Survey of Coxiella burnetii in Ticks Collected from Dogs in Japan

For a survey of Coxiella burnetii, the Q fever agent, ticks infesting companion dogs were collected in Aomori, Tochigi, Gifu and Okinawa Prefectures, Japan. A total of 261 ticks were collected, and their species were identified morphologically. Five tick species were identified: Ixodes ovatus, Haemaphysalis concinna, H. flava, H. longicornis and Rhipicephalus sanguineus. Total DNA was extracted from them individually followed by real-time PCR to detect a C. burnetii-specific gene. The results of real-time PCR were all negative, which might suggest a low risk of C. burnetii infection via these ticks and their hosts in urban residential areas in Japan.