PREVALENCE OF ANTIBODIES TO COXIELLA-BURNETII IN CATTLE, SHEEP AND SMALL GROUND MAMMALS IN THE REGION OF WESTERN BOHEMIA

The prevalence of antibodies to C. burnetii was studied in the Karlovy Vary district (the Czech Republic) between 1987 and 1989. Sera of cows, sheep and heart eluates of small ground mammals were tested using the complement fixation test with C. burnetii antigen in phase II (Bodibion, Mevak Nitra, Slovakia). Titers greater or equal to 8 or 10 were considered as positive. Cows from two large-scale farms were tested four times (the average number of every sampling was 339 cows). Their seroprevalences varied from 0.3 to 4.3% and from 0.3 to 10.6% on the first and second farm, respectively. The highest seroprevalences were on both farms in July, 1987. No clinical signs of Q-fever were observed in cows from these farms. In May, 1988, sera of 96 sheep from two farms were tested. No antibodies to C, burnetii were detected. A total of 488 small ground mammals from 9 various localities was tested. Antibodies were ascertained in one Common Vole (Microtus arvalis) at a titer of 10 and in one Bank Vole (Clethrionomys glareolus) at a titer of 2560. At present, some strains of C. burnetii occur in cattle and small ground mammals in the study area but these strains do not cause the clinical Q fever as they did in the same area at the beginning of the fifties.