Presence of Coxiella burnetii (Q fever) in goats on the Canary Islands: Current status

Abstract

The Canary Islands have been considered as Q fever endemic territory for humans and livestock, but those studies were carried out 20 years ago. In order to evaluate the current status of the disease in livestock, a cross-sectional survey was performed evaluating 22 milking goat farms and 550 goats throughout all the 7 Canary Islands. A questionnaire to collect epidemiological data was also included. Blood sera were analyzed using a commercial Q fever antibody ELISA test kit. The overall animal seroprevalence was 42%, with significant differences among the islands, their climate zones, and local particularities. These findings would confirm the endemic character of the disease 20 years later and would indicate the need to implement an urgent control plan as well as surveillance measures by the Official Veterinary Services. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.