Pilot serosurvey of Coxiella burnetii in domesticated small ruminants in the United Arab Emirates

The seroprevalence of Coxiella burnetii in goats and sheep in the UAE was evaluated by ELISA testing of 437 small ruminant sera samples from livestock farms (LivF) and 478 from the Al Ain livestock market (AALM), and the data from the pilot serosurvey were analyzed using the z-test of two proportions and Fisher’s method. The overall proportion of C. burnetii-seropositive goats of 32.1% was significantly higher than 24.7% for seropositive sheep (p < 0.05). On the other hand, the difference in the proportions of C. burnetii-seropositive sheep from the LivF (27.9%) and AALM (21.7%) was not statistically significant (p > 0.05). By comparison, the proportion of C. burnetii-seropositive goats from LivFs was 31.6% compared to 32.5% for the goats from the AALM (p > 0.05). In addition, there was variability in the proportions of C. burnetii-seropositive goats and sheep from the different Emirates, but none of differences was statistically significant (p > 0.05). These data provide the first evidence of apparent C. burnetii infections in goat and sheep herds in the UAE with seropositivity rate that is significantly higher in goats than sheep. The epidemiology and animal and public health implications of this pathogen need to be thoroughly evaluated in the UAE.