Q fever: study of environmental distribution of coxiella in water buffalo farms of the Campania Region

Q fever is a zoonotic infection caused by Coxiella burnetii, a pathogen worldwide spread. Ruminants and pets represent the most important reservoirs of the infection, although wild species can have a role in the transmission of Coxiella to animals and humans. Recent outbreaks occurred in the Netherlands indicate that Q fever is a re-emerging disease. Indeed the EU requested further scientific studies and risk assessment, for a better understanding of prevalence and distribution of Q fever in Europe. In this context, the aims of this study were to investigate the seroprevalence of C. burnetii in water buffalo farms characterized by reproductive disorders and evaluate the presence of this pathogen in farming environments and wildlife by molecular detection of Coxiella DNA.