Discipline of Microbiology and Immunology, School of Veterinary & Biomedical Sciences, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia.
Vector Borne Zoonotic Dis. 2013 Jan;13(1):12-6. doi: 10.1089/vbz.2011.0853. Epub 2012 Nov 30.
Wild animals and the tick species that feed on them form the natural transmission cycle and reservoir of Coxiella burnetii. The objective of this study was to determine whether C. burnetii was present in the blood of host animals and their ticks in northern Queensland, Australia. Three genomic targets were detected using real-time PCR assays-the Coxiella-specific outer membrane protein coding gene (Com1), the multicopy insertion element (IS1111), and the isocitrate dehydrogenase gene (Icd). Quantification of the single-copy targets identified a range of 1.48×10(1) to 4.10×10(3) C. burnetii genome equivalents per microliter in the ticks tested. The detection of Coxiella based on the presence of the genomic targets indicated the occurrence of C. burnetii in both the ticks and whole blood of a variety of native Australian marsupials and confirms these animals are capable of acting as reservoirs of Q fever in northern Queensland.
野生动物和以它们为食的蜱是贝氏柯克斯体的自然传播循环和储存库。本研究的目的是确定澳大利亚昆士兰州北部的宿主动物及其蜱中是否存在贝氏柯克斯体。使用实时 PCR 检测方法检测了三个基因组靶标 - 柯克斯体特异性外膜蛋白编码基因（Com1）、多位点插入元件（IS1111）和异柠檬酸脱氢酶基因（Icd）。对单拷贝靶标的定量检测确定了在所检测的蜱中，贝氏柯克斯体基因组当量的范围为 1.48×10(1) 至 4.10×10(3)。基于基因组靶标的存在检测到柯克斯体表明，贝氏柯克斯体存在于各种澳大利亚有袋类动物的蜱和全血中，并证实这些动物有能力在昆士兰州北部充当 Q 热的储存库。
