Q fever is a zoonotic disease considered as emerging or re-emerging in many countries. It is caused by Coxiella burnetii, a bacterium developing spore-like forms that are highly resistant to the environment. The most common animal reservoirs are livestock and the main source of infection is by inhalation of contaminated aerosols. Although the culture process for Coxiella is laborious, advances on the knowledge of the life cycle of the bacterium have been made. New tools have been developed to (i) improve the diagnosis of Q fever in humans and animals, and especially animal shedders, (ii) perform epidemiological studies, and (iii) prevent the disease through the use of vaccines. This review summarizes the state of the knowledge on the bacteriology and clinical manifestations of Q fever as well as its diagnosis, epidemiology, treatment and prevention in order to understand what factors are responsible for its emergence or re-emergence.

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Is Q Fever an emerging or re-emerging zoonosis?

PCR as a diagnostic tool for brucellosis

Novel insights into the epidemiology of Clostridium perfringens type A food poisoning.

Avian hosts constitute a natural reservoir for thermophilic Campylobacter species, primarily Campylobacter jejuni and Campylobacter coli, and poultry flocks are frequently colonized in the intestinal tract with high numbers of the organisms. Prevalence rates in poultry, especially in slaughter-age broiler flocks, could reach as high as 100% on some farms. Despite the extensive colonization, Campylobacter is essentially a commensal in birds, although limited evidence has implicated the organism as a poultry pathogen. Although Campylobacter is insignificant for poultry health, it is a leading cause of food-borne gastroenteritis in humans worldwide, and contaminated poultry meat is recognized as the main source for human exposure. Therefore, considerable research efforts have been devoted to the development of interventions to diminish Campylobacter contamination in poultry, with the intention to reduce the burden of food-borne illnesses. During the past decade, significant advance has been made in understanding Campylobacter in poultry. This review summarizes the current knowledge with an emphasis on ecology, antibiotic resistance, and potential pre- and postharvest interventions.

https://lib.dr.iastate.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1123&context=vmpm_pubs

Campylobacter in Poultry: Ecology and Potential Interventions.

Prevalence of Coxiella burnetii infection in domestic ruminants: A critical review

Serum samples collected randomly from 416 cattle in 48 herds, and 411 sheep in 47 flocks, in eight different locations in the east of Turkey between June and December 1998, were examined by indirect fluorescent antibody test (IFAT) to determine the prevalence of Q fever. The age, sex, breed, tick control and abortion history of the animals were also recorded. In addition, 102 serum samples were collected from apparently healthy people who were at risk of contracting the disease, such as farmers, veterinarians, abattoir and laboratory workers, and veterinary students. Seropositivity was observed in 5-8 per cent (24/416) of the cattle in 17 (35-4 per cent) of the herds and in 10-5 per cent (43/411) of the sheep in 21 (44-7 per cent) of the flocks. Eight of the 102 people were seropositive, with the highest prevalence (12-0 per cent) in farmers and abattoir workers. All the seropositive farmers had seropositive animals. None of the laboratory workers or veterinary students was seropositive.

Seroprevalence of coxiellosis in cattle, sheep and people in the east of Turkey.

Genotyping of broiler-originated Campylobacter jejuni and Campylobacter coli isolates using fla typing and random amplified polymorphic DNA methods.

