Coxiella burnetii(Q fever) as a cause of community-acquired pneumonia during the warm season in Germany

SUMMARYQ fever is a notifiable disease in Germany. The majority of the reported cases are related to outbreaks. The objective of our study was to evaluate the general role of Q fever in community-acquired pneumonia (CAP). We investigated respiratory samples and sera from 255 patients with CAP, who were enrolled into a CAPNETZ cohort in summer 2005. Altogether, our data showed a significant prevalence of Q fever as CAP (3·5%). If a patient's condition leads to a diagnostic test forChlamydophilasp.,Mycoplasmasp. orLegionellasp., then a Q fever diagnostic test should also be included. In particular, ELISA as a first diagnostic step is easy to perform. PCR should be performed at an early stage of the disease if no antibodies are detectable. Because of our highly promising findings we suggest performing PCR in respiratory samples.

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Coxiella burnetii seroprevalence in primiparous and multiparous ewes from southern Australia: a cross-sectional study

10.21203/rs.3.rs-1026866/v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Thomas Clune ◽

Amy Lockwood ◽

Serina Hancock ◽

Andrew N. Thompson ◽

Mieghan Bruce ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Coxiella Burnetii ◽

Reproductive Performance ◽

Q Fever ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Molecular Diagnostic ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Tissue Samples ◽

Natural Exposure ◽

Reproductive Disease

Abstract Coxiella burnetii can cause reproductive disease in sheep and zoonotic Q-fever infections in humans. The role of infectious diseases including coxiellosis in causing poorer reproductive performance of primiparous ewes is not well studied. The aim of this study was to determine if natural exposure to C. burnetii is associated with poor reproductive performance of primiparous ewes and compare seroprevalence of primiparous and multiparous ewes. Coxiella burnetii seroprevalence was 0.08% (95% confidence interval 0.01, 0.36) in primiparous ewes and 0.36% (0.07, 1.14) in mature ewes. Coxiella burnetii was not detected in tissue samples from aborted or stillborn lambs using molecular diagnostic tests (qPCR). These findings suggest that C. burnetii infection was unlikely to be an important contributor to abortion and perinatal mortalities observed for primiparous ewes, and exposure to C. burnetii was not widespread in ewes on farms located over wide geographical region of southern Australia.

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Molecular detection of Coxiella burnetii infection in aborted samples of domestic ruminants in Iran

PLoS ONE ◽

10.1371/journal.pone.0250116 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 16 (4) ◽

pp. e0250116

Author(s):

Ashraf Mohabati Mobarez ◽

Mohammad Khalili ◽

Ehsan Mostafavi ◽

Saber Esmaeili

Keyword(s):

Coxiella Burnetii ◽

Real Time Pcr ◽

Molecular Detection ◽

Q Fever ◽

Domestic Animal ◽

Domestic Ruminant ◽

Domestic Ruminants ◽

Pcr Targeting ◽

Different Parts

Background Coxiella burnetii is the causative agent of Q fever which is a highly infectious zoonotic disease. C. burnetii has become one of the most important causes of abortion in livestock, which can lead to widespread abortions in these animals. There are very limited studies on the prevalence of C. burnetii infection in cases of animal abortion in Iran. The aim of this study was to investigate the occurrence of C. burnetii in ruminant abortion samples in Iran. Methods Abortion samples from cattle, sheep and goats were collected from different parts of Iran and were tested using Real-time PCR targeting the IS1111 element of C. burnetii. Results In this study, 36 samples (24.7%) of the 146 collected samples were positive for C. burnetii. The prevalence of C. burnetii was 21.3% (20 of 94 samples) in sheep samples. Also, 10 of 46 cattle samples (21.7%) were positive. All six goat abortion samples were positive for C. burnetii. Conclusions The findings of the study demonstrate that C. burnetii plays an important role in domestic ruminant abortions in Iran, suggesting that more attention should be paid to the role of C. burnetii in domestic animal abortions by veterinary organizations. The risk of transmitting the infection to humans due to abortion of animals should also be considered.

