Indication Q fever pathogen in the south of Far east

Abstract

Q fever (coxiellosis) is a widespread natural focal disease in the world. The causative agent of coxiellosis is the gram-negative bacterium Coxiella burnetii, which is highly contagious and low virulence. The main carriers of C. burnetii are ixodid ticks, which feed on domestic and farm animals in anthropurgic foci. To address the possible circulation of the Q fever pathogen in the territory of the Primorsky Territory, 334 samples of various natural material collected in the spring-summer period of 2019 were studied. In the vicinity of the Vladivostok (on Reineke island), genetic markers of C. burnetii were detected in 19.7% of all tick species. In the Khankaisk region, coxiella DNA was detected more often (in 6.3%) in ticks of D. silvarum, in ticks of I. persulcatus and H. japonica, 1 case was detected. From 56 copies. ixodid ticks sucked to humans, C. burnetii DNA was detected in ticks of I. persulcatus in 38.8%, H. concinna - in 14.3%. In the serum of farm animals, the presence of coxiella in sheep in 3 samples was detected, in horses - in two. Sequencing of the obtained sequences showed the presence of the pathogen C. burnetii in the blood serum of animals. The ticks have stuck to people in 6 samples were identified C. burnetii and 6 samples - Coxiella-like endosymbiont. The presented results indicate the circulation of the causative agent of Q fever in the territory of the Primorsky Territory. To obtain a more complete description of the current epidemiological situation, it is necessary to conduct more extensive studies of natural material and blood of people with suspected Q fever.