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. 2021 Feb 15:149:e57.
doi: 10.1017/S0950268821000364.

Prevalence of Coxiella burnetii seropositivity and shedding in farm, pet and feral cats and associated risk factors in farm cats in Quebec, Canada

J Cyr  1 , M-È Turcotte  1   2 , A Desrosiers  1   2 , D Bélanger  1   2 , J Harel  1   3 , D Tremblay  4 , A Leboeuf  5 , C A Gagnon  3   4 , J-C Côté  1 , J Arsenault  1   2   3
Affiliations

Prevalence of Coxiella burnetii seropositivity and shedding in farm, pet and feral cats and associated risk factors in farm cats in Quebec, Canada

J Cyr et al. Epidemiol Infect. .

Abstract

Cats represent a potential source of Coxiella burnetii, the aetiological agent of Q fever in humans. The prevalence and risk factors of C. burnetii infection in farm, pet and feral cats were studied in Quebec, Canada, using a cross-sectional study. Serum samples were tested using a specific enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for the presence of antibodies against C. burnetii, whereas rectal swabs were assayed using real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) for the molecular detection of the bacteria. Potential risk factors for farm cats were investigated using clinical examinations, questionnaires and results from a concurrent study on C. burnetii farm status. A total of 184 cats were tested: 59 from ruminant farms, 73 pets and 52 feral cats. Among farm cats, 2/59 (3.4%) were ELISA-positive, 3/59 (5.1%) were ELISA-doubtful and 1/59 (1.7%) was qPCR-positive. All pets and feral cats were negative to C. burnetii ELISA and qPCR. Farm cat positivity was associated with a positive C. burnetii status on the ruminant farm (prevalence ratio = 7.6, P = 0.03). Our results suggest that although pet and feral cats do not seem to pose a great C. burnetii risk to public health, more active care should be taken when in contact with cats from ruminant farms.

Keywords: Coxiella burnetii; cats; prevalence; risk factors.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

Figures

Fig. 1.
Fig. 1.
Number of cats over the ELISA S/P ratio (%), for 58 farm cats, 73 pet cats and 52 feral cats. For farm cats, the distribution of cats is shown according to the C. burnetii-status of the farm of origin, where a negative farm was ELISA-negative and -qPCR-negative. One farm cat is missing on the graph due to a missing value for farm status. The vertical dashed lines represent the ELISA cut-offs and separate C. burnetii-ELISA-negative, -doubtful and -positive cats.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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