Molecular detection of Coxiella burnetii infection in small mammals from Moshi Rural and Urban Districts, northern Tanzania
Abstract Coxiella burnetii is an obligate intracellular bacterium that causes Q fever, a zoonotic disease of public health importance. In northern Tanzania, Q fever is a known cause of human febrile illness, but little is known about its distribution in animal hosts. We used a quantitative real‐time...
Published in: | Veterinary Medicine and Science |
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Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , , |
Other Authors: | , , |
Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
Language: | English |
Published: |
Wiley
2020
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Subjects: | |
Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/vms3.401 https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/vms3.401 https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full-xml/10.1002/vms3.401 |
Summary: | Abstract Coxiella burnetii is an obligate intracellular bacterium that causes Q fever, a zoonotic disease of public health importance. In northern Tanzania, Q fever is a known cause of human febrile illness, but little is known about its distribution in animal hosts. We used a quantitative real‐time PCR (qPCR) targeting the insertion element IS1111 to determine the presence and prevalence of C . burnetii infections in small mammals trapped in 12 villages around Moshi Rural and Moshi Urban Districts, northern Tanzania. A total of 382 trapped small mammals of seven species were included in the study; Rattus rattus ( n = 317), Mus musculus ( n = 44), Mastomys natalensis ( n = 8), Acomys wilson ( n = 6), Mus minutoides ( n = 3), Paraxerus flavovottis ( n = 3) and Atelerix albiventris ( n = 1). Overall, 12 (3.1%) of 382 (95% CI: 1.6–5.4) small mammal spleens were positive for C . burnetii DNA. Coxiella burnetii DNA was detected in five of seven of the small mammal species trapped; R . rattus ( n = 7), M . musculus ( n = 1), A . wilson ( n = 2), P . flavovottis ( n = 1) and A. albiventris ( n = 1). Eleven (91.7%) of twelve (95% CI: 61.5–99.8) C . burnetii DNA positive small mammals were trapped within Moshi Urban District. These findings demonstrate that small mammals in Moshi, northern Tanzania are hosts of C . burnetii and may act as a source of C . burnetii infection to humans and other animals. This detection of C . burnetii infections in small mammals should motivate further studies into the contribution of small mammals to the transmission of C . burnetii to humans and animals in this region. |
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