Q fever prevention in Australia: general practitioner and stakeholder perspectives on preparedness and the potential of a One Health approach

This study aimed to investigate the seroprevalence of C. burnetii in domestic ruminants, wild ungulates, as well as the current situation of Q fever in humans in a small region in northwestern Spain where a close contact at the wildlife–livestock–human interface exists, and information on C. burnetii infection is scarce. Seroprevalence of C. burnetii was 8.4% in sheep, 18.4% in cattle, and 24.4% in goats. Real-time PCR analysis of environmental samples collected in 25 livestock farms detected Coxiella DNA in dust and/or aerosols collected in 20 of them. Analysis of sera from 327 wild ungulates revealed lower seroprevalence than that found in domestic ruminants, with 8.4% of Iberian red deer, 7.3% chamois, 6.9% fallow deer, 5.5% European wild boar and 3.5% of roe deer harboring antibodies to C. burnetii. Exposure to the pathogen in humans was determined by IFAT analysis of 1312 blood samples collected from patients admitted at healthcare centers with Q fever compatible symptoms, such as fever and/or pneumonia. Results showed that 15.9% of the patients had IFAT titers ≥ 1/128 suggestive of probable acute infection. This study is an example of a One Health approach with medical and veterinary institutions involved in investigating zoonotic diseases.

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Q fever prevention and vaccination: Australian livestock farmers' knowledge and attitudes to inform a One Health approach

One Health ◽

10.1016/j.onehlt.2021.100232 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 12 ◽

pp. 100232

Author(s):

Md Rezanur Rahaman ◽

Helen Marshall ◽

Adriana Milazzo ◽

Deane Crabb ◽

Peng Bi

Keyword(s):

One Health ◽

Q Fever ◽

Knowledge And Attitudes ◽

Livestock Farmers

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The benefits of ‘One Health’ for pastoralists in Africa

Onderstepoort Journal of Veterinary Research ◽

10.4102/ojvr.v81i2.726 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 81 (2) ◽

Cited By ~ 12

Author(s):

Helena Greter ◽

Vreni Jean-Richard ◽

Lisa Crump ◽

Mahamat Béchir ◽

Idriss O. Alfaroukh ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Vaccination Coverage ◽

Health Care Services ◽

One Health ◽

Q Fever ◽

Animal Health ◽

Added Value ◽

Care Services ◽

Mobile Pastoralists ◽

Serological Studies ◽

Health Studies

‘One health’ is particularly suited to serve mobile pastoralists. Dinka pastoralists in Sudan inspired Calvin Schwabe to coin the term ‘one medicine’, indicating that there is no difference in paradigm between human and veterinary medicine. Our contemporary definition of ‘one health’ is any added value in terms of improved health of humans and animals or financial savings or environmental services resulting from a closer cooperation of human and animal health sectors. Here we present a summary of ‘one health’ studies with mobile pastoralists in Africa which were done in research partnership, demonstrating such an added value. Initial joint human and animal health studies revealed higher livestock vaccination coverage than in the pastoralist community, leading to joint animal and human vaccination intervention studies which demonstrated a better access to primary health care services for pastoralists in Chad. Further simultaneous animal and human serological studies showed that camel breeding was associated with human Q-fever seropositivity. In Borana communities in Ethiopia, human cases of Mycobacterium bovis infection could be related to strains isolated from cattle. A challenge remained with regard to how to assess vaccination coverage in mobile populations. With the advent of mobile phones, health and demographic surveillance could be established for mobile pastoralists and their animals. This presents vast possibilities for surveillance and control of human and animal diseases. Pastoralists prefer a ‘one health’ approach and therefore contribute toward the validation of this concept by showing real added value of the cooperation between human and animal health services.

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A One Health Perspective on Q Fever

Global Applications of One Health Practice and Care - Advances in Medical Diagnosis, Treatment, and Care ◽

10.4018/978-1-5225-6304-4.ch009 ◽

2019 ◽

pp. 195-216

Author(s):

Rita Cruz ◽

Carmen Vasconcelos-Nobrega ◽

Fernando Esteves ◽

Catarina Coelho ◽

Ana Sofia Ferreira ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

Disease Control ◽

One Health ◽

Q Fever ◽

Clinical Manifestations ◽

Zoonotic Disease ◽

Diagnostic Methods ◽

Veterinary Public Health

Q fever, a widespread zoonotic disease caused by Coxiella burnetiid, produces a complex and polymorphic disease in humans. As a zoonotic disease, control in animals will influence the level of disease seen in humans, thus resulting in interesting one health perspectives for disease control. Here the authors describe the clinical manifestations in animals and humans, as well as the current diagnostic methods available and the strategies for disease control. A review on the published information regarding Q fever as a disease with impact for veterinary public health and public health is presented.

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Q fever vaccination: Australian animal science and veterinary students’ One Health perspectives on Q fever prevention

Human Vaccines & Immunotherapeutics ◽

10.1080/21645515.2020.1829900 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 1-8

Author(s):

Md R. Rahaman ◽

Adriana Milazzo ◽

Helen Marshall ◽

Anne-Lise Chaber ◽

Peng Bi

Keyword(s):

One Health ◽

Q Fever ◽

Animal Science ◽

Veterinary Students

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Is a One Health Approach Utilized for Q Fever Control? A Comprehensive Literature Review

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph16050730 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 16 (5) ◽

pp. 730 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Md Rahaman ◽

Adriana Milazzo ◽

Helen Marshall ◽

Peng Bi

Keyword(s):

