Journal
ECOHEALTH
Volume 8, Issue 4, Pages 519-524Publisher
SPRINGER
DOI: 10.1007/s10393-011-0729-3
Keywords
Coxiella burnetii; Q fever; polymerase chain reaction; enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay; Haemaphysalis humerosa; Perameles bougainville
Funding
- Australian Research Council
- Murdoch University
- Department of Environment and Conservation (DEC), Western Australia [LP0455050]
- Australian Research Council [LP0455050] Funding Source: Australian Research Council
Ask authors/readers for more resources
The aim of this work is to investigate the presence of Coxiella burnetii in Perameles bougainville and their ticks on two islands off Western Australia. Haemaphysalis humerosa, Haemaphysalis ratti, and Haemaphysalis lagostrophi were collected from P. bougainville on Bernier and Dorre Islands from 2005 to 2007; only Amblyomma limbatum was collected from humans over the same interval. One of 13 tick samples and 1 of 12 P. bougainville fecal samples were positive for C. burnetii DNA using quantitative polymerase chain reaction. DNA fragments had > 99% similarity to published C. burnetii sequences. Three of 35 P. bougainville sera tested positive for anti-C. burnetii antibodies using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. C. burnetii was found in P. bougainville feces and a H. humerosa tick on Dorre Island and Bernier Island, respectively. This is the first reported use of enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for screening of P. bougainville sera. The risk of zoonotic Q fever infection for human visitors to these islands is considered relatively low, however, appropriate precautions should be taken when handling western barred bandicoots, their feces and their ticks on Bernier and Dorre Islands.
Authors
I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.
Reviews
Recommended
No Data Available