The role of the horse in Coxiella burnetii infection has not been defined, although it has been studied for a long time. Accordingly, a systematic review of the literature was performed to establish the current knowledge available on C. burnetii infection in horses. A review of the literature identified 7 studies that examined C. burnetii DNA in equine specimens, especially aborted fetuses, while an additional 34 studies sought to determine seroprevalence of the infection in the horse. A meta-analytical approach was taken to calculate a pooled mean seroprevalence in equines based on published studies. A seroprevalence of 15.8% (95% confidence interval: 9.6%-23.0%) was obtained. This figure is comparable to those previously reported in other species, especially ruminants. C. burnetii had rarely been looked for in equine specimens in previous studies. Cases of equine abortion should be comprehensively investigated to assess the risk of abortion in a pregnant mare infected with C. burnetii and its pathogenic role. Consideration should also be given to the epidemiological role of the horse as a source of the organism for other animal species including humans. The systematic review is a reproducible and rigorous method to search for all pre-existing studies on a topic, both at a local and international level, and to make the best use of these data.
Coxiella burnetii infection in horse: systematic review and meta-analysis
MARENZONI, Maria Luisa;STEFANETTI, VALENTINA;CASAGRANDE PROIETTI, Patrizia;COLETTI, Mauro;PASSAMONTI, Fabrizio;
2014
Abstract
The role of the horse in Coxiella burnetii infection has not been defined, although it has been studied for a long time. Accordingly, a systematic review of the literature was performed to establish the current knowledge available on C. burnetii infection in horses. A review of the literature identified 7 studies that examined C. burnetii DNA in equine specimens, especially aborted fetuses, while an additional 34 studies sought to determine seroprevalence of the infection in the horse. A meta-analytical approach was taken to calculate a pooled mean seroprevalence in equines based on published studies. A seroprevalence of 15.8% (95% confidence interval: 9.6%-23.0%) was obtained. This figure is comparable to those previously reported in other species, especially ruminants. C. burnetii had rarely been looked for in equine specimens in previous studies. Cases of equine abortion should be comprehensively investigated to assess the risk of abortion in a pregnant mare infected with C. burnetii and its pathogenic role. Consideration should also be given to the epidemiological role of the horse as a source of the organism for other animal species including humans. The systematic review is a reproducible and rigorous method to search for all pre-existing studies on a topic, both at a local and international level, and to make the best use of these data.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
