Vet. World, 2012, Vol.5(7):394-397 RESEARCH Seroprevalence of Q fever in Goats in the Sudan

Aim: The survey was carried out to detect antiC. burnetii antibodies in goat's sera samples in eight States in the Sudan during September 2010 – July 2011. Materials and Methods: In a preliminary study, four hundred and sixty caprine sera samples collected from eight States in the Sudan were screened for antiCoxiella burnetii (the causative agent of Q fever) antibodies using a commercial indirect ELISA (iELISA) kit. Results: The results showed an overall prevalence rate 24.22% of Q fever antibodies. The prevalence rate of antibodies ranged from 6.7% in Kassala to 40% in South Darfur. The prevalence rates were highest in South Darfur (40%) and South Kordofan (34.7%), moderate in El Gazira (29.7%), Khartoum (29.1%), the Northern (24%) and the River Nile (20.2%) States. It was lowest in the White Nile (7.5%) and Kassala (6.7%) States. Conclusion: It could be concluded that Q fever is prevalent in goats in the Sudan. Therefore, further epizootiological investigations on Q fever in other farm animals and man at the country level is important to monitor and determine the magnitude of Q fever infection in order to estimate its economic impact on animal industry and its public health hazard in the Sudan. In addition, the impact of Q fever among shepherds should be studied.


Introduction
unsuccessful.Except for New Zealand, Q fever is distributed worldwide.During the period 1999-2004, Q fever is a zoonosis, caused by Coxiella burnetii; 18 outbreaks of Q fever were reported in 12 different an aerobic obligate intracellular gram-negative countries [5].The disease in animals is generally subbacterium; which infects several animal species as clinical.However, in its acute phase, C. burnetii can be well as man.Cattle, sheep and goats are the primary isolated from lungs, liver, spleen and blood.visualized in each well is proportional to the titre of None of 16 camels examined was positive.Harbi goat's antibody specific to Q fever present in the and Awad El Karim [13] recorded that 14 out of 118 diluted sample (1/400).The test is based on the (11.9%)Sudanese camels sera in El Butana region and principle of an indirect ELISA in which plates are 12 out 98 (12.2%) in Kassala region were positive for coated with C. burnetii antigen.Test sera are applied anti-C.burnetii antibodies using capillary and specific antibodies against Q fever bind to the agglutination test.Reinthaler et al. [14] reported that antigen is then detected with a monoclonal anti-21 out of 52 (40.4%) in cattle, 22 out of 42 (53%) in protein G HRP-labelled conjugate and chromogen goats and 20 out 32 (62.5%) in sheep in the Upper Nile substrate.The cutoff value of antibody titre is > 40 i.e. province in southern Sudan were positive for anti-C.
all samples which have antibody titre > 40 are burnetii antibodies using microagglutination test .considered positive.In view of recent Q fever outbreaks in goats in Europe [15] and owing to the meagre data available on Results Q fever disease in the Sudan, this survey was carried C. burnetii antibodies were detected in goats in out to detect anti-C.burnetii antibodies in goat's sera all areas tested with varying prevalences.This is samples in eight States in the Sudan during September consistent with the wide nature of Q fever worldwide 2010 -July 2011.
[5].The prevalence rates of antibodies ranged from Materials and Methods 6.7% in Kassala to 40% in South Darfur.The prevalence rates were highest in South Darfur (40%) Sample collection: The investigation was carried out and South Kordofan (34.7%), moderate in El Gazira in compliance with the animal welfare code of Sudan.
(29.7%), Khartoum (29.1%), the Northern (24%) and Five ml of blood sample from each of four hundred and sixty adult, apparently healthy, Nubian nanny the River Nile (20.2%)States and was lowest in the goats were collected from eight States in the Sudan (El White Nile (7.5%) and Kassala (6.7%) States with an Gazira, Kassala, Khartoum, the Northern, the River overall prevalence of 24.22% ( Sudan has been estimated at pigs with the blood or urine of infected patients were 43 million head [8].Many eco-types of goats are Nile, South Darfur, South Kordofan and the White raised in the Sudan, but Nubian and desert types are Nile States) during September 2010 -July 2011.Selection of these locations was based on them being dominant.the main potential areas for livestock rearing.In each In Sudan, the isolation of C. burnetii by Taylor et location, samples were collected from at least four al. [9] from ticks collected at the Cairo Municipal groups of goats that were kept apart.Selection of Abattoir infested camels and bulls imported from groups was made randomly and the formal mechanism Sudan, appears to have been the first report of Q fever.used was lottery.Sera were separated by centrifuga-Haseeb [10] tested 60 sera samples of Sudanese sheep o for anti-C.burnetii antibodies, but all were negative.tion at 1500 rpm / min.for 10 minutes and kept at -20 C Taylor et al. [11]found that 28 out of 401 (6.9%) until tested.human sera collected from 11 areas in the Sudan gave ELISA technique: Commercial indirect ELISA positive reactions.Using capillary agglutination test (iELISA) kits for detection of anti-C.burnetii Hamza [12] reported that 12 sera samples from cattle, antibodies, were purchased from Lisvet Ruminant goats and sheep (6/382 cattle, 4/80 goats and 2/104 Milk/ Serum Q fever (Nouzilly, France).Positive sheep) were found positive for anti-C.burnetii serum samples will present yellow colour.The colour antibodies.

Table - 1. The prevalence rate of anti-Q fever antibodies in goats in eight States in the Sudan during the period September 2010 -July 2011.
Table-1).