Rooney, Tess and Fevre, Eric 
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8931-4986
(2023)
Coxiella burnetii serostatus in dromedary camels (Camelus dromedarius) is associated with C. burnetii DNA in parasitizing ticks in Laikipia County, Kenya.
[Data Collection]
Description
Q fever is a globally distributed, neglected zoonotic disease of conservation and public health importance, caused by the bacterium Coxiella burnetii. Coxiella burnetii normally causes subclinical infections in livestock but may also cause reproductive pathology and spontaneous abortions in artiodactyl species. One such artiodactyl, the dromedary camel (Camelus dromedarius), is an increasingly important livestock species in semi-arid landscapes. Ticks have been shown to be naturally infected with C. burnetii worldwide and are frequently found on camels in Kenya. In this study, we aimed to assess the relationship between dromedary camels’ C. burnetii serostatus and carrying C. burnetii PCR-positive ticks in Kenya. We hypothesized that there would be a positive association between camel seropositivity and the presence of C. burnetii PCR-positive ticks. Blood was collected from camels (n = 233) from three herds, and serum was analyzed using ELISA test kits. Ticks were collected (n = 4,354) and divided into pools of the same species found on the same camel (n = 397) and tested for C. burnetii and Coxiella-like endosymbionts. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize seroprevalence by camel demographic (age class, sex, herd) and clinical (packed cell volume, total solids) variables. Univariate logistic regression analyses were used to assess relationships between serostatus and tick PCR status, and camel demographic and clinical variables. Camel C. burnetii seroprevalence was 52%. Across tick pools, the prevalence of C. burnetii was 15%, and Coxiella-like endosymbionts was 27%. Camel seropositivity was significantly associated with the presence of a C. burnetii PCR-positive tick pool (OR: 2.58; 95% CI: 1.4-5.1; p = 0.0045). Increasing age class and total solids were significantly associated with seropositivity. The role of ticks in the epidemiology of Q fever warrants further research as a zoonotic disease with potential to cause illness and reproductive losses in humans, livestock, and wildlife.
| Keywords: | Arthropod; Camelid; Livestock; One Health; Q fever; Zoonoses |
|---|---|
| Divisions: | Faculty of Health and Life Sciences > Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences > Livestock & One Health |
| Depositing User: | Eric Fevre |
| Date Deposited: | 13 Jun 2023 14:23 |
| Last Modified: | 23 Apr 2024 11:11 |
| DOI: | 10.17638/datacat.liverpool.ac.uk/2269 |
| Geography: | Kenya, East AFrica |
| URI: | https://datacat.liverpool.ac.uk/id/eprint/2269 |
Available Files
Data
Creative Commons: Attribution 4.0 |
Creative Commons: Attribution 4.0 |
Creative Commons: Attribution 4.0 |
Creative Commons: Attribution 4.0 |