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First serological record of Coxiella burnetii infection in the equine population of Slovakia

Biologia ◽

10.1007/s11756-021-00898-4 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Monika Drážovská ◽

Marián Prokeš ◽

Boris Vojtek ◽

Jana Mojžišová ◽

Anna Ondrejková ◽

...

Keyword(s):

16S Rrna ◽

Coxiella Burnetii ◽

Animal Species ◽

Q Fever ◽

Statistical Significance ◽

Elisa Method ◽

Zoonotic Pathogen ◽

Specific Antibodies

AbstractCoxiella burnetii is a worldwide zoonotic pathogen causing Q fever in various animal species and humans. In Slovakia, cases of C. burnetii infection in both animals and humans are confirmed every year. The role of horses in the epidemiology of this neglected disease is still unclear. In our study, we focused on a serosurvey of C. burnetii in the equine population in Slovakia by the ELISA method. Subsequently, a nested PCR was performed to detect the 16S rRNA fragment of the genus Coxiella. Among 184 horse sera, the presence of specific antibodies to C. burnetii was detected in four samples, representing a 2.17% seropositivity. All the positive horses were mares; two originated from Central Slovakia and two from Eastern Slovakia. Although the number of positive samples was too small for a determination of statistical significance, our results provide the first confirmation of antibodies to C. burnetii in horses from Slovakia. Although no positive PCR result was obtained, these serological findings may help to clarify the circulation of the pathogen in the environment.

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The role of wild rodents in spread and transmission of Coxiella burnetii needs further elucidation

Wildlife Research ◽

10.1071/wr10129 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 38 (7) ◽

pp. 617 ◽

Cited By ~ 12

Author(s):

Bastiaan G. Meerburg ◽

Chantal B. E. M. Reusken

Keyword(s):

Coxiella Burnetii ◽

Q Fever ◽

Direct Transmission ◽

Wild Rodents ◽

Exact Role ◽

Sylvatic Cycle ◽

Geographic Spread ◽

Domestic Cycle ◽

Food Losses

Rodents are known to cause massive food losses, but are also implicated as reservoirs for a wide variety of zoonotic pathogens. This review discusses the contribution of rodents in the spread and transmission of Coxiella burnetii, the causative agent of Q-fever. We found that rodents have been implicated as reservoirs for Q-fever, but their role in pathogen maintenance, geographic spread and transmission still remains to be clarified. As there are indications for a role of rodents in Q-fever epidemiology, including during the 2007–10 outbreak in the Netherlands, the overall lack of knowledge on the role of rodents warrants studies into their contribution in transmission of C. burnetii from the sylvatic cycle to the domestic cycle, in within-herd transmission, in transmission to surrounding farms and in direct transmission to humans. Although the basic sylvatic and domestic cycles of C. burnetii infection can operate independently, they will overlap in many instances as many areas in the world are occupied by both domestic and wild animals. This area of Q-fever ecology is of interest and research should focus on this aspect of Q-fever epidemiology and, in particular, on the role of rodents therein. More studies are needed that elicit the exact role of rodents in epidemiology of C. burnetii to further optimise disease control.

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Serological screening for Coxiella burnetii in the context of early pregnancy loss in dairy cows

Acta Veterinaria Hungarica ◽

10.1556/004.2020.00035 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Attila Dobos ◽

György Gábor ◽

Enikő Wehmann ◽

Béla Dénes ◽

Bettina Póth-Szebenyi ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Dairy Cows ◽

