Prevalence of Coxiella burnetii in bovine bulk milk by Nested-PCR in Gilan province

Q fever with Ricketsia factor is a zoonotic disease having a high pathogenicity. In recent years, it is not just considered as the occupational disease of veterinarian and ranchers. Milk consumption plays an important role in epidemic condition and spread of the disease. This study aimed to examine the prevalence of Coxiella burnetii in bulk cow milk of Gilan province. In this cross-sectional-descriptive study (from summer 2016 to spring 2017), a total of 204 milk samples was collected from the milk collection bulk of Gilan province and tested for detection of the prevalence rate of C. burnetii using  Nested-PCR. From 204 sample of raw milk, 21 samples (10.29%) were positive to C. burnetii presence. The highest rate of contamination was seen in Lahijan (33.3%) and Roodbar (29.4%). The samples collected from Rasht, Talesh, Astaneh and Masal were not found positive for C. burnetii. Examination of the seasonal prevalence of the samples indicated no statistical difference between the different seasons. The results revealed that bulk cow milk could be a potential source of C. burnetii in Iran.