Systematic review of Coxiella burnetii infection in humans, domestic and wild animals, ticks and ectoparasites in Algeria 1935-2025.

Authors

Loïc Epelboin, Anissa Desmoulin, Olivier Duron, Moustapha Diop, Pierre-Edouard Fournier, Elodie Rousset, Nassima Achour

Published in

One health (Amsterdam, Netherlands). Volume 23. Pages 101515. Epub Jul 12, 2026.

Abstract

Q fever, caused by Coxiella burnetii, is a globally distributed zoonosis that remains largely underdiagnosed in Algeria. Since its first description in 1935, fragmented data have accumulated across human, animal, and vector hosts without comprehensive synthesis. This systematic review summarizes all available information on the occurrence of C. burnetii in Algeria from 1935 to 2025, across human, animal and ectoparasite compartments, and critically discusses potential reservoirs, vectors and knowledge gaps.
Following PRISMA 2020 guidelines, we searched PubMed, Scopus, ScienceDirect and the Algerian national thesis repository. Studies reporting original data on C. burnetii in humans, livestock, pets, wildlife, ticks or lice were included. Data were extracted on study period, location, host species, diagnostic methods, prevalence and molecular typing.
Sixty-one studies met the inclusion criteria. Human cases consisted mainly of sporadic acute infections, endocarditis and obstetric complications, often diagnosed abroad, reflecting limited local testing. In livestock, serological and molecular surveys showed infection in cattle, sheep, goats and camels across 30 among 58 wilayas, with apparent seroprevalence ranging from 8 to 27% in cattle, 15-75% in small ruminants and up to 70% in camels. Seventeen studies investigated arthropods: C. burnetii or Coxiella-like endosymbiont DNA was found in 13 tick species from ruminants, camelids and companion or wild animals, though the significance of these detections remains uncertain. Four studies reported on the bacterium in human and animal lice. Molecular typing identified several genotypes, suggesting multiple transmission cycles.
Available evidence supports the long-standing and widespread circulation of C. burnetii in Algeria, but the true burden remains underestimated due to limited diagnostic capacity and lack of integrated surveillance. Strengthening local serological and molecular tools, including strain typing, is essential to clarify reservoirs, transmission dynamics and human infection sources within a One Health framework.

PMID:
42572555
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 10 Aug 2026.

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