Prevalence of Coxiella burnetii in Traditional and Industrial Butter and Cream Using Nested Polymerase Chain Reaction in Shahrekord, Iran

Background: A zoonotic disease of global importance known as "Q fever" is caused by Coxiella burnetii agent. The aim of the present research was to determine C. burnetii in the traditional and industrial butter and cream samples in Shahrekord, Iran. Methods: This cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted from March to September ۲۰۱۶. Totally, ۲۰۰ traditional and industrial butter and cream samples were collected from retailers in different regions of Shahrekord and then tested for C. burnetii via nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays. Results: In this survey, a total of ۶ out of ۲۰۰ samples (۳%) were found to be positive for C. burnetii. More precisely, ۴ (۵.۷۹%), ۱ (۵%), and ۱ (۲.۵۶%) samples were related to the traditional bovine cream, traditional sheep butter, and traditional bovine butter samples, respectively. Nevertheless, no C. burnetii infections were found in the industrial butter and cream samples. Conclusions: These results proved that traditional dairy products can be considered as an important reservoir for C. burnetii infection in Iran.