Coxiella burnetii serostatus in dromedary camels (Camelus dromedarius) is associated with the presence of C. burnetii DNA in attached ticks in Laikipia County, Kenya

Abstract

Aims: Q fever is a globally distributed, neglected zoonotic disease of conservation and public health importance, caused by the bacterium Coxiella burnetii. Coxiella burnetii normally causes subclinical infections in livestock, but may also cause reproductive pathology and spontaneous abortions in artiodactyl species. One such artiodactyl, the dromedary camel (Camelus dromedarius), is an increasingly important livestock species in semi- arid landscapes. Ticks are naturally infected with C. burnetii worldwide and are frequently found on camels in Kenya. In this study, we assessed the relation-ship between dromedary camels' C. burnetii serostatus and whether the camels were carrying C. burnetii PCR- positive ticks in Kenya. We hypothesized that there would be a positive association between camel seropositivity and carrying C. burnetii PCR- positive ticks