Browsing by Subject "Q fever"

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    Controlling Coxiella burnetii in naturally infected sheep, goats and cows, and public health implications: a scoping review
    (Agricultural Research Service (USDA), 2024-02-15) Toledo Perona, Raquel; Contreras de Vera, Antonio; Gomis, Jesús; Quereda, Juan José; García Galán, Ana; Sánchez, Antonio; Gómez Martín, Ángel; Sanidad Animal
    Q fever is a worldwide zoonotic disease which domestic ruminants are the main source of infection for humans. This scoping review summarizes the control measures currently available to reduce Coxiella burnetii (Cb) infection in naturally infected sheep, goat and cattle herds. A total of 28 articles were included in the review. A lack of methodological standardization was noted in the articles analyzed. The results indicated that long-term vaccination in cows reduces bacterial excretion in milk and environmental contamination. In small ruminants, the results of vaccination in terms of efficacy are variable. In goats, there is a reduction in bacterial excretion, unlike in sheep, where a long-term vaccination program is necessary to reduce bacterial excretion. Moreover, the high persistence of viable Cb in the environment means that control measures for sheep are needed for several years. The use of antibiotics as a control measure in cows and sheep was not found to reduce excretion. However, the combination of vaccination with antibiotic therapy appears to have positive effects in small ruminants in terms of controlling outbreaks of Q fever. Hygiene and biosecurity measures are the basic means for controlling Cb infection on ruminant farms and ensuring public health.
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    Open Access
    Impact of whole-herd vaccination on a caprine coxiellosis outbreak: a longitudinal study of Coxiella burnetii shedding, serology, and host microbiota
    (Frontiers Media, 2026-06-03) Toledo-Perona, Raquel; Gomis, Jesús; Bailon-Larrañaga, Nerea; Contreras de Vera, Antonio; Quereda, Juan José; González-Torres, Pedro; Carrón, Nerea; Gómez Marín, Ángel; Sanidad Animal
    This longitudinal study investigated C. burnetii dynamics and the associated microbiota after vaccination in aborted and normal-delivery goats and bucks following a Q fever outbreak. Fecal, milk, vaginal, preputial, nasopharyngeal, environmental (qPCR and 16S rRNA), and blood samples (16S rRNA and serology) were analyzed. Before vaccination, over 70% of animals were seropositive, with qPCR positivity in all females and half of the males. Seroconversion remained complete until the second kidding season and reached approximately 90% by the third kidding season. After primary vaccination, a significant 60% reduction in shedders was observed, with shedding remaining absent during the two consecutive kidding seasons. Nasopharyngeal samples showed the highest and most persistent positivity, highlighting their diagnostic and epidemiological relevance. The first detection of C. burnetii in the buck prepuce underscores the potential role of males in disease maintenance. Persistent environmental contamination further supports early, whole-herd vaccination as a long-term strategy. Metabarcoding revealed significant shifts in microbial diversity across all anatomical sites over time, including vaginal community structure, suggesting local dysbiosis after abortion. The DNA detection of C. burnetii in blood and its significantly higher vaginal abundance in aborted females may contribute to abortion. A reduction in vaginal pathogen load (p < 0.05) may suggest a reproductive microbiota modulation associated with increased Firmicutes, considering it as a potentially health biomarker.