Nationwide serological, molecular, and spatial assessment of Q fever in dromedary camels (Camelus dromedarius) in Jordan: A One Health perspective

Vet World Vol.19 February-2026 Article - 17

Research Article

Veterinary World, 19(2): 678-692

https://doi.org/10.14202/vetworld.2026.678-692

Ruba Alomari¹, Majid Hawawsheh², Shahin Baiomy³, and Nacira Ramdani^4,5

1. Al-Khanasiri Department for Livestock and Rangeland Research, National Agricultural Research Center (NARC), Al-Baqa'a, Jordan.

2. Ministry of Agriculture, Amman, Jordan.

3. European Commission for the Control of Foot-and-Mouth Disease, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Rome, Italy.

4. Regional Veterinary Laboratory of El Oued, National Institute of Veterinary Medicine, El Oued, Algeria.

5. Management of Animal Health and Productions Laboratory, Institute of Veterinary Sciences, University of Frères Mentouri Constantine 1, Constantine, Algeria. .

Background and Aim: Q fever, caused by Coxiella burnetii, is a globally distributed zoonosis with major public health and livestock production implications. Dromedary camels (Camelus dromedarius) are increasingly recognized as important reservoirs, particularly in arid and semi-arid regions. In Jordan, however, comprehensive national-level data integrating serology, molecular detection, and spatial epidemiology are lacking. This study aimed to estimate the serological and molecular prevalence of Q fever in camels, identify associated risk factors, and describe the spatial distribution of infection across Jordan.

Materials and Methods: A nationwide cross-sectional study was conducted between July and October 2022 using a two-stage cluster sampling design. A total of 468 camels from 31 villages across all camel-rearing governorates were sampled. Serum samples were tested for anti-C. burnetii antibodies using a commercial indirect multi-species enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, while whole blood was examined for C. burnetii DNA using conventional polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays targeting IS1111 and CB-1 genes. Survey-weighted prevalence estimates were calculated, and risk factors were evaluated using univariate and multivariate survey-weighted logistic regression. Spatial distribution was mapped at the governorate level.

Results: The weighted prevalence of Q fever was 88.75% (95% confidence interval: 79.26%–98.23%) using parallel interpretation of serological and molecular tests. Individually, prevalence was 44.02% by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and 68.93% by PCR. Significant risk factors included age ≥3 years, contact with other camel herds, Sofor breed, light or absent tick infestation, and improper disposal of abortion materials. Co-herding with other species and a history of abortion were associated with reduced odds of positivity. Marked spatial heterogeneity was observed, with the highest prevalence in Tafilah governorate and the lowest in Zarqa.

Conclusion: This first nationwide, integrated serological, molecular, and spatial study demonstrates an exceptionally high burden of Q fever in Jordanian camels, highlighting their critical role as a reservoir. The findings underscore the urgent need to incorporate camels into national Q fever surveillance and control programs within a coordinated One Health framework involving animal, human, and environmental health sectors.

Keywords: camel epidemiology, Camelus dromedarius, Coxiella burnetii, Jordan, molecular detection, Q fever, risk factors, spatial distribution.

How to cite this article: Alomari R, Hawawsheh M, Baiomy S, Ramdani N. Nationwide serological, molecular, and spatial assessment of Q fever in dromedary camels (Camelus dromedarius) in Jordan: A One Health perspective. Vet World. 2026;19(2): 678-692.

Received: 31-08-2025 Accepted: 14-01-2026 Published online: 23-02-2026

Corresponding author: Ruba Alomari E-mail: rubaalomari666@gmail.com

DOI: 10.14202/vetworld.2026.678-692

Copyright: Alomari, 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.