Seroprevalence and Risk Factors for Q fever (Coxiella burnetii) Exposure in Smallholder Dairy Cattle in Tanzania

Abstract

Q fever is a zoonotic disease, resulting from infection with Coxiella burnetii. Infection in cattle can cause abortion and infertility, however, there is little epidemiological information regarding the disease in dairy cattle in Tanzania. Between July 2019 and October 2020, a serosurvey was conducted in six high dairy producing regions of Tanzania. Cattle sera were tested for antibodies to C. burnetii using an indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. A mixed effect logistic regression model identified risk factors associated with C. burnetii seropositivity. A total of 79 out of 2049 dairy cattle tested positive with an overall seroprevalence of 3.9% (95% CI 3.06–4.78) across the six regions with the highest seroprevalence in Tanga region (8.21%, 95% CI 6.0–10.89). Risk factors associated with seropositivity included: extensive feeding management (OR 2.77, 95% CI 1.25–3.77), and low precipitation below 1000 mm (OR 2.76, 95% 1.37–7.21). The disease seroprevalence is relatively low in the high dairy cattle producing regions of Tanzania. Due to the zoonotic potential of the disease, future efforts should employ a “One Health” approach to understand the epidemiology, and for interdisciplinary control to reduce the impacts on animal and human health.

Prevalence, Risk Factors, and Relationship between Reproductive Performance and the Presence of Antibodies against Coxiellosis in Dairy Farm Milk Tanks in the Northwest of Spain

“…Concerning reproductive performance, our results showed an association between the depletion of fertility and the presence of antibodies against C. burnetii, in contrast to what other studies have discovered [65,68]. Similar data were reported by López-Gatius et al [69].…”

“…In the same way, the use of bulls increased the risk of coxiellosis. This can be explained by the higher probability of bulls being purchased from other herds [65], which may introduce infection to the farm. Additionally, the interaction of multiple cows might make the bull a vector for infection, as has been reported for sheep [64].…”

Distribution and Prevalence of Coxiella burnetii in Animals, Humans, and Ticks in Nigeria: A Systematic Review

“…The second study conducted in southwest Nigeria on the seroprevalence of C. burnetii in cattle revealed a prevalence of 23.5% [33]. This prevalence is higher than the reported mean seroprevalence for C. burnetii in cattle in Africa, which currently stands at 14.0% while PCR detection was 9.0% [57]. On a similar note, a study conducted in some parts of Africa indicated different seropositivity to C. burnetii; as 29.9% was registered in dairy cattle in Sudan [62], and in Ethiopia, a seropositivity of 8.2% and 4.7% from semi-intensive and intensive management systems respectively was recorded [63].…”

“…In Niamey, Niger Republic, 10.0% of children aged 1 month to 5 years were seropositive, and in Ghana's rural Ashanti Region, 17.0% of two-year-olds were seropositive [56]. Recent reports across 24 African countries showed the mean seroprevalence for C. burnetii in humans was 16.0%, while molecular detection showed 3.0% [57]. The high prevalence recorded may be due to local management practices, environmental and climatic conditions, the methods of screening samples, and geographical variations [31].…”