Coxiella Burnetii ◽

Pregnancy Loss ◽

Q Fever ◽

Early Stage ◽

Dairy Farms ◽

Serological Screening ◽

Bulk Tank Milk ◽

Seropositivity Rate ◽

Bulk Tank

AbstractQ fever is one of the commonest infectious diseases worldwide. A Coxiella burnetii prevalence of 97.6% has been found by ELISA and PCR tests of the bulk tank milk in dairy cattle farms of Hungary. The herd- and individual-level seroprevalence rates of C. burnetii in the examined dairy cows and farms have dramatically increased over the past ten years. Three high-producing industrial dairy farms were studied which had previously been found ELISA and PCR positive for C. burnetii by bulk tank milk testing. Coxiella burnetii was detected in 52% of the 321 cows tested by ELISA. Pregnancy loss was detected in 18% of the cows between days 29–35 and days 60–70 of gestation. The study found a higher seropositivity rate (80.5%) in the cows that had lost their pregnancy and a seropositivity of 94.4% in the first-bred cows that had lost their pregnancy at an early stage. The ELISA-positive pregnant and aborted cows were further investigated by the complement fixation test (CFT). In dairy herds an average of 66.6% individual seropositivity was detected by the CFT (Phase II) in previously ELISA-positive animals that had lost their pregnancy and 64.5% in the pregnant animals. A higher (Phase I) seropositivity rate (50.0%) was found in the cows with pregnancy loss than in the pregnant animals (38.5%). The high prevalence of C. burnetii in dairy farms is a major risk factor related to pregnancy loss.

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The genome of Coxiella burnetii Z3055, a clone linked to the Netherlands Q fever outbreaks, provides evidence for the role of drift in the emergence of epidemic clones

Comparative Immunology Microbiology and Infectious Diseases ◽

10.1016/j.cimid.2014.08.003 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 37 (5-6) ◽

pp. 281-288 ◽

Cited By ~ 19

Author(s):

Felicetta D’Amato ◽

Laetitia Rouli ◽

Sophie Edouard ◽

Judith Tyczka ◽

Matthieu Million ◽

...

Keyword(s):

The Netherlands ◽

Coxiella Burnetii ◽

Q Fever

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Transstadial Transmission from Nymph to Adult of Coxiella burnetii by Naturally Infected Hyalomma lusitanicum

10.20944/preprints202010.0121.v1 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Julia González ◽

Marta G. González ◽

Félix Valcárcel ◽

María Sánchez ◽

Raquel Martín-Hernández ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Coxiella Burnetii ◽

Tick Species ◽

Red Deer ◽

Q Fever ◽

Blood Samples ◽

Source Of Infection ◽

Close Relationship ◽

Transstadial Transmission ◽

Silicone Membranes

Coxiella burnetii (Derrick) Philip, the causative agent of Q fever, is mainly transmitted by aerosols, but ticks can also be a source of infection. Transstadial and transovarical transmission of C. burnetii by Hyalomma lusitanicum (Koch) has been suggested. There is a close relationship between this tick species, wild animals and C. burnetii but the transmission in a natural environment has not been demonstrated. In this study, we collected 80 engorged nymphs of H. lusitanicum from red deer and wild rabbits. They molt to adults under laboratory conditions and we feed them artificially through silicone membranes after a preconditioning period. C. burnetii DNA was tested in ticks, blood and feces samples using real-time PCR. The pathogen was found in 36.25% of fed adults demonstrating that transstadial transmission from nymph to adult occurs in nature. The presence of DNA in the 60% of blood samples confirms that adults transmit the bacteria during feeding. Further studied are needed about co-feeding and other possible transmission routes to define the role of this tick species in the cycle of C. burnetii.

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Transstadial Transmission from Nymph to Adult of Coxiella burnetii by Naturally Infected Hyalomma lusitanicum

Pathogens ◽

10.3390/pathogens9110884 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 9 (11) ◽

pp. 884 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Julia González ◽

Marta G. González ◽

Félix Valcárcel ◽

María Sánchez ◽

Raquel Martín-Hernández ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Coxiella Burnetii ◽

