{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,4]],"date-time":"2026-06-04T14:25:56Z","timestamp":1780583156339,"version":"3.54.1"},"reference-count":39,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"3","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2021,3,2]],"date-time":"2021-03-02T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1614643200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"Spanish Ministry for the Science and Innovation","award":["CGL2011-30274 and CGL2015-71255-P"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["CGL2011-30274 and CGL2015-71255-P"]}]},{"name":"Spanish Ministry for the Science and Innovation","award":["CGL2017-89866-R and E-RTA-2015-0002-C02-02."],"award-info":[{"award-number":["CGL2017-89866-R and E-RTA-2015-0002-C02-02."]}]},{"name":"\u2018Fundaci\u00f3n BBVA","award":["TOPIGEPLA (2014 call)."],"award-info":[{"award-number":["TOPIGEPLA (2014 call)."]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Animals"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Coxiella burnetii, the causal agent of human Q fever and animal Coxiellosis, is a zoonotic infectious bacterium with a complex ecology that results from its ability to replicate in multiple (in)vertebrate host species. Spain notifies the highest number of Q fever cases to the ECDC annually and wildlife plays a relevant role in C. burnetii ecology in the country. However, the whole picture of C. burnetii hosts is incomplete, so this study seeks to better understand the role of micromammals in C. burnetii ecology in the country. Spleen samples from 816 micromammals of 10 species and 130 vaginal swabs from Microtus arvalis were analysed by qPCR to detect C. burnetii infection and shedding, respectively. The 9.7% of the spleen samples were qPCR positive. The highest infection prevalence (10.8%) was found in Microtus arvalis, in which C. burnetii DNA was also detected in 1 of the 130 vaginal swabs (0.8%) analysed. Positive samples were also found in Apodemus sylvaticus (8.7%), Crocidura russula (7.7%) and Rattus rattus (6.4%). Positive samples were genotyped by coupling PCR with reverse line blotting and a genotype II+ strain was identified for the first time in one of the positive samples from M. arvalis, whereas only partial results could be obtained for the rest of the samples. Acute Q fever was diagnosed in one of the researchers that participated in the study, and it was presumably linked to M. arvalis handling. The results of the study are consistent with previous findings suggesting that micromammals can be infected by C. burnetii. Our findings additionally suggest that micromammals may be potential sources to trace back the origin of human Q fever and animal Coxiellosis cases in Europe.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/ani11030654","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2021,3,1]],"date-time":"2021-03-01T22:02:20Z","timestamp":1614636140000},"page":"654","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":19,"title":["Investigating the Role of Micromammals in the Ecology of Coxiella burnetii in Spain"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"11","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-5083-8854","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"David","family":"Gonz\u00e1lez-Barrio","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Instituto de Investigaci\u00f3n en Recursos Cineg\u00e9ticos IREC (CSIC-UCLM-JCCM), Ronda de Toledo 12, 13071 Ciudad Real, Spain"},{"name":"Parasitology Reference and Research Laboratory, Spanish National Centre for Microbiology, Health Institute Carlos III, Ctra. Majadahonda-Pozuelo Km 2, Majadahonda, 28220 Madrid, Spain"},{"name":"Viral Hepatitis Reference and Research Laboratory, Spanish National Centre for Microbiology, Health Institute Carlos III, Ctra. Majadahonda-Pozuelo Km 2, Majadahonda, 28220 Madrid, Spain"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Isabel","family":"Jado","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Special Pathogens Reference and Research Laboratory, Spanish National Centre for Microbiology, Health Institute Carlos III, Ctra. Majadahonda-Pozuelo Km 2, Majadahonda, 28220 Madrid, Spain"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-8916-0398","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Javier","family":"Vi\u00f1uela","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Instituto de Investigaci\u00f3n en Recursos Cineg\u00e9ticos IREC (CSIC-UCLM-JCCM), Ronda de Toledo 12, 13071 Ciudad Real, Spain"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-4126-9658","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Jes\u00fas T.","family":"Garc\u00eda","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Instituto de Investigaci\u00f3n en Recursos Cineg\u00e9ticos IREC (CSIC-UCLM-JCCM), Ronda de Toledo 12, 13071 Ciudad Real, Spain"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Pedro P.","family":"Olea","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Departamento de Ecolog\u00eda, Universidad Aut\u00f3noma de Madrid (UAM), 28049 Madrid, Spain"},{"name":"Centro de Investigaci\u00f3n en Biodiversidad y Cambio Global (CIBC-UAM), Universidad Aut\u00f3noma de Madrid, 28049 Madrid, Spain"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-7622-3791","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Fernando","family":"Arce","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Natural Sciences, University of Tasmania, Hobart, TAS 7004, Australia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Francisco","family":"Ruiz-Fons","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Instituto de Investigaci\u00f3n en Recursos Cineg\u00e9ticos IREC (CSIC-UCLM-JCCM), Ronda de Toledo 12, 13071 Ciudad Real, Spain"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2021,3,2]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"297","DOI":"10.1016\/j.vetmic.2009.07.016","article-title":"Q fever","volume":"140","author":"Angelakis","year":"2011","journal-title":"Vet. 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