Shehzad
- Institute of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan
| | - Aftab Ahmad Anjum
- Institute of Microbiology, University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan
| | - Julia A. Hertl
- Department of Population Medicine and Diagnostic Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, United States of America
| | - Yrjö T. Gröhn
- Department of Population Medicine and Diagnostic Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, United States of America
| | - Muhammad Yasir Zahoor
- Institute of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan
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de França DA, Kmetiuk LB, Panazzolo GAK, Domingues OJ, da Silva FP, Biondo LM, de Souza Ribeiro Mioni M, Possebon FS, de Lima Duré AÍ, Silva MVF, Duarte MM, Fávero GM, Biondo AW, Langoni H. Serosurvey of Coxiella burnetii in Descendants of Former Black Slaves (Quilombola Communities) of Southern Brazil. Microorganisms 2024; 12:92. [PMID: 38257919 PMCID: PMC10819991 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms12010092] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2023] [Revised: 09/22/2023] [Accepted: 09/27/2023] [Indexed: 01/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Brazilian descendants of former Black-slave (quilombola) communities have been predisposed to several zoonotic diseases due to social vulnerability, characterized by subsistence and close contact with livestock and companion animals. Accordingly, the present study has assessed anti-Coxiella burnetii antibodies in 200 individuals and 20 dogs from four quilombola communities located in Paraná State, southern Brazil. Serum samples were tested by indirect immunofluorescence assay (IFA) using in-house and commercial diagnostic protocols, with analysis of seropositive titers and antibody type. Fisher's exact test was used to compare seropositivity to C. burnetti with binary variables, with variables with three or more possible responses submitted to logistic regression. In total, 44/200 (22%; 95% CI 16.82-28.24) people tested positive, and 4.5% had titers higher than 128, indicating a recent onset of C. burnetii infection. Seropositive individuals were statistically associated with the Limitão community (p = 0.0013), urban workers as occupations (p = 0.0475), consumption of undercooked meat (p = 0.0159), and contact with animal abortion (p = 0.0276). No seropositivity association was found for age, sex, education, habit of entering forest areas, consumption of game meat, consumption of raw milk, flea and tick bites, dog contact, or history of female miscarriage. Only one of 20 dogs was seropositive with a titer of 128, probably related to an acute animal infection. Despite the prevalence here being higher than previous Brazilian reports, including with symptomatic populations, the results were within range for worldwide outbreaks and occupational risk populations. To the reader's knowledge, this is the first human survey of Q fever in southern Brazil and should be considered a warning for C. burnetii in vulnerable populations, particularly Quilombola communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danilo Alves de França
- Department of Animal Production and Preventive Veterinary Medicine, School of Veterinary Medicine and Animals Science, São Paulo State University, Botucatu 18618-681, SP, Brazil; (D.A.d.F.); (F.S.P.)
| | - Louise Bach Kmetiuk
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, Federal University of Paraná State, Curitiba 80035-050, PR, Brazil; (L.B.K.); (A.W.B.)
| | - Giovanni Augusto Kalempa Panazzolo
- Graduate College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, State University of Ponta Grossa, Ponta Grossa 84030-900, PR, Brazil; (G.A.K.P.); (O.J.D.); (G.M.F.)
| | - Orlei José Domingues
- Graduate College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, State University of Ponta Grossa, Ponta Grossa 84030-900, PR, Brazil; (G.A.K.P.); (O.J.D.); (G.M.F.)
| | - Filipe Pereira da Silva
- Service of Virology and Rickettsiosis, Octavio Magalhaes Institute, Ezequiel Dias Foundation, Belo Horizonte 30510-010, MG, Brazil; (F.P.d.S.); (A.Í.d.L.D.); (M.V.F.S.); (M.M.D.)
| | - Leandro Meneguelli Biondo
- National Institute of the Atlantic Forest (INMA), Brazilian Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation, Santa Teresa 29650-000, ES, Brazil;
- Interdisciplinary Graduate Studies, University of British Columbia, Kelowna, BC V1V 1V7, Canada
| | - Mateus de Souza Ribeiro Mioni
- Department of Pathology, Reproduction and One Health, Faculty of Agricultural and Veterinary Sciences, São Paulo State University, Jaboticabal 14884-900, SP, Brazil;
| | - Fábio Sossai Possebon
- Department of Animal Production and Preventive Veterinary Medicine, School of Veterinary Medicine and Animals Science, São Paulo State University, Botucatu 18618-681, SP, Brazil; (D.A.d.F.); (F.S.P.)
| | - Ana Íris de Lima Duré
- Service of Virology and Rickettsiosis, Octavio Magalhaes Institute, Ezequiel Dias Foundation, Belo Horizonte 30510-010, MG, Brazil; (F.P.d.S.); (A.Í.d.L.D.); (M.V.F.S.); (M.M.D.)
| | - Marcos Vinicius Ferreira Silva
- Service of Virology and Rickettsiosis, Octavio Magalhaes Institute, Ezequiel Dias Foundation, Belo Horizonte 30510-010, MG, Brazil; (F.P.d.S.); (A.Í.d.L.D.); (M.V.F.S.); (M.M.D.)
| | - Myrian Morato Duarte
- Service of Virology and Rickettsiosis, Octavio Magalhaes Institute, Ezequiel Dias Foundation, Belo Horizonte 30510-010, MG, Brazil; (F.P.d.S.); (A.Í.d.L.D.); (M.V.F.S.); (M.M.D.)
| | - Giovani Marino Fávero
- Graduate College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, State University of Ponta Grossa, Ponta Grossa 84030-900, PR, Brazil; (G.A.K.P.); (O.J.D.); (G.M.F.)
| | - Alexander Welker Biondo
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, Federal University of Paraná State, Curitiba 80035-050, PR, Brazil; (L.B.K.); (A.W.B.)
| | - Helio Langoni
- Department of Animal Production and Preventive Veterinary Medicine, School of Veterinary Medicine and Animals Science, São Paulo State University, Botucatu 18618-681, SP, Brazil; (D.A.d.F.); (F.S.P.)
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