Journal of Animal Research
  • Year: 2023
  • Volume: 13
  • Issue: 5

Query fever infection: Seroprevalence and risk factors in cattle in selected districts of Bench Sheko zone, southwest Ethiopia

  • Author:
  • Tamirat Haile1,*, Tsegaye Teklemariam1, Murga Soma1, Yosef Deneke2, Mekonnen Addis2
  • Total Page Count: 9
  • Published Online: Jul 31, 2024
  • Page Number: 653 to 661

1Mizan Regional Veterinary Laboratory Center, Mizan-aman, Ethiopia

2Jimma University Colleges of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Jimma, Ethiopia

*Corresponding author: T Haile; E-mail: tamevet55@gmail.com

Online Published on 31 July, 2024.

Abstract

Query fever (Q fever) is caused by highly infectious, ubiquitous and pleomorphic intracellular rickettsia, Coxiella burnetii. This imparts significant zoonotic and socio-economic burden due to production and reproductive loss (abortion, stillbirth, and infertility) in ruminant and debilitating clinical disease in human populations. The study districts, peasant associations and individual animal were selected randomly. A cross sectional study was conducted both intensive and extensive farms. Data was collected in individual animal and herd level by using questionnaire to assess possible risk factors associated with the occurrence of Query fever disease. Indirect-enzyme linked immune sorbent assay (i-ELISA) test was used to detect antibody against C. burnetii in the collected serum. A total of 422 animal’s serum and 119 herds were observed in this study. The overall seroprevalence of C. burnetii was 4.97% (95% CI: 3.1%-7.5%) and 13.4% (95% CI: 7.88%-20.91%) at individual animal and herd level respectively. Multivariable logistic regression analysis revealed that cattle breed (p = 0.04; adjusted OR = 4.804; (95% CI: 7.07-14.54%)), tick infestation (p = 0.018; adjusted OR = 11.786 (95% CI: 5.51-21.48)) and multispecies mix (p = 0.005; adjusted OR = 9.022 (95% CI: 17.95-31.74)) were significantly associated with the occurrence of Coxiella burnetii infection. The present finding showed risk factors such as breed, tick infestation and multispecies mix were found to be significantly associated with C. burnetii seropositivity. Tick control option should be applied for cattle and other domestic animal species to decrease the dissemination of Query fever.

• Seroprevalence of C. burnetii was significantly related with cattle breed, tick infestation and animal management system

• The rate of detection of Coxiella burnetii antibodies was higher in cattle intensive farms (66.7%) than semi intensive system (55.6%).

Keywords

Coxiella burnetii, Risk factors, Seroprevalence, I-ELISA, Bench Sheko zone, Ethiopia