Marburgvirus Resurgence in Kitaka Mine Bat Population after Extermination Attempts, Uganda

panel B). We performed C. burnetii– specific qPCR on the ticks; 14 (88%) were positive. We genotyped C. burnetii–positive DNA from the feces and from 6 of the 16 ticks by using multispacer sequence typing as described (5). All samples were identified as MST17, the unique genotype circulating in Cayenne (5). After obtaining the laboratory results, we confirmed that a local group in charge of the collection and treatment of injured animals usually released rehabilitated 3-toed sloths into Tiger Camp. Residents of Tiger Camp regularly observed and came into contact with the sloths, and ticks were frequently observed on the fur of the animals. Furthermore, 3 Q fever patients from Cayenne reported contact with sloths. Feces from the sloth in this study were highly infectious for C. burnetii. Because sloths live in tall trees and can shed this bacterium in their feces, human contamination might occur through inhalation of infectious aerosols from feces. The high prevalence of C. burnetii infection in ticks also suggests possible transmission through tick bites or from aerosols of tick feces that have been deposited on the skin of animal hosts; such feces can be extremely rich in bacteria and highly infectious (10). In this 2013 outbreak of Q fever, epidemiologic studies led to the identification of 3-toed sloths as a putative source of C. burnetii infection. Further investigations are needed to confirm the role of sloths as a reservoir for C. burnetii in French Guiana and to implement efficient measures to prevent transmission to humans.