Literature Review ◽

Prevention And Control ◽

One Health ◽

Q Fever ◽

Public Health Problem ◽

Risk Groups ◽

Policy And Practice ◽

Comprehensive Literature Review ◽

Human Animal ◽

And Control

Q fever, a zoonotic disease transmitted from animals to humans, is a significant public health problem with a potential for outbreaks to occur. Q fever prevention strategies should incorporate human, animal, and environmental domains. A One Health approach, which engages cross-sectoral collaboration among multiple stakeholders, may be an appropriate framework and has the underlying principles to control Q fever holistically. To assess whether components of One Health for Q fever prevention and control have been applied, a comprehensive literature review was undertaken. We found 16 studies that had practiced or recommended a One Health approach. Seven emerging themes were identified: Human risk assessment, human and animal serology, integrated human–animal surveillance, vaccination for at-risk groups, environmental management, multi-sectoral collaboration, and education and training. Within the multi-sectoral theme, we identified five subthemes: Policy and practice guidelines, information sharing and intelligence exchange, risk communication, joint intervention, and evaluation. One Health practices varied between studies possibly due to differences in intercountry policy, practice, and feasibility. However, the key issue of the need for multi-sectoral collaboration was highlighted across most of the studies. Further research is warranted to explore the barriers and opportunities of adopting a One Health approach in Q fever prevention and control.

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A One Health Perspective on Q Fever

Global Applications of One Health Practice and Care - Advances in Medical Diagnosis, Treatment, and Care ◽

10.4018/978-1-5225-6304-4.ch008 ◽

2019 ◽

pp. 174-194

Author(s):

Rita Cruz ◽

Carmen Vasconcelos-Nobrega ◽

Fernando Esteves ◽

Catarina Coelho ◽

Ana Sofia Ferreira ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

Infectious Disease ◽

Coxiella Burnetii ◽

One Health ◽

Q Fever ◽

Human Infection ◽

Sheep And Goats ◽

Veterinary Public Health ◽

Human Infections

Q fever is a worldwide zoonotic infectious disease caused by Coxiella burnetii and ruminants, namely, cattle, sheep, and goats, are known to be the main reservoir for human infection. C. burnetii infection in animals can result in epizootic abortions which are often associated with vast bacteria shedding in birth fluids and placentas. Human infections mainly occur in persons handling infected animals and their products. Here the authors describe the history, bacteriology, biosafety, and epidemiology of Q fever, now known to be a serious threat to veterinary public health.

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Integrating interdisciplinary methodologies for One Health: goat farm re-implicated as the probable source of an urban Q fever outbreak, the Netherlands, 2009

BMC Infectious Diseases ◽

10.1186/s12879-015-1083-9 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 15 (1) ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

Georgia A. F. Ladbury ◽

Jeroen P.G. Van Leuken ◽

Arno Swart ◽

Piet Vellema ◽

Barbara Schimmer ◽

...

Keyword(s):

The Netherlands ◽

One Health ◽

Q Fever ◽

Goat Farm ◽

Probable Source

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Investigating the role of Clinical Nurse Consultants in one health district from multiple stakeholder perspectives: a cooperative inquiry

Contemporary Nurse ◽

10.1080/10376178.2016.1169936 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 51 (2-3) ◽

pp. 171-187 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Kenneth Walsh ◽

Janine Bothe ◽

Denise Edgar ◽

Geraldine Beaven ◽

Bernadette Burgess ◽

...

Keyword(s):

One Health ◽

Health District ◽

Clinical Nurse ◽

Cooperative Inquiry ◽

Stakeholder Perspectives ◽

Multiple Stakeholder

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High Prevalence and New Genotype of Coxiella burnetii in Ticks Infesting Camels in Somalia

Pathogens ◽

10.3390/pathogens10060741 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 10 (6) ◽

pp. 741

Author(s):

Dimitrios Frangoulidis ◽

Claudia Kahlhofer ◽

Ahmed Shire Said ◽

Abdinasir Yusuf Osman ◽

Lidia Chitimia-Dobler ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Coxiella Burnetii ◽

One Health ◽

Tandem Repeats ◽

Q Fever ◽

Epidemiological Studies ◽

Variable Number ◽

New Genotype ◽

High Prevalence ◽

Variable Number Tandem Repeats ◽

Vntr Analysis

Coxiella burnetii is the causative agent of Q fever. It can infect animals, humans, and birds, as well as ticks, and it has a worldwide geographical distribution. To better understand the epidemiology of C. burnetii in Somalia, ticks infesting camels were collected from five different regions, including Bari, Nugaal, Mudug, Sool, and Sanaag, between January and March 2018. Collected ticks were tested for C. burnetii and Coxiella-like endosymbiont DNA by using IS1111, icd, and Com1-target PCR assays. Moreover, sequencing of the 16S-rRNA was conducted. Molecular characterization and typing were done by adaA-gene analysis and plasmid-type identification. Further typing was carried out by 14-marker Multi-Locus Variable-Number Tandem Repeats (MLVA/VNTR) analysis. The investigated ticks (n = 237) were identified as Hyalomma spp. (n = 227, 95.8%), Amblyomma spp. (n = 8, 3.4%), and Ripicephalus spp. (n = 2, 0.8%), and 59.1% (140/237) of them were positive for Coxiella spp. While Sanger sequencing and plasmid-type identification revealed a C. burnetii that harbours the QpRS-plasmid, MLVA/VNTR genotyping showed a new genotype which was initially named D21. In conclusion, this is the first report of C. burnetii in ticks in Somalia. The findings denote the possibility that C. burnetii is endemic in Somalia. Further epidemiological studies investigating samples from humans, animals, and ticks within the context of “One Health” are warranted.

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