TY - JOUR

T1 - Detection of Coxiella burnetii in the mammary gland of a dairy goat

AU - Bauer, Benjamin Ulrich

AU - Peters, Martin

AU - Herms, T. Louise

AU - Runge, Martin

AU - Wohlsein, Peter

AU - Jensen, Tim K.

AU - Ganter, Martin

N1 - Funding Information: Open Access funding enabled and organized by Projekt DEAL. This work was funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) under project numbers 01Kl1726B and 01KI2008B as part of the Research Network Zoonotic Infectious Diseases. Publisher Copyright: © 2024, The Author(s).

PY - 2024

Y1 - 2024

N2 - The zoonotic bacterium Coxiella (C.) burnetii can be excreted by infected goats through birth products and milk. The detection of C. burnetii DNA in the mammary gland tissue of infected dairy goats and intermittent milk shedders has been reported, but confirmation of C. burnetii bacteria in the udder remained pending. The pathogen caused abortions in a 152-head dairy goat herd, resulting in the vaccination against C. burnetii of the entire herd with annual boosters. To monitor the C. burnetii shedding at herd level, monthly bulk tank milk (BTM) samples were analyzed using PCR (IS1111). Despite vaccination, C. burnetii DNA was detected in BTM samples within the first 16 months of the study. Therefore, individual milk samples were tested on four different occasions several months apart to identify potential intermittent milk shedders. Only one goat (#67455) tested positive three times. This goat was necropsied to investigate the presence of C. burnetii in the udder and other organs. PCR detected C. burnetii DNA solely in both mammary glands and the left teat cistern. Immunohistological examination identified C. burnetii antigen in mammary gland tissue, confirmed by the detection of C. burnetii bacteria in the mammary epithelial cells using fluorescence in situ hybridization. The removal of goat #67455 led to negative BTM samples until the end of the study. The findings demonstrate the occurrence of C. burnetii in the mammary gland of a naturally infected and vaccinated goat. The presence possibly contributed to intermittent milk shedding of goat #67455, and the mammary gland tissue may serve as a replicative niche for C. burnetii.

AB - The zoonotic bacterium Coxiella (C.) burnetii can be excreted by infected goats through birth products and milk. The detection of C. burnetii DNA in the mammary gland tissue of infected dairy goats and intermittent milk shedders has been reported, but confirmation of C. burnetii bacteria in the udder remained pending. The pathogen caused abortions in a 152-head dairy goat herd, resulting in the vaccination against C. burnetii of the entire herd with annual boosters. To monitor the C. burnetii shedding at herd level, monthly bulk tank milk (BTM) samples were analyzed using PCR (IS1111). Despite vaccination, C. burnetii DNA was detected in BTM samples within the first 16 months of the study. Therefore, individual milk samples were tested on four different occasions several months apart to identify potential intermittent milk shedders. Only one goat (#67455) tested positive three times. This goat was necropsied to investigate the presence of C. burnetii in the udder and other organs. PCR detected C. burnetii DNA solely in both mammary glands and the left teat cistern. Immunohistological examination identified C. burnetii antigen in mammary gland tissue, confirmed by the detection of C. burnetii bacteria in the mammary epithelial cells using fluorescence in situ hybridization. The removal of goat #67455 led to negative BTM samples until the end of the study. The findings demonstrate the occurrence of C. burnetii in the mammary gland of a naturally infected and vaccinated goat. The presence possibly contributed to intermittent milk shedding of goat #67455, and the mammary gland tissue may serve as a replicative niche for C. burnetii.

KW - Bulk tank milk

KW - Fluorescence in situ hybridization

KW - Goat

KW - Q fever

KW - Udder

KW - Zoonosis

U2 - 10.1007/s11259-023-10233-8

DO - 10.1007/s11259-023-10233-8

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 38236458

AN - SCOPUS:85182453083

VL - 48

SP - 1341

EP - 1352

JO - Veterinary Research Communications

JF - Veterinary Research Communications

SN - 0165-7380

ER -