Is the horse a reservoir or an indicator of Coxiella burnetii infection? Systematic review and biomolecular investigation.
Abstract: The role of the horse in Coxiella burnetii infection has not been defined. Accordingly, a twofold approach was taken to further our knowledge on this topic: (1) conduct a systematic review of the literature to establish available evidence of C. burnetii infection in the horse; (2) undertake a biomolecular investigation of 122 cases of equine abortion, stillbirth and neonatal foal death, for the presence of C. burnetii using a PCR test targeting the IS1111 gene of C. burnetii. A review of the literature turned up seven studies that identified C. burnetii DNA in equine specimens, especially aborted fetuses, while an additional 34 studies sought to determine seroprevalence of the infection in the horse. A meta-analytical approach was taken to calculate a pooled mean seroprevalence in equines based on published studies. A seroprevalence of 15.8% (95% confidence interval: 9.6-23.0%) was obtained. This figure is comparable to those previously reported in other species, especially ruminants. None of the 122 cases of equine abortion, stillbirth or neonatal foal death were positive for C. burnetii DNA. C. burnetii has rarely been looked for in equine specimens in previous studies. Cases of equine abortion should be comprehensively investigated to assess the risk of abortion in a pregnant mare infected with C. burnetii. Consideration should also be given to the possible role of the horse as a source of the organism for other animal species including humans.
Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Publication Date: 2013-10-01 PubMed ID: 24144862DOI: 10.1016/j.vetmic.2013.09.027Google Scholar: Lookup
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- Journal Article
- Meta-Analysis
- Review
- Systematic Review
Summary
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This research aims to examine how horses are involved in Coxiella burnetii infection, through a systematic literature review and a biomolecular investigation on cases of equine abortion, stillbirth, and neonatal foal death.
Systematic Literature Review
- The researchers conducted a comprehensive review of existing academic literature to discover any available evidence of Coxiella burnetii infection in horses.
- Seven studies were found where C. burnetii DNA was identified in horse specimens, particularly aborted fetuses.
- An additional 34 studies were focused on gauging the seroprevalence (the level of a pathogen in a population, as measured in blood serum) of the infection in horses.
Meta-Analytical Approach
- To quantify the prevalence of the infection in horses, the researchers adopted a meta-analytical strategy, calculating a pooled mean seroprevalence based on the results from the aforementioned studies.
- A seroprevalence of 15.8% (with a 95% confidence interval: 9.6-23.0%) was calculated.
- This percentage aligns with rates previously recorded for other species, particularly ruminants like cattle, sheep, and goats.
Biomolecular Investigation
- The researchers also carried out a biomolecular investigation of 122 cases of equine abortion, stillbirth, and neonatal foal death.
- This investigation involved using a PCR (Polymerase chain reaction) test to target the IS1111 gene of Coxiella burnetii in order to detect the presence of the bacteria.
- No DNA of the C. burnetii bacteria was found in any of the 122 cases studied.
Conclusions and Recommendations
- C. burnetii has rarely been specifically searched for in horse specimens in the past, implying the need for further investigation.
- The research suggests that cases of equine abortion should be thoroughly examined to determine the risk of abortion in pregnant horses infected with C. burnetii.
- The potential of horses serving as a source of C. burnetii for other animal species, including humans, should also be considered.
Cite This Article
APA
Marenzoni ML, Stefanetti V, Papa P, Casagrande Proietti P, Bietta A, Coletti M, Passamonti F, Henning K.
(2013).
Is the horse a reservoir or an indicator of Coxiella burnetii infection? Systematic review and biomolecular investigation.
Vet Microbiol, 167(3-4), 662-669.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.vetmic.2013.09.027 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Perugia, Via S. Costanzo 4, 06126 Perugia, Italy. Electronic address: marialuisa.marenzoni@unipg.it.
MeSH Terms
- Aborted Fetus / microbiology
- Abortion, Veterinary / microbiology
- Animals
- Animals, Newborn / microbiology
- Coxiella burnetii / genetics
- Coxiella burnetii / physiology
- DNA, Bacterial / blood
- Female
- Horse Diseases / epidemiology
- Horse Diseases / microbiology
- Horses
- Polymerase Chain Reaction / veterinary
- Pregnancy
- Q Fever / diagnosis
- Q Fever / epidemiology
- Q Fever / microbiology
- Q Fever / veterinary
- Seroepidemiologic Studies
Citations
This article has been cited 7 times.- Lu M, Tian J, Zhao H, Jiang H, Qin X, Wang W, Li K. Molecular Survey of Vector-Borne Pathogens in Ticks, Sheep Keds, and Domestic Animals from Ngawa, Southwest China.. Pathogens 2022 May 22;11(5).
- Galon EM, Macalanda AM, Garcia MM, Ibasco CJ, Garvida A, Ji S, Zafar I, Hasegawa Y, Liu M, Ybañez RH, Umemiya-Shirafuji R, Ybañez A, Claveria F, Xuan X. Molecular Identification of Selected Tick-Borne Protozoan and Bacterial Pathogens in Thoroughbred Racehorses in Cavite, Philippines.. Pathogens 2021 Oct 13;10(10).
- Mathews KO, Toribio JA, Norris JM, Phalen D, Wood N, Graves SR, Sheehy PA, Bosward KL. Coxiella burnetii seroprevalence and Q fever in Australian wildlife rehabilitators.. One Health 2021 Jun;12:100197.
- Khademi P, Ownagh A, Ataei B, Kazemnia A, Eydi J, Khalili M, M M, Mardani K. Molecular detection of Coxiella burnetii in horse sera in Iran.. Comp Immunol Microbiol Infect Dis 2020 Oct;72:101521.
- Akter R, Legione A, Sansom FM, El-Hage CM, Hartley CA, Gilkerson JR, Devlin JM. Detection of Coxiella burnetii and equine herpesvirus 1, but not Leptospira spp. or Toxoplasma gondii, in cases of equine abortion in Australia - a 25 year retrospective study.. PLoS One 2020;15(5):e0233100.
- Plummer PJ, McClure JT, Menzies P, Morley PS, Van den Brom R, Van Metre DC. Management of Coxiella burnetii infection in livestock populations and the associated zoonotic risk: A consensus statement.. J Vet Intern Med 2018 Sep;32(5):1481-1494.
- Seo MG, Lee SH, VanBik D, Ouh IO, Yun SH, Choi E, Park YS, Lee SE, Kim JW, Cho GJ, Kwon OD, Kwak D. Detection and Genotyping of Coxiella burnetii and Coxiella-Like Bacteria in Horses in South Korea.. PLoS One 2016;11(5):e0156710.
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