High Seropositivity to Coxiella burnetii Among Goats Sampled in Southwestern Jeonnam Province, South Korea: A Pilot Study

Coxiella burnetii is the causative agent of Q fever, a zoonotic disease of public health concern. Despite the recent expansion of the domestic goat industry in Korea, epidemiological data regarding C. burnetii exposure in Korean goat populations remain limited. This pilot study aimed to assess the serological distribution of C. burnetii exposure in the southwestern region of Jeonnam Province, the major goat-breeding region of Korea. Goat serum samples were originally collected for routine Foot-and-Mouth Disease monitoring in 2025. Using a two-stage random sampling approach, 92 samples were selected from 16 farms across five southwestern counties of Jeonnam Province. Specific antibodies against C. burnetii were detected using a commercial ELISA. The overall unadjusted apparent seropositivity was 44.6% (41/92). By county, seropositivity was 61.1% in both Haenam and Wando, 38.9% in Gangjin, 36.8% in Yeongam, and 26.3% in Jangheung. Furthermore, the overall herd-level apparent seropositivity was 68.8% (11/16). At the herd level within the surveyed farms, intra-herd seropositivity ranged from 0.0% to 100.0%, showing wide variation among the tested farms. The results indicate high serological exposure to C. burnetii within the surveyed southwestern counties. While constrained by a small sample size, these findings show that targeted longitudinal surveillance is required in this region. Expanding systematic monitoring efforts nationwide is recommended to establish effective veterinary and public health control measures.