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Molecular Investigation of the Status of Ticks on Infected Cattle for Coxiella burnetii in India

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Abstract

Purpose

In Indian subcontinent, the epidemiological studies on the status of ticks in the transmission of Coxiella burnetii have not been explored comprehensively. The objective of the present study was to investigate the status of ticks for C. burnetii among coxiellosis positive cattle.

Methods

The present study was carried out in three locations of the northern states of India. A total of 1648 tick samples were collected from the tick infested cattle (n = 146) that were tested positive for coxiellosis by indirect serum-ELISA assay and/or the trans-PCR assay. The tick samples were screened using the trans-PCR assay targeting species-specific IS1111 transposase gene of C. burnetii. The sequencing of PCR products was planned to differentiate C. burnetii and Coxiella-like bacteria (CLB).

Results

The collected ticks were identified as Rhipicephalus microplus (n = 1049), Hyalomma anatolicum (n = 416), and Hyalomma spp. (n = 183). On molecular investigation, none of the collected tick samples were found to be positive for the IS1111 gene.

Conclusion

The findings of the present study ruled out the involvement of ticks in circulation of the pathogen within the cattle population that were screened. However, extensive epidemiological studies are needed to conclusively rule out or establish the role of ticks as a competent vector for C. burnetii transmission in cattle and other hosts.

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Acknowledgements

The authors thank Director, Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Izatnagar for providing necessary facilities to undertake the research. We are grateful to Dr. Eric Ghigo, URMITE-IRD, Faculté de Médecine, France for providing the DNA of standard C. burnetii Nine Mile phase 1 (strain RSA 493).

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Author notes

  1. Pankaj Dhaka

    Present address: School of Public Health and Zoonoses, College of Veterinary Science, Guru Angad Dev Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, Ludhiana, 141004, India

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Veterinary Public Health, ICAR-Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Izatnagar, 243122, India

    Pankaj Dhaka, Satya Veer Singh Malik, Jay Prakash Yadav, Manesh Kumar & Deepak B. Rawool

  2. Division of Parasitology, ICAR-Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Izatnagar, 243122, India

    Srikant Ghosh

  3. ICAR-National Research Centre on Meat, Chengicherla, Hyderabad, 500092, India

    Sukhadeo B. Barbuddhe & Deepak B. Rawool

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  1. Pankaj Dhaka
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  2. Satya Veer Singh Malik
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  3. Jay Prakash Yadav
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  4. Srikant Ghosh
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  5. Manesh Kumar
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  6. Sukhadeo B. Barbuddhe
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  7. Deepak B. Rawool
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Correspondence to Deepak B. Rawool.

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The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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All applicable international, national, and/or institutional guidelines were followed while using cattle for collecting samples in the study.

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Dhaka, P., Malik, S.V.S., Yadav, J.P. et al. Molecular Investigation of the Status of Ticks on Infected Cattle for Coxiella burnetii in India. Acta Parasit. 65, 779–782 (2020). https://doi.org/10.2478/s11686-020-00192-4

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