histopathology and molecular investigation of coxiella burnetii infection in cat uterus

Q fever, caused by the obligate intracellular bacterium coxiella burnetii, is an important zoonotic disease with a worldwide distribution. while ruminants are the main reservoir of coxiella burnetii and the primary source of human infection, human cases have also been reported following contact with domestic dogs and cats. the present study investigates coxiella burnetii infection in cats referred to veterinary clinics in tabriz and tehran through molecular and histopathological methods. for this purpose, samples were collected from 50 cat uteri that underwent hysterectomy surgery. each sample was divided into two parts؛ one part was fixed in a 10% formalin buffer for histopathological studies, while the other part was used for quantitative pcr assay. after dna extraction using commercial kits, a real-time-pcr reaction was performed with specific primers. for histopathological examination, tissue sections were processed routinely and stained with hematoxylin and eosin. in the present study, all samples were negative for coxiella burnetii by real-time-pcr. however, the tissue sections showed various degrees of edema, hyperemia, hemorrhage, inflammation, necrosis, fibrosis, cysts, and endometrial hyperplasia, ranging from mild to severe. based on the present findings and considering the zoonotic aspect of coxiella burnetii infection, it appears that coxiella burnetii infection is not common in domestic cats in tehran and tabriz.