The first report of seroprevalence of Q fever in water buffaloes (Bubalus bubalis) in Phatthalung, Thailand

Vet World Vol.14 September-2021 Article-35

Research Article

Veterinary World, 14(9): 2574-2578

https://doi.org/10.14202/vetworld.2021.2574-2578

Kamchai Kidsin¹, Decha Panjai², and Sumalee Boonmar^3,4

1. Animal Health Section, The Eight Regional Livestock Development, Muang Surat Thani, Surat Thani Province, 84000 Thailand.
2. National Institute of Health, Department of Medical Sciences, Ministry of Public Health, Nonthaburi, 11000, Thailand.
3. Akkhraratchakumari Veterinary College, Walailak University, 222 Thaiburi, Thasala, Nakhon Si Thammarat 80160, Thailand.
4. One Health Research Center, Walailak University, Nakhon Si Thammarat 80160, Thailand.

Background and Aim: Q fever is a worldwide zoonosis caused by the intracellular bacterium, Coxiella burnetii. A few studies focused on the occurrence of Q fever infection in water buffaloes in Thailand have been conducted; however, little is known regarding the seroprevalence of C. burnetii antibodies in buffaloes. In the present study, we describe the prevalence of Q fever infection in water buffaloes (Bubalus bubalis) in Phatthalung, Thailand.

Materials and Methods: A total of 421 samples (156 blood, 156 sera, and 109 ectoparasites [lice]) were collected from 156 water buffaloes from 29 farms of the Phatthalung Province from January 22, 2021, to March 26, 2021. The blood and ectoparasite samples were screened for C. burnetii DNA using a polymerase chain reaction assay and the sera were tested for C. burnetii antibody using an indirect immunofluorescence assay.

Results: C. burnetii DNA was not detected in blood or ectoparasites; however, the seroprevalence of individual water buffaloes was 4.49% (95% CI: 2.19-8.99%), whereas that of the herd was 13.79%. There was a significant difference between abortion history and Q fever infection at 29 farms (p=0.005; OR=33.55 [95%CI: 156-722.38]).

Conclusion: This is the first report describing the low seroprevalence of C. burnetii antibodies in water buffaloes in Phatthalung Province, Thailand. The occurrence of this pathogen in buffaloes with reproductive disorders and people working with buffaloes warrant further investigation. Animal health authorities should inform farmers to effectively prevent and control this zoonosis. Keywords: Coxiella burnetii, indirect immunofluorescence assay, Q fever, seroprevalence, Thailand, water buffaloes.

Keywords: Coxiella burnetii, indirect immunofluorescence assay, Q fever, seroprevalence, Thailand, water buffaloes.

How to cite this article: Kidsin K, Panjai D, Boonmar S (2021) The first report of seroprevalence of Q fever in water buffaloes (Bubalus bubalis) in Phatthalung, Thailand, Veterinary World, 14(9): 2574-2578.

Received: 31-05-2021 Accepted: 25-08-2021 Published online: 29-09-2021

Corresponding author: Sumalee Boonmar E-mail: sumalee.bo@wu.ac.th

DOI: 10.14202/vetworld.2021.2574-2578

Copyright: Kidsin, et al. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license, and indicate if changes were made. The Creative Commons Public Domain Dedication waiver (http:// creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/) applies to the data made available in this article, unless otherwise stated.