Animal Health and Infectious Diseases

Animal Health and Infectious Diseases

Genomic Detection of Coxiella burnetii in Sheep and Goats Milk in Alashtar City Using Nested-PCR Method.

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
Mehdi Hassanvand 1 ΒΆ
Shiva Azadi Chegeni 2
Nastaran Nemati 3
1 Graduate MSc in Bacteriology, Vera Vaccine Company
2 The Microbiology and Food Hygiene Group, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Lorestan University, Khorramabad, Iran.
3 Microbiology and Food Safety Group, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Lorestan University, Khorramabad, Iran.
10.22034/jahid.2025.2054736.1049
Abstract
Abstract
Background and Objective: Q fever is a zoonotic disease caused by a highly pathogenic, Gram-negative, obligate intracellular bacterium called Coxiella burnetii. Herds of cattle, sheep, and goats are the main reservoirs of this disease, but many other animal species can also become infected and shed the organism through milk. Consumption of unpasteurized milk and dairy products is considered a common method for the transmission of this infection from animals to humans. Therefore, this study was conducted to determine the prevalence of Coxiella burnetii in raw sheep and goat milk in Alishtar County.
Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted from March 2015 to May 2015. A total of 202 sheep and goat milk samples were randomly collected from the villages surrounding Alishtar County and were tested for the presence of Coxiella burnetii using the nested polymerase chain reaction (Nested-PCR) method.
Findings and Conclusion: In this study, 202 samples were tested, of which 1 out of 60 goat samples (2%) and 6 out of 142 sheep milk samples (4%) were positive for the specific genome of Coxiella burnetii. According to the descriptive statistics table regarding all collected data from different seasons and regions, it was observed that approximately 97% of the samples were negative and about 3% were positive. Overall, the results of this research indicated that sheep and goat milk could be a potential reservoir for Coxiella burnetii in Iran.
Keywords
Q fever
Coxiella burnetii
polymerase chain reaction
sheep
goat
Alashtar
Subjects
1-Eldin C, Mélenotte C, Mediannikov O, et al. From Q fever to Coxiella burnetii infection: a   paradigm change. Clin Microbiol Rev 2017; 30(1): 115-190.
2- Scheeberager. (2011). Q Fever Current state of knowledge and Perspectives of research of a neglected Zoonosis.  International Journal of Microbiology, 10: 22-25.
3- Abdali F, Hosseinzadeh S, Berizi E, et al. Prevalence of Coxiella burnetii in unpasteurized
dairy products using nested PCR assay. Iran J Microbiol. 2018;10:220-226.
4- Angelakis E, Raoult D. (2010). Q fever. Journal Veterinary Microbiology.  140: 297-309.
5- Doosti A, Arshi A, Sadeghi M. Investigation of Coxiella burnetii in Iranian Camels. Comp Clin Pathol 2014,23:43–6.
6- Norouzian H, Diali HG, Azadpour M, et al. PCR detection of Coxiella burnetii in milk samples of ruminants, Iran. J Med Bacteriol. 2018;7:31-35.
7- Khademi P, Mahzounieh M, Kotahmer ME. Genomic detection of Coxiella burnetii in cattle milk samples by Nested PCR method in Bonab, Iran. Arak Med Uni J. 2015;18:49-57. (Persian)
8- Guatteo, R., Beaudeau, F., joly, A. and Seegers, H. (2006). Shedding routs of Coxiella burnetii in dairy cows implications for detection and control. Veterinary Reserch, 37(6): 827-833
