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Detection of Coxiella burnetii DNA and anti-Coxiella burnetii IgG antibodies in precolostral blood samples of stillborn calves in an endemically infected Holstein dairy herd

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Abstract

Coxiella burnetii (C. burnetii), an intracellular zoonotic bacterium causing Q fever, occurs widely in cattle herds. After invasion of the pregnant uterus and initial localization in the placenta, active C. burnetii infections may spread to the fetus hematogenously or by the amniotic-oral route and thus may cause abortion, premature delivery, stillbirth, and weak offspring (APSW) complex. In a case-control study, we investigated precolostral blood samples of 56 stillborn calves and 30 live births from a dairy herd endemically infected with C. burnetii “C-cluster” strains and an increased stillbirth rate in primiparous cows. Within the group of the stillborn calves, four precolostral blood samples (7.1%) were tested positive for C. burnetii DNA by PCR and one serum sample (1.8%) positive for anti-C. burnetii IgG antibodies by a commercial ELISA test, respectively. Neither C. burnetii DNA nor anti-C. burnetii IgG antibodies were detected in the samples of calves being born alive. In conclusion, we demonstrated that coxiellaemia and precolostral seroconversion occurred sporadically in stillborn calves from this endemically infected herd. Due to the low detection rates, C. burnetii could not be confirmed to be the cause of the increased stillbirth rate.

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Acknowledgements

The authors thank the executive board of the dairy farm for giving the opportunity to realize this study, the Saxon Animal Health Fund for funding the study, and Dr. Jens Böttcher and Britta Janowetz (Bavarian Animal Health Service, Poing/Germany) for the serological investigation using phase-specific ELISAs. Special thanks go to the staff of the farm (especially Ilona Sieber and Andrea Endtmann) and the laboratory staff for expert technical assistance.

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  1. Markus Freick

    Present address: HTW Dresden-University of Applied Sciences, Faculty Agriculture/Environment/Chemistry, Pillnitzer Platz 2, 01326, Dresden, Germany

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Veterinary Practice Zettlitz, Straße der Jugend 68, 09306, Zettlitz, Germany

    Markus Freick & Jim Weber

  2. Saxon State Laboratory of Health and Veterinary Affairs, Dresden, Germany

    Andrea Konrath, Haimo Enbergs & Jörg Walraph

  3. Saxon Animal Health Fund, Dresden, Germany

    Karin Eulenberger

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  1. Markus Freick
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Correspondence to Markus Freick.

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Freick, M., Konrath, A., Enbergs, H. et al. Detection of Coxiella burnetii DNA and anti-Coxiella burnetii IgG antibodies in precolostral blood samples of stillborn calves in an endemically infected Holstein dairy herd. Folia Microbiol 63, 253–260 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12223-017-0553-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12223-017-0553-4

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