B. (4eednkaya, DVM, PhD, H. Ongor, DVM, A. Muz, DVM, PhD, H. B. Ertas, DVM, PhD, FO Veteriner Fakiutesi, Mikrobiyoloji Anabilim Dali, 23119, Elazig, Turkey H. Kalender, DVM, PhD, Veteriner Kontrol ve Arastirma Enstitiisu, 23119, Elazig, Turkey H. M. Erdogan, DVM, PhD, University of Liverpool, Department of Veterinary Clinical Science and Animal Husbandry, Leahurst, Neston, South Wirral L64 7TE THE ultimate aim of veterinary and medical disciplines is to control and eradicate disease in populations in order to improve health and productivity. Rapid and accurate diagnosis is essential if this aim is to be achieved. Brucellosis is an economically important infectious disease of livestock worldwide, characterised by abortion and infertility. Infertility, abortion and mastitis caused by brucella are the major reasons for culling animals. Six species of brucella are currently recognised (Alton and others 1988). Brucella melitensis is responsible for the most ofthe losses attributable to brucellosis in sheep in Turkey. Studies carried out in different regions of Turkey have shown that B melitensis is responsible for approximately 20 per cent of abortion cases in sheep (Arda and others 1987, Karaman and others 1993, Muz and others 1999). Considered together with high prevalence figures, the economic losses due to brucellosis are high. The disease can also affect humans through the consumption of meat, milk and milk products from infected animals (Young 1983, Wallach and others 1994). The diagnosis of brucellosis is usually made by bacteriological and immunological tests. Although bacteriology is the most reliable technique, it is time consuming and the cultures need to be handled with care because of the zoonotic potential. Immunological tests such as the complement fixation (CF) test and ELISA have frequently been used, but they lack either sensitivity or specificity and give false positive results due to cross-reactions with other bacteria including Yersinia enterocolitica 0:9, Vibrio cholera, Campylobacter fetus, Bordetella bronchiseptica and Salmonella species (Corbel 1985,Alton and others 1988). Another drawback of these tests is the inability to distinguish vaccinated animals from infected animals. The development of the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) has facilitated studies of microorganisms that are either difficult or time-consuming to grow, such as Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis (Collins and others 1993, (etinkaya and others 1996) or are impossible to culture, such asM leprae (Rafi and others 1995, Wichitwechkarn and others 1995). This technique has recently found application in brucellosis and genusand species-specific PCR assays have been used in its diagnosis. Herman and de Ridder (1992) reported a PCR using a pair of primers derived from the 16S rRNA sequence ofB abortus and found that these primers could detect all six species in this genus. This PCR did not cross-react with closely related bacteria including Agrobacterium tumefaciens with which B abortus has 85 per cent homology in the 16S rRNA sequence. In another study, a primer cocktail, con1 2 R A K

Detection of Brucella species DNA in the stomach content of aborted sheep fetuses by PCR.

In this study, C. perfringens strains isolated from healthy and diseased sheep were analysed by mul- tiplex PCR in order to to detect the presence of the alpha, beta, epsilon, iota and enterotoxin genes. C. perfringens was isolated from 52 of 104 sheep with enterotoxemia signs and from 61 of 194 clinically healthy sheep. Genotyp- ing of 52 strains from diseased sheep indicated that 33 (64%) were type A, 11 (21%) type D and 8 (15%) type C. Of 61 strains from healthy sheep, 58 (95%) were type A and 3 (5%) type D. The other types of C. perfringens were not detected, and none of the isolates contained the enterotoxin gene. This result indicates that the enterotoxin of C. perfringens does not play the important role in the occurence of enterotoxemia in sheep.

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Typing of isolates of Clostridium perfringens from healthy and diseased sheep by multiplex PCR

In this study, the etiology of ovine and caprine abortions was investigated bacteriologically, serologically and pathologically. Tissue samples collected from aborted sheep and goats in Elazig and its borders were examined bacteriologically and pathologically for brucellosis, campylobacteriosis, salmonellosis and listeriosis. In addition, blood samples collected from aborted sheep and goats were examined by serological tests for the presence of antibodies to these bacteria. Of 110 aborted fetuses, in 22 (20%) Brucella melitensis, in 5 (4.5%) Campylobacter fetus subsp. fetus, in 4 (3.6%) Salmonella abortus ovis, in 1 (0.9%) Listeria monocytogenes and in 3 (2.7%) E. coli were isolated and identified. In the serological examination of 650 sheep and goat blood samples, antibodies were detected in 77 (11.8%) to brucella, 13 (2.0%) to compylobacter and to salmonella in 13 (2.0%) to salmonella, but these sera were found negative for listeria. Edema in subcutaneous connective tissues, the accumulation of hemorrhagic fluid in the thorax and abdomen, and a yellowish, cloudy coagulated mass in the abomasum were the macroscopic lesions observed in the infected fetuses. In the microscopic analysis, hemorrhage in the lungs and the liver, degeneration and necrosis, mononuclear cell infiltration and diffuse tubulo-interstitial hemorrhage in the kidneys were observed.

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H. B. Ertas

Papers

Seroprevalence of coxiellosis in cattle, sheep and people in the east of Turkey.

Genotyping of broiler-originated Campylobacter jejuni and Campylobacter coli isolates using fla typing and random amplified polymorphic DNA methods.

Detection of Brucella species DNA in the stomach content of aborted sheep fetuses by PCR.

Typing of isolates of Clostridium perfringens from healthy and diseased sheep by multiplex PCR

Bacteriologic, Serologic and Pathologic Studies on Abortus Cases of Goats and Sheep in Elazığ and it's Vicinity