Molecular Detection of in Blood Samples of Domestic Livestock in the Republic of Korea

, a major zoonotic pathogen distributed worldwide, causes severe infections in humans, animals, and birds. However, limited information is available regarding infection in livestock in the Republic of Korea (ROK). Herein, we determined the prevalence of infection in livestock in the ROK and identified animal species that can potentially transmit to humans. gene-targeting nested polymerase chain reaction detected DNA in 3.3% (2/61), 2.9% (3/105), 14.1% (11/78), and 15.4% (14/91) of dairy cattle, beef cattle, Boer goats, and Korean native goats, respectively. The prevalence of was significantly higher ( = 0.002) in goats than in cattle. The risk of contracting infection was significantly higher by 6.18-fold in Korean native goats (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.72-22.27%, = 0.005) and by 5.58-fold in Boer goats (95% CI: 1.50-20.76%, = 0.010) than in beef cattle. Our DNA sequences exhibited 97.1-100% homology with those obtained from various hosts in other countries. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to report infection using the blood samples of domestic ruminants in the ROK. The results revealed that the prevalence of infection is higher in goats than in cattle as determined by molecular detection. Thus, these findings suggest that can be transmitted from ruminants to humans via meat consumption.