Real-Time PCR-Based Detection of Coxiella Burnetii in Bovine Bulk Milk Samples in Iran

Objective: Coxiella burnetii is the causative agent of Q-fever, a widespread zoonosis. Due to its high environmental stability and infectivity it is regarded as a category B biological weapon agent. In domestic animals infection remains either asymptomatic or presents as infertility or abortion. Clinical presentation in humans can range from mild flu-like illness to acute pneumonia and hepatitis. Endocarditis represents the most common form of chronic Q-fever. In humans serology is the gold standard for diagnosis but is inadequate for early case detection, so a real-time PCR assay was developed in this study to measure amounts of C. burnetii shed in milk. Our study was to assess the prevalence of C. burnetii in bulk milk samples from dairy herds in 3 provinces (Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari, Isfahan and Yazd) of the Iran. Methods: In the present study, 300 bulk milk samples from 89 dairy cattle herds were tested for C. burnetii using a real-time PCR assay. The animals which their milk samples collected for this study were clinically healthy. In total, 74 of 300 (24.7%) cow milk samples were positive. Results: The results of this study indicate those clinically healthy dairy cows are important sources of C. burnetii infection in Iran

Real-time PCR Coxiella burnetii Bovine Milk Iran