Relevance

Q fever (coxiellosis) is a zoonotic disease primarily transmitted to humans from cattle, sheep, and goats. It is caused by the bacterium Coxiella burnetii, which is shed into the environment through the urine, feces, milk, and birth products of infected animals. This bacterium is notable for its high resilience in the environment and its low infectious dose. Approximately 50% of infected individuals experience flu-like symptoms, with around 40% of those affected requiring hospitalization. Q fever can lead to chronic fatigue syndrome, chronic heart conditions, and chronic hepatitis.

A significant example underscoring the necessity for epidemiological surveillance of this infection is the 2007–2010 epidemic in the Netherlands, during which over 4,000 cases were reported, resulting in substantial economic costs in healthcare and losses in livestock farming. ​Our previous research identified a widespread prevalence of C. burnetii in southern Kazakhstan, revealing highly endemic areas with seroprevalence in livestock reaching up to 80%, correlating with the detection of PCR-positive animals. Serological monitoring of the population in southern Kazakhstan also uncovered cases of acute and chronic Q fever that had not been previously identified by medical professionals. In the absence of systematic epidemiological surveillance, the circulation of this pathogen in other regions of the country remains insufficiently studied. Additionally, a pressing issue is the lack of domestic diagnostic kits for monitoring this disease.

The aim

Study of the current epidemiological situation of coxiellosis in the regions of Kazakhstan and the development of a domestic test system based on solid-phase enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for the detection of antibodies to C. burneti.

Expected Results

• To conduct a study of Ixodid ticks and samples from domestic livestock in the western, eastern, central, and northern regions of Kazakhstan for the presence of C. burnetii infection.
• To conduct genetic characterization of C. burnetii variants circulating in the territory of Kazakhstan.
• To obtain recombinant antigen Com1 of C. burnetii for the development of a test system for the Q fever serological diagnosis.
• To develop a working model of an ELISA based test system for the detection of antibodies to C. burnetii.

Project manager

Dmitrovsky Andrey Mikhailovich, Doctor of Medical Sciences, Professor – Project Manager, Acting. Head of the Laboratory of Expertise and Diagnostics of the AF NCB. H-index: 3. ORCID: 0000-0003-4714-3079. Scopus ID: 57204864464. Web of science ID: ABA-3123-2021.

Executive team members

Yulia Viktorovna Perfilyeva, PhD (biology), associate professor – responsible project manager, leading researcher at the Laboratory of Immunology and Immunobiotechnology of the Academy of Sciences of the Scientific Center. H-index: 7. ORCID: 0000-0001-6803-0773. Scopus ID: 56823500600. Web of science ID: AAF-9666-2020.

Anna Sergeevna Nizkorodova, PhD, Associate Professor, Head of the Innovation and Development Department, AB NCB. Hirsch index: 1. ORCID: 0000-0002-1597-7207. Scopus ID: 57215971184. Web of science ID: AAF-9666-2020.

Mashzhan Akzhigit Sembayuly, PhD (biotechnology), Senior Researcher, Laboratory of Molecular Biology, AB NCB. Hirsch index: 3. ORCID: 0000-0002-9516-5566. Scopus ID: 57211535534. Web of science ID: E-2260-2016.

Ostapchuk Ekaterina Olegovna, PhD (biology), Associate Professor – AB NCB, Head of the Laboratory of Immunology and Immunobiotechnology AB NCB. Hirsch index: 9. ORCID: 0000-0002-3771-423X. Scopus ID: 56823472400. Web of science ID: D-1254-2015.

Abdollah Nurshat, PhD (biology), Senior Researcher of the Laboratory of Immunology and Immunobiotechnology AB NCB. Hirsch index: 6. ORCID: 0000-0002-4769-7824. Scopus ID: 57194001982. Web of science ID: R-2193-2016.

Lushova Anzhelika Vitalievna, PhD student (biotechnology), junior researcher at the Laboratory of Immunology and Immunobiotechnology of the Amur Branch of the National Center of Biotechnology. Hirsch index: 1. ORCID: 0000-0003-3816-8370.

Publications of the project manager and members of the research team on the topic of the project

1. Perfilyeva Y.V., Shapiyeva Z.Zh., Ostapchuk Y.O., Berdygulova Z.A., Bissenbay A.O., Kulemin M.V., Ismagulova G.A., Maltseva E.R., Skiba Y.A., Sayakova Z.Z., Mamadaliyev S.M., Dmitrovskiy A.M. Tick-borne pathogens and their vectors in Kazakhstan – a review//Ticks Tick Borne Dis. – 2020. – N.11(5). – e:101498. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ttbdis.2020.101498. IF 3.7; Q2 (WoS); Cite score 5.2; SJR 1.182; percentile 91(Scopus), 17 цитирований.
2. Perfilyeva Y.V., Berdygulova Z.A., Mashzhan A. S., Zhigailov A.V., Ostapchuk Y.O., Naizabayeva D.A., Cherusheva A. S., Bissenbay A.O., Kuatbekova S., Abdolla N., Maltseva E.R., Nizkorodova A.S., Kulemin M. V., Shapiyeva Z.Z., Sayakova Z. Z., Perfilyeva A. V., Maltseva E. R., Skiba Y.A., Mamadaliyev S.M., Dmitrovskiy A.M. Molecular and seroepidemiological investigation of Сoxiella burnetii and spotted fever group rickettsiae in the southern region of Kazakhstan //Ticks Tick Borne Dis. – 2023. – N.14. – e:102240. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ttbdis.2023.102240. IF 3.7; Q2 (WoS); Cite score 5.2; SJR 1.182; percentile 91 (Scopus), 0 цитирований
3. Turebekov N., Abdiyeva K., Yegemberdiyeva  R., Dmitrovsky A., et al. Prevalence of Rickettsia species in ticks including identification of unknown species in two regions in Kazakhstan//Parasites and Vectors. – 2019. – N.12. – e:197. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13071-019-3440-9. IF 2.824; Q1 (WoS). Cite score 5.3; SJR 1.406; percentile 87 (Scopus), 25 citations.

Achieved Results

1. Ticks were collected, morphologically identified, DNA was extracted from homogenates, and PCR analysis of the collected samples was performed in the eastern and central regions of Kazakhstan. All PCR-positive tick pools were obtained from vegetation plantations; ticks from these pools were collected in the village of Glubokoye (East Kazakhstan region), while no positive samples were found in the Abay and Karaganda regions. The data obtained suggest that the main vectors of Q fever in the East Kazakhstan region are ticks of the species Dermacentor marginatus or Hyalomma anatolicum. The results of tick collection and PCR analysis were presented using GIS mapping in the GisMap (Esri) program (Mercator coordinate system). Serum samples from small ruminants were also collected in the eastern and central regions of Kazakhstan.
2. Serological analysis of blood sera collected from 38 small cattle (out of 94 samples) in the East Kazakhstan region (Targyn village) was carried out by ELISA using the commercially validated test system “ID Screen® Q Fever Indirect Multi-species”. The results showed that the overall seropositivity to Coxiella burnetii antigens I and II among the studied farm animals was 13.1% (5 out of 38; 95% confidence interval: 4.4–28.1%).
3. PCR-positive samples were genetically characterized at four loci: Icd (738 bp), 16S rRNA (1459 bp), Com1 (775 bp) and IS1111 (670 bp) for 10 DNA samples isolated from individual ticks in which C. burnetii DNA was previously detected using the commercial RT-PCR system “AmpliSens® Coxiella burnetii-FL”.