الفهرس 
Abstract
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Abstract
Sheep are the most abundant ruminant livestock species in Egypt, and great opportunity exists to enhance their productivity and these animals require regular management and veterinary care to prevent diseases and Q fever disease is one of the most important diseases that threatened sheep because it causes economic loss through cause reproductive problems as still birth, abortion, and delivery of weak or dead offspring. The goal of this study was to shed light on serological, molecular diagnosis of Q fever disease by using ELISA and PCR assay, respectively and study the effect of this disease on internal organs through biochemical analysis of serum parameters in sheep in Assiut and Sohag governorates, Egypt by using ELISA test and PCR test.
A total of 184 healthy and diseased sheep of various ages, sexes, and state (pregnant, non- pregnant, aborted, and non- aborted) from different farms in Assiut and Sohag governorates were recruited to the study from September 2020 to October 2021. These sheep included healthy sheep and sheep suffer from reproductive problems as abortion, still birth and delivery of weak offspring. All were examined serologically for diagnosis anti C. burnetii antibodies by using ELISA test, then 50 vaginal swabs collected randomly from both seropositive and seronegative sheep and examined by using PCR for detect C. burnetii DNA. Serum samples from both positive and negative sheep for C. burnetii infection were used for biochemical analysis of some parameter as total protein, albumin, liver enzymes (ALT, AST and GGT) and kidney function test (urea and creatinine).
In the present study, the overall seroprevalence of C. burnetii infection in sheep was 37.5%. The sheep divided according to age into three groups: 1 to 2 years (n=55), > 2 to 3 years (n=64) and > 3 years (n=65). Sheep more than 3 years were the most susceptible (71.2%). Ewes (n= 172) were susceptible 7 times more than rams (n=12) with a percentage of 39.5%. Furthermore, pregnant females showed higher seroprevalence of C. burnetii infection (47.7%) than non- pregnant ones (31.4%). On the other hand, aborted ewes showed higher seroprevalence of C. burnetii infection (43.8%) than non- abortive ones (39.1%).
The overall prevalence of C. burnetii infection among the investigated sheep by using PCR was 20%. In comparison between ELISA and PCR, both seropositive (n= 25) and seronegative animals (n= 25) revealed the same prevalence of C. burnetii (10%). According to age, sheep aged > 2-3 years were more susceptible (30%) than 1-2 years and > 3 years (25% and 12.5%, respectively). According to pregnancy state, non-pregnant females (26.7%) showed higher prevalence of C. burnetii infection than pregnant ones (10%). Moreover, non-aborted ewes (20.6%) showed higher prevalence of C. burnetii than aborted ones (18.75%), and finally farm 2 (24.2%) in Assiut governorate showed higher prevalence of C. burnetii infection than farm 3 (11.8%) in Sohag governorate.
Biochemical analysis revealed significant increases in AST and GGT activities and in creatinine level in infected sheep compared to the control group.