Investigation of Coxiella burnetii Antibodies in Sheep in Şanlıurfa Region

Authors : Ayfer Güllü Yücetepe, Özden Dellal, Özcan Balıbay, Müzeyyen Demir, Ahmet Murat Saytekin, Osman Yaşar Tel, Ayda Nur Aksoy, Ramazan Gül, Sevil Erdenlig Gürbilek

Pages : 109-113

Doi:10.31196/huvfd.1674986

View : 223 | Download : 214

Publication Date : 2025-12-24

Article Type : Research Paper

Abstract :Q fever is a common zoonosis caused by Coxiella burnetii (C. burnetii) and can affect various animal species and humans. The most important animal reservoirs are cattle, goat and sheep. The aim of this study was to determine the presence of C. burnetii in sheep in Şanlıurfa, Türkiye, using a commercial ELISA kit. The sera from 120 sheep of different ages from different regions of Şanlıurfa, were tested. These sera previously sent to our laboratory were not from the animals with a history of abortion. ELISA results for serologic diagnosis of C. burnetii showed that 20 sera (16.7%) were positive for the test. Eight of 20 positive sera were found to have very high antibody titer. In this study, antibodies against C. burnetii were detected, indicating that the animals had previously been exposed to an infection in the region. The risk of Q fever disease in the region should be taken into consideration because of the zoonotic nature of the disease. In conclusion, further studies on Q fever diagnosis and management procedures are highly recommended for different species and age groups of ruminants in Southeast part of the country.
Keywords : Antibodies, , Coxiella burnetii, , ELISA, , Sheep, , Q Fever

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