An assay to determine the Seasonal Prevalence of Coxiella burnetii in Cow Milk Using Nested PCR

Subject Areas : Molecular Microbiology

Ebrahim Rahimi ¹ , Zeinab Torki Baghbadorani ² , Abbas Doosti ³

1 - Department of Food Hygiene, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Islamic Azad University, Shahrekord Branch, Shahrekord, Iran
2 - Islamic Azad University, Shahrekord Branch, Shahrekord, Iran
3 - Biotechnology Research Center, Islamic Azad University, Shahrekord Branch, Shahrekord, Iran

Received: 2010-03-16 Accepted : 2010-04-14 Published : 2010-04-01

Keywords: PCR, Coxiella burnetii, cow milk,

Abstract :

Background and Objective: Q-fever is a zoonosis caused by an intracellular rickettsia, Coxiella burnetii, with worldwide distribution. This study was conducted to determine the seasonal prevalence rate of Coxiella burentii in raw milk samples obtained from different Cowpens in Isfahan. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was performed from January 2009 to January 2010. Totally, 247 milk samples from 90 Cowpens were collected and were tested for C. burnetii using nested PCR assay. Results: In this survey, 8 out of 247 (3.2%) cow milk samples were positive for C. burnetii. The prevalence of C. burnetii varied during different seasons. The highest incidence of C. burnetii observed in winter (8.5%). All 65 milk samples collected in summer were negative for C. burnetii. Conclusion: These results prove that cow milk could be considered as an important reservoir for C. burnetii infection in Iran.

References:

1. Maurin M, Raoult D. Q fever. Clin Microbiol Rev. 1999; 12: 518-553.

2. Parker NR, Barralet JH, Bell AM. Q fever. Lancet. 2006; 367: 679-688.

3. Kim SG, Kim EH, Lafferty CJ, Dubovi E. Coxiella burnetii in bulk tank milk samples, United States. Emerg Infect Dis. 2005; 11: 619-621.

4. Guatteo R, Beaudeau F, Joly A, SeegersH. Shedding routs of Coxiella burnetii in dairy cows: implications for detection and control. Vet Res. 2006; 37: 827-833.

5. Arricau-Bouvery N, Rodolakis A. Is Q fever an emerging or re-emerging zoonoses? Vet Res. 2005; 36: 327-350.

6. Cutler SJ, Bouzid M, Cutler RR, Q fever. J Infec. 2007; 54: 313-318.

7. Guatteo R, Beaudeau F, Joly A, SeegersH. Shedding routs of Coxiella burnetii in dairy cows: implications for detection and control. Vet Res. 2006; 37: 827-833.

8. To H, Htwe KK, Kako N, Kim HJ, Yamaguchi T, Fukushi H, Hieai K. Prevalence of Coxiella burnetii infection in dairy cattle with reproductive disorders. J Vet Med Sci. 1998; 60: 859-861.

9. Bildfell RJ, Thomson GW, Haines DM, McEwen BJ, Smart N.  Coxiella burnetii infection is associated with placentitis in cases of bovine abortion. J Vet Diagn Invest. 2000; 12: 419-425.

10. Dupuis G, Petite J, Peter O, Vouilloz M. An important outbreak of human Q fever in a Swiss alpine valley. Int J Epidemiol. 1987; 16: 282-287.

11. Hirai A, Kaneko S, Nakama A, Ishizaki N, Odagiri M, Kai A, Sadamasu K, Shinkai T, Yano K, Morozumi S. Investigation of Coxiella burnetii contamination in commercial milk and PCR method for the detection of C. burnetii in egg. Shokhin Eiseigaku Zasshi.2005; 46: 86-92.

12. Raoult D. Q fever: still a query after all these years. J Med Microbiol. 1996; 44: 77-78.

13. Cerf O, Condron R. Coxiella burnetii and milk pasteurization: an early application of the precautionary principle? Epidemiol Infect. 2006; 134: 946-951.

14. Berri M, Arricau-Bouvery N, Rodolakis A. PCR-based detection of Coxiella burnetii from clinical samples, in: Sachse K., Frey J. (Eds.), Methods in Molecular Biology, Humana Press Inc., Totowa, NJ. 2003.

15. Marrie T, Raoult D. Q fever-a review and issues for the next century. Int J Antimicrob Agents. 1997; 8: 145-161.

16. Fretz R, Schaeren W, Tanner M, Baumgartner A. Screening of various foodstuffs for occurrence of Coxiella burnetii in Switzerland. Int J Food Microbiol. 2007; 116: 414-418.

17. Zhang GQ, Nguyen SV, To H, Ogawa M, Hotta A, Yamaguchi T, Kim HJ, Fukushi H, Hirai K. Clinical evaluation of a new PCR assay for detection of Coxiella burnetii in human serum samples. J Clin Microbiol. 1998; 36: 77-80.

18. Rahimi E, Doosti A, Ameri M, Kabiri E, Sharifian B. Detection of Coxiella burnetii by nested PCR in bulk milk samples from dairy bovine, ovine, and caprine herds in Iran. Zoonoses Public Health. 2009; 57, 38-41.

19. Kargar M, Rashidi A, Doosti A, Ghorbani-Dalini S, Najafi A. Prevalence of Coxiella burnetii in bovine bulk milk samples in southern Iran. Com Clin Pathol. 2012; doi:10.1007/s00580-012-1406-9.

20. Muskens J, van Engelen E, van Maanen C, Bartels C, Lam TJ. Prevalence of Coxiella burnetii infection in Dutch dairy herds based on testing bulk tank milk and individual samples by PCR and ELISA. Vet Rec. 2011; 168:79.

21. Guatteo R, Beaudeau F, Joly A, SeegersH. Assessing the within-herd prevalence of Coxiella burnetii milk-shedder cows using a real-time PCR applied to bulk tank milk. Zoonoses Public Health. 2007; 54: 191-194.

22. Rodolakis A, Berri M, Héchard C, Caudron C, Souriau A, Bodier CC, Blanchard B, Camuset P, Devillechaise P, Natorp JC, Vadet JP, Arricau-Bouvery N. Comparison of Coxiella burnetii shedding in milk of dairy bovine, caprine, and ovine herds. J Dairy Sci. 2007; 90: 5352-5360.

23. Lyytikainen O, Ziese T, Schwartlander B, Matzdorff P, Kuhnhen C, Jager C, Peterson L. An outbreak of sheep-associated Q fever in a rural community in Germany. Eur J Epidemiol. 1998; 14: 193-199.

24. Guatteo R, Seegers H, Taurel AF, Joly A, Beaudeau F. Prevalence of Coxiella burnetii infection in domestic ruminants: a critical review. Vet Microbiol. 2011; 149:1-16.