Abstract
Coxiella burnetii can cause the zoonotic disease of Q fever, which has been observed in various species. Hyalomma aegyptium is a hard tick that undergoes its life cycle through three hosts. The spread of pathogens by Hyalomma aegyptium between different hosts can have significant epidemiological implications. The objective of this study was to detect the presence of C. burnetii in blood samples from turtles and H. aegyptium ticks attached to them in the northwest of Iran (Oshnavieh). A total of 500 engorged mature ticks and 100 blood samples were collected from 100 tortoises. Nested-PCR, using specific primers targeting the IS1111 and icd genes, was employed to diagnose C. burnetii. Out of the 100 tick pool samples, 10 were found to be infected with C. burnetii based on the IS1111 gene (10%; 95% CI, 5.5–17.4). The infection rate of C. burnetii in tick samples, as determined by the icd gene, was 6% (95% CI, 2.8–12.5). Furthermore, the infection rate of turtle blood with C. burnetii based on the IS1111 gene was 5% (95% CI, 2.2–11.2). The infection rate of the blood, as determined by the icd gene, was 3% (95% CI, 1–8.5). In conclusion, infected tortoises and H. aegyptium ticks carrying C. burnetii may play a role in transmitting this pathogenic agent to both humans and other animals. Therefore, it is essential to implement appropriate public health measures to reduce the circulation of the pathogen between various hosts.
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Acknowledgements
Mr. Kazemnia’s, Mr. Pirnejad’s, and Mr. Badali’s technical assistance and the teams of the Microbiology Laboratory and Parasitology were also highly appreciated.
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The authors would like to thank the Vice-Chancellor for Research and Technology at Urmia University for funding the PostDoc project (D10/647).
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Study concept and design: PK and AT. Sample preparation: PK, AT and AE. Molecular assay and interpretation of data: PK, AT and AO. Writing-original draft preparation: PK, AT and AO. Writing- review & editing: MH.
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All procedures in this study were conducted in accordance with the Veterinary Ethics Committee of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine of Urmia University (IRUU-AEC-211/DA6/01/09/2022) and approved all protocols used in the present study.
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Khademi, P., Tukmechi, A., Ownagh, A. et al. Molecular detection of Coxiella burnetii in blood samples of turtles (Testudo graeca) and their associated ticks. Eur J Wildl Res 69, 116 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10344-023-01747-2
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10344-023-01747-2