Coxiella burnetii and Co-Infections with Other Major Pathogens Causing Abortion in Small Ruminant Flocks in the Iberian Peninsula

• Published in: Animals (Basel) Vol. 12; no. 24; p. 3454
• Main Authors: Ramo, María de Los Angeles, Benito, Alfredo A, Quílez, Joaquín, Monteagudo, Luis V, Baselga, Cristina, Tejedor, María Teresa
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 07-12-2022; MDPI
• Subjects: Abortion; Aerosols; Bacteria; Border disease; Campylobacter; Chlamydia; Chlamydia abortus; Cluster analysis; co-infections; Coxiella burnetii; Domestic animals; Economic impact; Epidemics; Goats; Health risks; Iberian Peninsula; Immunization; Impact analysis; Infections; Infectious diseases; Laboratories; Livestock; Microorganisms; Neospora caninum; Pathogens; Public health; Q fever; Reproductive disorders; Salmonella; Salmonella enterica; Serology; Sexually transmitted diseases; Sheep; small ruminants; STD; Toxoplasma gondii; Vaccination; vaccine; Vaccines; Vagina; Viruses; Zoonoses; San Mateo California; Netherlands; United Kingdom > UK; United States > US; Portugal; Spain; Iberian Peninsula; small ruminants; vaccine; abortion; co-infections; Coxiella burnetii
• ISSN: 2076-2615; 2076-2615
• DOI: 10.3390/ani12243454

Coxiella burnetii is an intracellular bacterium causing human Q fever and reproductive disorders in domestic ruminants. We analyzed the occurrence of C. burnetii and co-infections with six other major pathogens causing abortion in sheep (1242 cases) and goat (371 cases) flocks from Spain and Portugal. After real-time PCR detection, co-infections were established by principal component and cluster analysis that grouped cases based on the joint presence/absence of several microorganisms. C. burnetii and Chlamydia abortus were the most common abortifacient agents with approximately 75% of cases from both hosts testing positive, followed by Toxoplasma gondii, Campylobacter sp., Salmonella enterica, border disease virus and Neospora caninum. C. burnetii was significantly more common than C. abortus in goat abortions (p < 0.001). Co-infections with at least two pathogens were found in more than 66% cases of ovine abortions and 36% cases of caprine abortions testing positive for C. burnetii, mostly including mixed infections with only C. abortus. These findings indicate that both pathogens are the most significant ones to be readily prevented by vaccination in this geographical area. Biosecurity and biocontainment measures are also steadfastly recommended to prevent both the economic losses and public health risks associated with most of these abortifacient agents.