Molecular assessment of Coxiella burnetii in horses in Northwestern Iran
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Abstract
Background and Objectives: Q fever is a frequently occurring illness that is induced by the bacterium Coxiella burnetii (C. burnetii) that can infect humans and various animals. It targets the macrophage cells in the tissues, and circulating monocytes.
Materials and Methods: This study was conducted between 2022 and 2023 in the West Azerbaijan and Ardabil provinces of northwestern Iran to examine the presence infection of C. burnetii. Specimens were obtained by swabbing from 140 mares (70 from each province) and 20 stallions (10 from each province) which were apparently healthy, and their DNA was analyzed using quantitative PCR assay detecting the IS1111 element of the bacterium.
Results: The findings indicated that a mere 0.625% of the examined specimens tested positive for C. burnetii. Among the entire set of specimens, a single female horse from the region of Ardabil was found to be the carrier of the bacterium.
Conclusion: This suggested that even though horses may not display any clinical symptoms, they can still harbor C. burnetii and contribute to its transmission. Therefore, the potential contribution of horses to Q fever transmission should be considered.
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7. Khademi P, Ownagh A, Ataei B, Kazemnia A, Eydi J, Khalili M, et al. Molecular detection of Coxiella burnetii in horse sera in Iran. Comp Immunol Microbiol Infect Dis 2020; 72: 101521.
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Forum 2023; 14: 317-322.
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12. Berri M, Laroucau K, Rodolakis A. The detection of Coxiella burnetii from ovine genital swabs, milk and fecal samples by the use of a single touchdown polymerase chain reaction. Vet Microbiol 2000; 72: 285-293.
13. Vincent GA, Graves SR, Robson JM, Nguyen C, Hussain-Yusuf H, Islam A, et al. Isolation of Coxiella burnetii from serum of patients with acute Q fever. J Microbiol Methods 2015; 119: 74-78.
14. Schneeberger PM, Hermans MH, van Hannen EJ, Schellekens JJ, Leenders AC, Wever PC. Real-time PCR with serum samples is indispensable for early diagnosis of acute Q fever. Clin Vaccine Immunol 2010; 17: 286-290.
15. Mohabbati Mobarez A, Bagheri Amiri F, Esmaeili S. Seroprevalence of Q fever among human and animal in Iran; A systematic review and meta-analysis. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2017; 11(4): e0005521.
16. Mohabati Mobarez A, Baseri N, Khalili M, Mostafavi E, Esmaeili S. Genotyping and phylogenetic analysis of Coxiella burnetii in domestic ruminant and clinical samples in Iran: insights into Q fever epidemiology. Sci Rep 2023; 13: 20374.
17. Georgiev M, Afonso A, Neubauer H, Needham H, Thiery R, Rodolakis A, et al. Q fever in humans and farm animals in four European countries, 1982 to 2010. Euro Surveill 2013; 18: 20407.
18. Esmaeili S, Golzar F, Ayubi E, Naghili B, Mostafavi E. Acute Q fever in febrile patients in northwestern of Iran. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2017; 11(4): e0005535.
19. Ghasemian R, Mostafavi E, Esmaeili S, Arabsheybani S, Davoodi L. Epidemiologic investigation of acute Q fever in North of Iran. J Mazandaran Univ Med Sci 2019; 29: 100-106.
20. Moradnejad P, Esmaeili S, Maleki M, Sadeghpour A, Kamali M, Rohani M, et al. Q fever endocarditis in Iran. Sci Rep 2019; 9: 15276.
21. Nourollahi Fard SR, Omid Ghashghaei O, Khalili M, Sharifi H. Tick diversity and detection of Coxiella burnetii in tick of small ruminants using nested Trans PCR in Southeast Iran. Trop Biomed 2016; 33: 506-511.
22. Esmaeili S, Mohabati Mobarez A, Khalili M, Mostafavi E, Moradnejad P. Molecular prevalence of Coxiella burnetii in milk in Iran: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Trop Anim Health Prod 2019; 51: 1345-1355.
23. Desjardins I, Joulié A, Pradier S, Lecollinet S, Beck C, Vial L, et al. Seroprevalence of horses to Coxiella burnetii in an Q fever endemic area. Vet Microbiol 2018; 215: 49-56.
