STUDIES ON THE OCCURRENCE OF COXIELLA BURNETII INFECTION IN TICKS IN SELECTED EASTERN AND CENTRAL REGIONS OF POLAND

Abstract

Arthropods may play a role in the transmission of Coxiella burnetii as they transmit pathogen both mechanically (as flies), and actively during the host blood suction. The aim of this study was to identify the C. burnetii occurring in ticks harvested from both domestic and livestock animals, as well as from wildlife in randomly selected regions of Poland. The total number 1126 ticks was collected in four regions of Poland: the Masovian, Lublin, Åódź and Podkarpackie Provinces. Among ticks collected from May 2011 to August 2012, the presence of IS1111 gene sequence was detected in 15 (1.33%) cases by real-time PCR test. Among the ticks harvested from domestic and livestock animals in 12 cases (3.1%), and in case of ticks found in open-space rodents in 3 cases (0.4%) we found the presence of marker sequences. The low percentage of C. burnetii infected ticks indicate a limited role of these arthropods in Q fever transmission.