The updated prevalence of Coxiella burnetii in Central and Eastern European dairy herds – a short communication

This study aimed to extend our previous research, to collect more bulk tank milk samples from the Central and Eastern European region. Samples were collected between January 2020 and August 2023 from 126 dairy herds from four Central and Eastern European countries (Hungary, n=87; Czechia, n=24; Slovakia, n=10 and Croatia n=5). A positive correlation was found between herd size and the percentage of C. burnetii positive results (with PCR and/or ELISA tests) from bulk tank milk in dairy herds. On the basis of our results we can conclude that the growing number of farms managing a high number of dairy cows, with high stocking density, correlates with the increasing prevalence of C. burnetii in the region.