24. Fenollar F, Fournier PE, Raoult D. Molecular detection of Coxiella burnetii in the sera of patients with Q fever endocarditis or vascular infection. J Clin Microbiol 2004; 42: 4919-4924.
25. Seo M-G, Lee S-H, VanBik D, Ouh I-O, Yun S-H, Choi E, et al. Detection and genotyping of Coxiella burnetii and Coxiella-like bacteria in horses in South Korea. PLoS One 2016; 11(5): e0156710.
26. Tozer SJ, Lambert SB, Strong CL, Field HE, Sloots TP, Nissen MD. Potential animal and environmental sources of Q fever infection for humans in Queensland. Zoonoses Public Health 2014; 61: 105-112.
27. de Rooij MM, Schimmer B, Versteeg B, Schneeberger P, Berends BR, Heederik D, et al. Risk factors of Coxiella burnetii (Q fever) seropositivity in veterinary medicine students. PLoS One 2012; 7(2): e32108.
28. Kopecny L, Bosward KL, Shapiro A, Norris JM. Investigating Coxiella burnetii infection in a breeding cattery at the centre of a Q fever outbreak. J Feline Med Surg 2013; 15: 1037-1045.
29. Ndeereh D, Muchemi G, Thaiyah A, Otiende M, Angelone-Alasaad S, Jowers MJ. Molecular survey of Coxiella burnetii in wildlife and ticks at wildlife–livestock interfaces in Kenya. Exp Appl Acarol 2017; 72: 277-289.
2. Gharban HA, Yousif AA. Serological and molecular phylogenetic detection of Coxiella burnetii in lactating cows, Iraq. Iraqi J Vet Med 2020; 44: 42-50.
3. Karagiannis I, Schimmer B, Van Lier A, Timen A, Schneeberger P, Van Rotterdam B, et al. Investigation of a Q fever outbreak in a rural area of The Netherlands. Epidemiol Infect 2009; 137: 1283-1294.
4. Nokhodian Z, Feizi A, Ataei B, Hoseini SG, Mostafavi E. Epidemiology of Q fever in Iran: A systematic review and meta-analysis for estimating serological and molecular prevalence. J Res Med Sci 2017; 22: 121.
5. Guatteo R, Seegers H, Taurel A-F, Joly A, Beaudeau F. Prevalence of Coxiella burnetii infection in domestic ruminants: a critical review. Vet Microbiol 2011; 149: 1-16.
6. Jaferi M, Mozaffari A, Jajarmi M, Imani M, Khalili M. Serologic and molecular survey of horses to Coxiella burnetii in East of Iran a highly endemic area. Comp Immunol Microbiol Infect Dis 2021; 76: 101647.
7. Khademi P, Ownagh A, Ataei B, Kazemnia A, Eydi J, Khalili M, et al. Molecular detection of Coxiella burnetii in horse sera in Iran. Comp Immunol Microbiol Infect Dis 2020; 72: 101521.
8. Marenzoni ML, Stefanetti V, Papa P, Casagrande Proietti P, Bietta A, Coletti M, et al. Is the horse a reservoir or an indicator of Coxiella burnetii infection? Systematic review and biomolecular investigation. Vet Microbiol 2013; 167: 662-669.
9. Tehrani M, Ownagh A. Genomic detection of Coxiella burnetii based on plasmid genes in horses. Vet Res
Forum 2023; 14: 317-322.
10. Metters G, Hemsley C, Norville I, Titball R. Identification of essential genes in Coxiella burnetii. Microb Genom 2023; 9: mgen000944.
11. Zhang Y, Fu J, Liu S, Wang L, Qiu J, van Schaik EJ, et al. Coxiella burnetii inhibits host immunity by a protein phosphatase adapted from glycolysis. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022; 119(1): e2110877119.
12. Berri M, Laroucau K, Rodolakis A. The detection of Coxiella burnetii from ovine genital swabs, milk and fecal samples by the use of a single touchdown polymerase chain reaction. Vet Microbiol 2000; 72: 285-293.
13. Vincent GA, Graves SR, Robson JM, Nguyen C, Hussain-Yusuf H, Islam A, et al. Isolation of Coxiella burnetii from serum of patients with acute Q fever. J Microbiol Methods 2015; 119: 74-78.
