Prevalence and risk factors of Q fever ( Coxiella burnetii ) in cattle on farms of Limpopo province, South Africa

Q fever in animals and humans and its economic and public health significance has been widely reported worldwide but in South Africa. There are few studies on the prevalence of this zoonosis and its associated risk factors in South African livestock. Therefore, a cross-sectional study was conducted to determine the seroprevalence, molecular prevalence, and risk factors associated with in cattle on farms in South Africa's Limpopo province. Out of 383 cattle tested for antibodies, the overall seroprevalence was 24.28%. Herd size of >150 (OR: 9.88; 95%CI: 3.92-24.89; 0.01) remained associated with seropositivity in cattle. For PCR detection, targeting IS fragment, cattle with no abortion history (OR: 0.37; 95%CI: 0.18-0.77; 150 (OR: 3.52; 95%CI: 1.34-9.24;