Seroprevalence of Coxiella burnetii antibodies in pigs in Gyeonggi Province, Korea

a seroepidemiological survey of Coxiella burnetii was conducted using 550 serum samples collected from 81 pig farms in Hwaseong-si, Gyeonggi Province, South Korea.To our knowledge, this is the first systematic investigation of C. burnetii seroprevalence in pigs in this region.The overall individual-and farm-level seroprevalence were 2.4% and 12.3%, respectively.By production stage, seroprevalence was 2.8% in breeding sows and 1.6% in finishing pigs.Seasonally, the highest seroprevalence was observed in spring (4.4%), followed by summer (1.7%) and autumn (1.1%), with no seropositive cases detected in winter.These findings indicate prior exposure of pigs to C. burnetii in the study area and provide baseline epidemiological data for understanding the public health relevance of Q fever.Continuous surveillance and integrated One Health approaches are warranted for the monitoring and control of Q fever.