Coxiella burnetii in dogs and ticks from the Northeastern Anatolia region of Türkiye: serological and molecular findings.

Abstract

The Q fever is a zoonotic bacterial infection caused by an obligate intra-cellular bacterium, Coxiella burnetii. Members of the Canidae family (Mammalia), including dogs and foxes, are potential reservoirs of C. burnetii, which has a wide host range from mammals and birds to arthropods (primarily ticks). Infected dogs can transmit the disease to other animals and humans. This study aimed to investigate the presence of C. burnetii in dogs and ticks collected from infested dogs in the Kars, Ardahan, and Iğdir provinces of Türkiye by serological and molecular methods. Three hundred canine serum samples were analyzed for phase I and phase II C. burnetii antibodies using indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Whole blood samples (n = 300) from the dogs sampled for sera and 184 ticks randomly collected from these dogs were also analyzed for C. burnetii with touch-down polymerase chain reaction. The ticks were classified according to the taxonomic characteristics. In result, 107 tick DNA samples collected from individual females and pooled males were evaluated. The C. burnetii was detected in 3.73% (of the tick samples. However, C. burnetii was not detected in any of the canine blood samples by polymerase chain reaction. Out of the 300 dogs, 18.33% presented antibodies against C. burnetii in their blood serum. When assessed for location, C. burnetii seropositivity was found to be significantly high especially in the Northeastern Anatolia region (18.33%). Study data highlighted the zoonotic risk of ticks, demonstrating that ticks on dogs can carry C. burnetii.