14. Schneeberger PM, Hermans MH, van Hannen EJ, Schellekens JJ, Leenders AC, Wever PC. Real-time PCR with serum samples is indispensable for early diagnosis of acute Q fever. Clin Vaccine Immunol 2010; 17: 286-290.
15. Mohabbati Mobarez A, Bagheri Amiri F, Esmaeili S. Seroprevalence of Q fever among human and animal in Iran; A systematic review and meta-analysis. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2017; 11(4): e0005521.
16. Mohabati Mobarez A, Baseri N, Khalili M, Mostafavi E, Esmaeili S. Genotyping and phylogenetic analysis of Coxiella burnetii in domestic ruminant and clinical samples in Iran: insights into Q fever epidemiology. Sci Rep 2023; 13: 20374.
17. Georgiev M, Afonso A, Neubauer H, Needham H, Thiery R, Rodolakis A, et al. Q fever in humans and farm animals in four European countries, 1982 to 2010. Euro Surveill 2013; 18: 20407.
18. Esmaeili S, Golzar F, Ayubi E, Naghili B, Mostafavi E. Acute Q fever in febrile patients in northwestern of Iran. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2017; 11(4): e0005535.
19. Ghasemian R, Mostafavi E, Esmaeili S, Arabsheybani S, Davoodi L. Epidemiologic investigation of acute Q fever in North of Iran. J Mazandaran Univ Med Sci 2019; 29: 100-106.
20. Moradnejad P, Esmaeili S, Maleki M, Sadeghpour A, Kamali M, Rohani M, et al. Q fever endocarditis in Iran. Sci Rep 2019; 9: 15276.
21. Nourollahi Fard SR, Omid Ghashghaei O, Khalili M, Sharifi H. Tick diversity and detection of Coxiella burnetii in tick of small ruminants using nested Trans PCR in Southeast Iran. Trop Biomed 2016; 33: 506-511.
22. Esmaeili S, Mohabati Mobarez A, Khalili M, Mostafavi E, Moradnejad P. Molecular prevalence of Coxiella burnetii in milk in Iran: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Trop Anim Health Prod 2019; 51: 1345-1355.
23. Desjardins I, Joulié A, Pradier S, Lecollinet S, Beck C, Vial L, et al. Seroprevalence of horses to Coxiella burnetii in an Q fever endemic area. Vet Microbiol 2018; 215: 49-56.
24. Fenollar F, Fournier PE, Raoult D. Molecular detection of Coxiella burnetii in the sera of patients with Q fever endocarditis or vascular infection. J Clin Microbiol 2004; 42: 4919-4924.
25. Seo M-G, Lee S-H, VanBik D, Ouh I-O, Yun S-H, Choi E, et al. Detection and genotyping of Coxiella burnetii and Coxiella-like bacteria in horses in South Korea. PLoS One 2016; 11(5): e0156710.
26. Tozer SJ, Lambert SB, Strong CL, Field HE, Sloots TP, Nissen MD. Potential animal and environmental sources of Q fever infection for humans in Queensland. Zoonoses Public Health 2014; 61: 105-112.
27. de Rooij MM, Schimmer B, Versteeg B, Schneeberger P, Berends BR, Heederik D, et al. Risk factors of Coxiella burnetii (Q fever) seropositivity in veterinary medicine students. PLoS One 2012; 7(2): e32108.
28. Kopecny L, Bosward KL, Shapiro A, Norris JM. Investigating Coxiella burnetii infection in a breeding cattery at the centre of a Q fever outbreak. J Feline Med Surg 2013; 15: 1037-1045.
29. Ndeereh D, Muchemi G, Thaiyah A, Otiende M, Angelone-Alasaad S, Jowers MJ. Molecular survey of Coxiella burnetii in wildlife and ticks at wildlife–livestock interfaces in Kenya. Exp Appl Acarol 2017; 72: 277-289.
| Files | ||
| Issue | Vol 17 No 2 (2025) | |
| Section | Original Article(s) | |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.18502/ijm.v17i2.18389 | |
| Keywords | ||
| Coxiella burnetii; Horse; Iran; Polymerase chain reaction | ||
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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License. |
How to Cite
1.
Hosseinzadeh S, Nofouzi K, Hasanzadeh F, Esmaeili S, Ayen E. Molecular assessment of Coxiella burnetii in horses in Northwestern Iran. Iran J Microbiol. 2025;17(2):287-292.
