State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry (SUNY-ESF), Environmental and Forest Biology, Syracuse, New York, USA.
Vector Borne Zoonotic Dis. 2012 Nov;12(11):942-7. doi: 10.1089/vbz.2011.0952. Epub 2012 Sep 18.
Coxiella burnetii is an environmentally resistant bacterium that has been reported in wildlife populations. Frequent contact on pasture between white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) and cattle has been reported by farmers in the Northeast U.S., and transmission of C. burnetii is thought to occur between wild deer and domestic livestock such as cows, sheep, and goats. Blood samples were collected from white-tailed deer throughout New York State in 2009 and 2010 and examined for anti-C. burnetii phase II antibodies via indirect microimmunofluorescence assays. Exploratory spatial cluster analysis revealed a lack of significant clustering of C. burnetii-seropositive deer. Logistic regression analysis revealed a significant association between the C. burnetii serostatus of deer and sex, percent agriculture, shrub, and forest cover, and townships with more than 10 bovine herds. A lack of significant association was revealed between the serostatus of deer and the year of sampling, soil type, percent wetland and open water cover, total annual precipitation, and townships with more than two sheep or goat herds. Because four different land cover types were associated with a higher probability of C. burnetii seropositivity, it is likely that land cover is not a discriminating factor in C. burnetii exposure. This is probably because C. burnetii environmental contamination is widespread and not localized to certain cover types. The social behavior of male deer may contribute to the lack of spatial clustering. Bucks typically travel over greater distances, which leads to a greater variety of encountered environments and a greater chance for exposure to C. burnetii. Because increasing agricultural land cover and townships with greater than 10 bovine herds are associated with an increased probability of diagnosing a seropositive deer, it appears likely that transmission of C. burnetii between domestic livestock and white-tailed deer may occur.
贝氏柯克斯体是一种环境抵抗力强的细菌，已在野生动物种群中报告。美国东北部的农民报告称，白尾鹿（Odocoileus virginianus）和牛经常在牧场上频繁接触，并且认为贝氏柯克斯体在野生鹿和牛、羊、山羊等家畜之间传播。2009 年和 2010 年，从纽约州各地采集了白尾鹿的血液样本，并通过间接微量免疫荧光测定法检查抗贝氏柯克斯体 II 期抗体。探索性空间聚类分析显示，贝氏柯克斯体血清阳性鹿群没有明显的聚类。逻辑回归分析显示，鹿的贝氏柯克斯体血清阳性状态与性别、农业、灌木和森林覆盖率的百分比以及牛群超过 10 个的镇有关。鹿的血清阳性状态与采样年份、土壤类型、湿地和开阔水域覆盖率的百分比、年总降水量以及绵羊或山羊群超过 2 个的镇之间没有显著关联。由于四种不同的土地覆盖类型与更高的贝氏柯克斯体血清阳性率相关，因此土地覆盖可能不是贝氏柯克斯体暴露的决定性因素。这可能是因为贝氏柯克斯体的环境污染是广泛的，而不是局限于某些覆盖类型。雄性鹿的社会行为可能导致缺乏空间聚类。雄鹿通常会走更远的距离，这会导致遇到的环境种类更多，接触贝氏柯克斯体的机会也更多。由于农业用地覆盖的增加和牛群超过 10 个的镇的增加与诊断血清阳性鹿的概率增加相关，因此贝氏柯克斯体在家畜和白尾鹿之间的传播似乎很可能发生。
