Seroprevalence of Coxiella burnetii in Goats from Central and Western Thailand: Implications for Zoonotic Disease Surveillance and Control

Goats are important reservoirs of <i>Coxiella burnetii</i>, the causative agent of Q fever in humans. Monitoring infection in goats is therefore essential for effective human disease prevention. However, epidemiological data on <i>C. burnetii</i> infection in Thai goats remain limited, particularly in the central and western regions, where goat farming has expanded. This study aimed to determine the seroprevalence of <i>C. burnetii</i> infection in goats raised in these two regions. A total of 947 serum samples from 101 herds were collected and tested using a commercial enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Individual- and herd-level seroprevalence were calculated. Pearson's chi-square test was used to compare infection proportions between regions (central vs. western) and herd types (meat vs. dairy), with <i>p</i> < 0.05 considered statistically significant. Overall, individual- and herd-level seroprevalence were 22.39% and 58.42%, respectively. Individual seroprevalence in the central and western regions was 25.16% and 19.71%, while herd-level seroprevalence was 71.15% and 44.90%, respectively. The proportions of infection at both levels were significantly higher in the central region (<i>p</i> = 0.044 and <i>p</i> = 0.007). In contrast, no significant differences were observed between meat and dairy herds: individual-level seroprevalence was 22.81% and 25.25% (<i>p</i> = 0.586), and herd-level seroprevalence was 56.98% and 60.00% (<i>p</i> = 0.855), respectively. These findings highlighted the urgent need to strengthen control measures for <i>C. burnetii</i> infection in goats in central and western Thailand to protect human, animal, and environmental health.