Tick Species ◽

Red Deer ◽

Q Fever ◽

Artificial Feeding ◽

Source Of Infection ◽

Close Relationship ◽

Transstadial Transmission ◽

Silicone Membranes

Coxiella burnetii (Derrick) Philip, the causative agent of Q fever, is mainly transmitted by aerosols, but ticks can also be a source of infection. Transstadial and transovarial transmission of C. burnetii by Hyalomma lusitanicum (Koch) has been suggested. There is a close relationship between this tick species, wild animals and C. burnetii but the transmission in a natural environment has not been demonstrated. In this study, we collected 80 engorged nymphs of H. lusitanicum from red deer and wild rabbits. They moult to adults under laboratory conditions and we feed them artificially through silicone membranes after a preconditioning period. C. burnetii DNA was tested in ticks, blood and faeces samples using real-time PCR. The pathogen was found in 36.2% of fed adults, demonstrating that transstadial transmission from nymph to adult occurs in nature. The presence of DNA in the 60.0% of blood samples after artificial feeding confirms that adults transmit the bacteria during feeding. Further studies are needed about co-feeding and other possible transmission routes to define the role of this tick species in the cycle of C. burnetii.

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Host and Bacterial Factors Control Susceptibility of Drosophila melanogaster to Coxiella burnetii Infection

Infection and Immunity ◽

10.1128/iai.00218-17 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 85 (7) ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

Reginaldo G. Bastos ◽

Zachary P. Howard ◽

Aoi Hiroyasu ◽

Alan G. Goodman

Keyword(s):

Drosophila Melanogaster ◽

Coxiella Burnetii ◽

Q Fever ◽

Animal Health ◽

Critical Role ◽

Content Type ◽

Imd Pathway ◽

Tnf Superfamily ◽

Necrosis Factor

ABSTRACT Coxiella burnetii is the causative agent of Q fever, a zoonotic disease that threatens both human and animal health. Due to the paucity of experimental animal models, little is known about how host factors interface with bacterial components and affect pathogenesis. Here, we used Drosophila melanogaster, in conjunction with the biosafety level 2 (BSL2) Nine Mile phase II (NMII) clone 4 strain of C. burnetii, as a model to investigate host and bacterial components implicated in infection. We demonstrate that adult Drosophila flies are susceptible to C. burnetii NMII infection and that this bacterial strain, which activates the immune deficiency (IMD) pathway, is able to replicate and cause mortality in the animals. We show that in the absence of Eiger, the only known tumor necrosis factor (TNF) superfamily homolog in Drosophila, Coxiella-infected flies exhibit reduced mortality from infection. We also demonstrate that the Coxiella type 4 secretion system (T4SS) is critical for the formation of the Coxiella-containing vacuole and establishment of infection in Drosophila. Altogether, our data reveal that the Drosophila TNF homolog Eiger and the Coxiella T4SS are implicated in the pathogenesis of C. burnetii in flies. The Drosophila/NMII model mimics relevant aspects of the infection in mammals, such as a critical role of host TNF and the bacterial T4SS in pathogenesis. Our work also demonstrates the usefulness of this BSL2 model to investigate both host and Coxiella components implicated in infection.

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Seroepidemiology ofCoxiella burnetiiInfection and its Frequency as a Cause of Community-Acquired Pneumonia in Canada

Canadian Journal of Infectious Diseases ◽

10.1155/2002/491717 ◽

2002 ◽

Vol 13 (3) ◽

pp. 164-166 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Thomas J Marrie ◽

Emidio de Carolis ◽

Keyword(s):

Coxiella Burnetii ◽

Q Fever ◽

Community Acquired Pneumonia ◽

Serological Evidence ◽

Serum Samples ◽

Canadian Provinces ◽

Acute Q Fever

The present study tested acute and convalescent serum samples from 788 patients hospitalized for community-acquired pneumonia in seven Canadian provinces for antibodies toCoxiella burnetii. One hundred nine patients (13.8%) had antibodies to this microorganism, and seven patients had acute Q fever. Serological evidence of infection withC burnetiiwas present in patients from all seven provinces. Three of the seven cases of acute Q fever were from Manitoba, suggesting that there may be unrecognized cases of Q fever in this province. In addition, a case of acute Q fever in Newfoundland, where there had previously been no reported cases, was noted, although subsequently, an outbreak of Q fever on goat farms has been reported.

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