First Molecular Detection of Coxiella burnetii in Beef Cattle in West Java, Indonesia

Abstract

Coxiella burnetii is a bacterial pathogen that causes Q fever, which is widespread worldwide. Livestock such as cattle, goats, and sheep are the main sources of C. burnetii infection. C. burnetii infection causes abortion in livestock, resulting in economic damage. Q fever is a zoonotic disease and a potential public health hazard. To date, little is known about C. burnetii infection in livestock in Indonesia. The objective of this study was to screen the genome of C. burnetii bacteria in beef cattle in West Java, Indonesia. Organ tissue samples were collected from cattle slaughtered in slaughterhouses in West Java. C. burnetii genome was detected in cattle samples obtained from three sampling areas using nested PCR, targeting the com1 gene of C. burnetii. Sequencing analysis of the 16S rRNA gene revealed that the amplicons showed 99.9% nucleotide identity to the C. burnetii strains: Heizberg, 1843, 2574, 701CbB1, and 14160-001. Our results indicate that C. burnetii infection occurs in Indonesian beef cattle and highlight the risk of exposure to C. burnetii infection in humans.