Humberto Pires, Sérgio Santos-Silva, Andreia V S Cruz, Luís Cardoso, Ana Patrícia Lopes, Maria A Pereira, Carmen Nóbrega, Ana Cristina Mega, Carla Santos, Rita Cruz, Fernando Esteves, Helena Vala, Ana Cristina Matos, Patrícia F Barradas, Ana Cláudia Coelho, João R Mesquita
Coxiella burnetii is the etiologic agent of Q fever, a worldwide zoonosis. Cattle, sheep and goats are considered the main reservoirs of the disease. Transmission to humans occurs mainly through the inhalation of infectious aerosols from milk, faeces, urine, and birth products from infected ruminants. In this study, a 2-year longitudinal approach was performed to ascertain the excretion of C. burnetii in bulk tank milk samples of sheep from a mountain plateau in central Portugal, with sampling conducted during the years 2015 and 2016...
April 24, 2024: Veterinary Research Communications