A first insight into seropositivity and risk factors for Brucella spp. and Coxiella burnetii in free-roaming dogs in Ecuador

Brucellosis and Q fever are two bacterial zoonoses caused by <i>Brucella</i> spp. and <i>Coxiella burnetii</i>, respectively. Dogs are reservoirs of these pathogens and play an important role in their spread. In this research, we determined the seroprevalence of antibodies against <i>Brucella</i> spp. and <i>C. burnetii</i> in free-roaming dogs from Ecuador and conducted a statistical analysis based on geographical variables. Serum samples were collected from 397 free-roaming dogs between November 2018 and May 2019 and analyzed with commercial ELISA tests for <i>Brucella</i> spp. and Q fever. An overall seroprevalence of 2.8 % (CI: 95 %, 0.0-6.2 %) and 1.8 % (CI: 95 %, 0.0-5.6 %) was found for <i>Brucella</i> spp. and <i>C. burnetii</i>, respectively. No statistical differences in seroprevalence values were found between geographical regions in Ecuador or between dogs from rural or urban settings, except for the association of <i>C. burnetii</i> infection with the Coastal Region. This is the first study of this kind in Ecuador and points out the need for a One Health approach for control and surveillance of zoonotic diseases like brucellosis and Q fever including feral and stray dogs as reservoirs to spread those pathogens to cattle, humans, or wildlife.