9-Barrie M. (2007). A guide to Q fever and Q fever Vaccination. Medical Journal of Australia, 186(4): 1-64
10- Fretz  R, Schaeren  W, Tanner  M, et al. (2007).  Screening of various foodstuffs for occurrence of Coxiella burnetii in Switzerland. International Journal of Food Microbiology, 116: 414–418
11-  Boroujeni M, P, Gharib D, Gorani Nejad S, and colleagues (2013). Serological Prevalence of Coxiellosis in Sheep in Ahvaz, Iranian Veterinary Journal. Volume 9, Issue 1, pages 11-18.
12- Blanda, V.; Chiarenza, G.; Giacchino, I.; Migliore, S.; Di Bella, S.; La Russa, F.; Vaglica, V.; D’Agostino, R.; Arcuri, F.; Sciacca, C.; et al. Molecular and Serological Findings in Sheep During Two Coxiella burnetii Outbreaks in Sicily (Southern Italy). Animals 2024, 14, 3321. https:// doi.org/10.3390/ani14223321
13- Shujat S, Shehzad W, Anjum AA, Hertl JA, Gro¨hn YT, Zahoor MY (2024) Molecular
identification of Coxiella burnetii in raw milk samples collected from farm animals in districts Kasur and Lahore of Punjab, Pakistan. PLoS ONE 19(6): e0301611.
14- Mohabati Mobarez, A. Mostafavi, E. Khalili, M. Esmaeili, S. Identification of Coxiella burnetii in Raw Milk of Livestock Animal in Iran. International Journal of Microbiology
Volume 2021, Article ID 6632036, 5 pages.
15- Mokarizadeh. K, Ownagh. A, Tajik. H . Molecular detection of Coxiella burnetii in Kope cheese and cattle milk in West Azerbaijan, Iran. Veterinary Research Forum. 2023; 14 (5) 289 – 293
16- Rahmdel S, Moezzi MS, Azimzadeh N, Hosseinzadeh S. PCR Detection of Coxiella Burnetii in Bovine Bulk Tank Milk Samples in Shiraz, Southern Iran. Int J Nutr Sci 2018;3(4):198-201.
17- Norouzian H, Ghobadian Diali H, Azadpour M, Afrough P, Shakib P, Mosavi SM, Karami A, Goudarzi G. PCR Detection of Coxiella burnetii in Milk Samples of Ruminants, Iran. J Med Bacteriol. 2018; 7 (1, 2): pp.31-35.
18- Lorestani, S, Jaydari, A, Maleki, Sh, Khademi, P. Genomic detection of Coxiella burnetii in sheep milk samples by Nested-PCR method in Khorramabad, Iran. Journal of Food Science and Industries. Issue 56, Volume 13, Mehr 1395 (September-October 2016).
19- Khademi.P, Jaydari. A , Esmaeili. M . Genomic detection of Coxiella burnetii in cattle milk samples by Nested-PCR method, Iran. Iran J Med Microbiol: Volume 9, Number 2 (05-2015).
20- Etemadfar L, Shams N, Jaidari A. Genomic Detection of Coxiella burnetii in Raw and Unpasteurized Cow Milk of Traditional domestic dairy products Vendors in Khorramabad, Lorestan Province in 2015. Yafte. 2017; 19(2): 41-49.
21- Khademi. P, Mahzounieh. M, Kotahmer. ME. Genomic Detection of Coxiella burnetii in Cattle Milk Samples by Nested-PCR method in Bonab, Iran. Arak Medical University Journal (AMUJ). 2015; 18(97): 49-57.
22- khanzadi S, Jamshidi A, Razmyar J, Borji SH. (2012).  Identification of Coxiella burnetti in bovine bulk milk samples in Southern Iran. Com Clin Pathol.  dori : 10.1007/s00580-1406-9
23- Zhang G, Nguyen S, Ogawa M, et al. (1998).  Clinical evaluation of a new PCR assay for detection of Coxiella burnetii in human serum samples. Journal of  Clinical Microbiology, 36: 77-80.
Animal Health and Infectious Diseases
Volume 2, Issue 2 - Serial Number 3
December 2025
Pages 9-15

  • Receive Date 28 September 2025
  • Revise Date 04 December 2025
  • Accept Date 15 December 2025
  • First Publish Date 15 December 2025
  • Publish Date 22 December 2025