Do companion animals represent a potential risk factor for Q fever transmission to humans in Kastamonu? Kastamonu’da evcil hayvanlar, Q ateşinin insanlara bulaşında potansiyel bir risk faktörü oluşturuyor mu?

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GÜNAYDIN E., Yilmaz Y. D., Salum Ç., Kaynar P. M., GONCAGÜL G.

Turk Hijyen ve Deneysel Biyoloji Dergisi, cilt.83, sa.3, ss.215-222, 2026 (Scopus, TRDizin)

Özet

Objective: A better understanding of the role of cats and dogs in the epidemiology of Q fever is necessary within the framework of the “One Health” approach. The first step in this process should be to investigate the presence of Q fever in dogs and cats. This study aimed to examine Coxiella burnetii DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) in blood samples collected from randomly selected cats and dogs in close contact with their owners in Kastamonu. Methods: Fifty-two blood samples were randomly collected from two groups of companion animals in Kastamonu between late March and September 2024, a period considered favorable for tick infestations. The animals comprised 32 dogs (29 stray dogs and three owned dogs) and 20 cats (12 stray cats and eight owned cats). Aseptically collected venous blood samples from pets in EDTA (ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid)-containing tubes were used for DNA extraction and blood smear preparation. C. burnetii was examined in the extracts by touchdown polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using primers complementary to the IS1111 fragment, a transposon-like repetitive region of C. burnetii. The expected amplicon size was 687 bp. Results: Three of the 52 examined blood samples (5.7%) were found to harbor C. burnetii DNA. The proportions of cats and dogs positive for C. burnetii DNA among all samples were 3.84% and 1.92%, respectively. The positivity rates among cats and dogs were 10% and 3.12%, respectively. Blood smears were negative. No significant correlation was detected between the variables in the study group. Conclusion: Companion animals in close contact with humans in the urbanized region of Kastamonu showed a 5.7% positivity rate, although the sample size in the present study was limited. Therefore, more comprehensive studies including both companion animals and their owners should be planned to evaluate whether cats and dogs pose a risk for the transmission of Q fever to humans.