{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,9]],"date-time":"2026-07-09T19:23:20Z","timestamp":1783625000188,"version":"3.55.0"},"reference-count":26,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"11","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2020,10,25]],"date-time":"2020-10-25T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1603584000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Pathogens"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Coxiella burnetii (Derrick) Philip, the causative agent of Q fever, is mainly transmitted by aerosols, but ticks can also be a source of infection. Transstadial and transovarial transmission of C. burnetii by Hyalomma lusitanicum (Koch) has been suggested. There is a close relationship between this tick species, wild animals and C. burnetii but the transmission in a natural environment has not been demonstrated. In this study, we collected 80 engorged nymphs of H. lusitanicum from red deer and wild rabbits. They moult to adults under laboratory conditions and we feed them artificially through silicone membranes after a preconditioning period. C. burnetii DNA was tested in ticks, blood and faeces samples using real-time PCR. The pathogen was found in 36.2% of fed adults, demonstrating that transstadial transmission from nymph to adult occurs in nature. The presence of DNA in the 60.0% of blood samples after artificial feeding confirms that adults transmit the bacteria during feeding. Further studies are needed about co-feeding and other possible transmission routes to define the role of this tick species in the cycle of C. burnetii.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/pathogens9110884","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2020,10,26]],"date-time":"2020-10-26T02:34:54Z","timestamp":1603679694000},"page":"884","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":13,"title":["Transstadial Transmission from Nymph to Adult of Coxiella burnetii by Naturally Infected Hyalomma lusitanicum"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"9","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-1517-4559","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Julia","family":"Gonz\u00e1lez","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Villamagna S.A., Finca \u2018\u2018La Garganta\u2019\u2019, 14440 Villanueva de C\u00f3rdoba, Spain"},{"name":"Center for Vector Biology, Department of Entomology, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ 08901, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Marta G.","family":"Gonz\u00e1lez","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Villamagna S.A., Finca \u2018\u2018La Garganta\u2019\u2019, 14440 Villanueva de C\u00f3rdoba, Spain"},{"name":"Grupo de Parasitolog\u00eda Animal, Animalario del Departamento de Reproducci\u00f3n Animal, INIA, 28040 Madrid, Spain"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-5609-0496","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"F\u00e9lix","family":"Valc\u00e1rcel","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Grupo de Parasitolog\u00eda Animal, Animalario del Departamento de Reproducci\u00f3n Animal, INIA, 28040 Madrid, Spain"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Mar\u00eda","family":"S\u00e1nchez","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Villamagna S.A., Finca \u2018\u2018La Garganta\u2019\u2019, 14440 Villanueva de C\u00f3rdoba, Spain"},{"name":"Grupo de Parasitolog\u00eda Animal, Animalario del Departamento de Reproducci\u00f3n Animal, INIA, 28040 Madrid, Spain"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-1730-9368","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Raquel","family":"Mart\u00edn-Hern\u00e1ndez","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Bee Pathology laboratory, Centro Ap\u00edcola Regional, JCCM, 19180 Marchamalo, Spain"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Jos\u00e9 M.","family":"Tercero","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Villamagna S.A., Finca \u2018\u2018La Garganta\u2019\u2019, 14440 Villanueva de C\u00f3rdoba, Spain"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-2487-1751","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"A. Sonia","family":"Olmeda","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Departamento de Sanidad Animal, Facultad de Veterinaria, UCM, 28040 Madrid, Spain"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2020,10,25]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"518","DOI":"10.1128\/CMR.12.4.518","article-title":"Q Fever","volume":"12","author":"Maurin","year":"1999","journal-title":"Clin. Microbiol. Rev."},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"60","DOI":"10.1159\/000357107","article-title":"Coxiella burnetii - Pathogenic Agent of Q (Query) Fever","volume":"41","author":"Bauerfeind","year":"2014","journal-title":"Transfus. Med. 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