First Genetic Detection of Coxiella burnetii in Zambian Livestock

Yongjin Qiu Division of Collaboration and Education, Research Center for Zoonosis Control, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan; Division of Bioinformatics, Research Center for Zoonosis Control, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan; Department of Paraclinical Studies, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Zambia, Lusaka, Zambia

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Ryo Nakao Division of Collaboration and Education, Research Center for Zoonosis Control, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan; Division of Bioinformatics, Research Center for Zoonosis Control, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan; Department of Paraclinical Studies, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Zambia, Lusaka, Zambia

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Boniface Namangala Division of Collaboration and Education, Research Center for Zoonosis Control, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan; Division of Bioinformatics, Research Center for Zoonosis Control, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan; Department of Paraclinical Studies, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Zambia, Lusaka, Zambia

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Chihiro Sugimoto Division of Collaboration and Education, Research Center for Zoonosis Control, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan; Division of Bioinformatics, Research Center for Zoonosis Control, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan; Department of Paraclinical Studies, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Zambia, Lusaka, Zambia

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Q fever is a widespread zoonosis caused by Coxiella burnetii, an obligate intracellular gram-negative bacterium. The investigation of C. burnetii infection in Zambian livestock was carried out using molecular detection techniques. A total of 489 cattle and 53 goat blood samples were collected from Chama, Chongwe, Monze, and Petauke districts in Zambia. Molecular screening by polymerase chain reaction was performed using C. burnetii-species-specific primers. In total, 38 cattle and 4 goat samples were positive. The prevalence of C. burnetii differed among the four sites, with Chama (Eastern province) recording the highest, although Monze (Southern province) did not record any case of the bacteria. This study reports the first genetic detection of C. burnetii in Zambia.

Author Notes

* Address correspondence to Chihiro Sugimoto, Division of Collaboration and Education, Research Center for Zoonosis Control, Hokkaido University, Kita 20, Nishi 10, Kita-ku, Sapporo, 001-0020, Japan. E-mail: sugimoto@czc.hokudai.ac.jp

Financial support: This work was financially supported by the program of Funding Research Center for Emerging and Re-emerging Infectious Disease from Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology of Japan (MEXT).

Authors' addresses: Yongjin Qiu and Chihiro Sugimoto, Division of Collaboration and Education, Research Center for Zoonosis Control, Hokkaido University, Kita-ku, Sapporo, Japan, E-mails: yongjin_qiu@czc.hokudai.ac.jp and sugimoto@czc.hokudai.ac.jp. Ryo Nakao, Division of Collaboration and Education, and Division of Bioinformatics, Research Center for Zoonosis Control, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan, E-mail: ryo.nakao@czc.hokudai.ac.jp. Boniface Namangala, Department of Paraclinical studies, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Zambia, Lusaka, Zambia, E-mail: boniface_1020@yahoo.com.

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