True/False: Coxiella burnetii is common in dairy herds and 77-94% of bulk milk tanks are positive in the US

• A. It is common in dairy herds; 77-94% of bulk milk tanks are positive in the US
• B. It is never found in dairy herds
• C. Bulk milk tanks testing is not feasible
• D. It only occurs in imported cattle

Answer: (A)

Coxiella burnetii is commonly found in dairy cattle, and surveillance of dairy herds often uses bulk-tank milk samples to assess infection. In the United States, studies testing bulk milk tanks have consistently shown a high proportion of tanks positive for C. burnetii, with reported ranges roughly from the mid-70s to mid-90s percent. This pattern reflects widespread exposure and infection within dairy herds, which is why the statement about the organism being common in dairy herds and about most bulk milk tanks being positive aligns with real-world data. The other options clash with this reality: the organism is not absent from dairy herds, bulk-tank testing is a standard and feasible surveillance method, and the infection is not limited to imported cattle but is present in domestic herds as well.