Evaluation of the possibility of C. burnetii transmission by the alimentary route in a guinea pig model

Abstract

Abstract Introduction Q fever (coxiellosis) is an infectious disease of animals and humans, caused by .C. burnetii and widely distributed throughout the world. It is known that people and animals acquire the disease predominantly .via inhalation of infectious aerosols. The possibility of transmission of the pathogen by the alimentary route is still a matter of debate and remains controversial. Therefore the aim of this study was to fill the gaps in knowledge of oral transmission of .C. burnetii by conducting biological tests on the guinea pig model. Material and Methods Guinea pigs, divided into five groups comprising a negative control and four experimental groups, received specified concentrations of .C. burnetii per os . To determine the presence of specific antibodies, blood samples were tested using CFT. Also, internal organs collected during necropsy were screened by a real-time PCR targeting I .1111 . Additionally, histopathological evaluation of the tissues was performed. Results The presence of antibodies and pathogen DNA in caecum was confirmed in one guinea pig from experimental group IV. .C. burnetii was also detected in testicular tissue collected from one animal of experimental group II. Conclusions The presence of pathogen DNA in the testicular tissue indicates that infection spreads haematogenously. In the majority of experimental animals specific antibodies and genetic material of .C. burnetii were not detected. This fact suggests that development of infection depends on many factors, such as animal immune status.