Screening for Coxiella burnetii in dairy cattle herds in Poland

Abstract Introduction The intracellular bacterium Coxiella burnetii is the aetiological agent of Q fever, a zoonosis affecting many animal species worldwide. Cattle and small ruminants are considered the major reservoirs of the bacteria and they shed it through multiple routes. Material and Methods A total of 2,180 sera samples from 801 cattle herds in all Polish voivodeships were tested by ELISA for the presence of specific antibodies. Milk samples were obtained from seropositive cows in 133 herds as part of a separate study. The milk samples were examined by ELISA and real-time PCR tests. Results Seroprevalence at the animal level was 7.06% and true positive seroprevalence was 6.0% (95% confidence interval (CI) 1.1–9.4). Seroprevalence at the herd level was estimated at 11.1% and true positive seroprevalence was 10.5% (95% CI 3.2–15.8). Shedding of the pathogen in milk was detected by real-time PCR in 33 out of 133 tested herds (24.81%, 95% CI 17.74–33.04%) and the presence of C. burnetii antibodies was confirmed in 85 of them (63.9%, 95% CI 55.13–72.05%). The highest level of conformity between ELISA and real-time PCR results was obtained for bulk tank milk samples. Conclusion Coxiella burnetii infections are quite common in cattle herds across the country, which emphasises the crucial roles of surveillance and adequate biosecurity measures in the prevention and limitation of Q fever spread in Poland.