Investigation published in Journal of Zoo and Wildlife Medicine

September 1^st, 2016

Coxiella burnetii, the causative agent of Q fever, can infect a wide range of host species, but limited information exists on the occurrence and implications of infection in wild species. This study describes a natural infection in a population of dorcas gazelles (Gazella dorcas) from a zoo. A 9-yr-old male Saharawi dorcas gazelle (Gazella dorcas neglecta) tested positive on enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and fecal polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Despite treatment with oxytetracycline, the animal did not clear the infection after 6 mo, as confirmed by a PCR test on a semen sample. This is the first report of a Saharawi dorcas gazelle infection with C.burnetii and the first time that C. burnetii was detected in semen from a zoo animal, suggesting the possibility of venereal transmission in captive wild species. This may have major implications for management of zoo populations, particularly in endangered species

Garcia-Seco T., Perez-Sancho M., Martinez-Nevado E., Alvarez J., Santiago-Moreno J., Goyache J., Dominguez L. and Garcia N..

Detection of Coxiella burnetii infection in a Saharawi dorcas gazelle (Gazella dorcas neglecta)

Detection of Coxiella burnetii infection in a Saharawi dorcas gazelle (Gazella dorcas neglecta)

	Servicio de Zoonosis Emergentes, de Baja Prevalencia y Agresivos Biológicos (NED). Centro de Vigilancia Sanitaria Veterinaria (VISAVET). Universidad Complutense (UCM).
	CEI Campus Moncloa.
	Zoo Aquarium de Madrid. Grupo Parques (Parques Reunidos, S.A.).
	Department of Veterinary Population Medicine. College of Veterinary Medicine. University of Minnesota (UMM).
	Departamento de Reproducción Animal. Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria (INIA).
	Departamento de Sanidad Animal. Facultad de Veterinaria. Universidad Complutense (UCM).