scholarly journals Coxiella burnetii and Q fever - a review

2020 ◽  
pp. 43-48

Q fever is an emerging infectious disease in Europe. Q fever is a zoonosis and infected animals are the main source of infection. Ticks may act as a vector and transmit the pathogen to animals and humans. Q fever has non-specific symptoms and is difficult to diagnose. Results of serological tests are positive many days after manifestation of symptoms. PCR method might be useful in the diagnostic process.

2014 ◽  
Vol 58 (3) ◽  
pp. 337-340 ◽  
Author(s):  
Monika Szymańska-Czerwińska ◽  
Krzysztof Niemczuk ◽  
Agata Mitura

Abstract Q fever is a zoonotic disease caused by Coxiella burnetii. The main source of infection are ruminants (cattle, sheep, and goats). C. burnetii is excreted via birth products, vaginal mucus, milk, and faeces. Raw milk is considered useful for epidemiological examinations of animals and evaluation of infection dynamics at the herd level. This article summarises data on prevalence studies on C. burnetii in bulk-tank milk in different European countries with the means of serological tests and PCR. It also summarises the results of studies to evaluate the actual risk of disease transmission to humans through consumption of raw milk. Moreover, the available diagnostic tools for detection C. burnetii infection are presented.


2019 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nataša Knap ◽  
Diana Žele ◽  
Urška Glinšek Biškup ◽  
Tatjana Avšič-Županc ◽  
Gorazd Vengušt

Abstract Background The obligate intracellular bacterium Coxiella burnetii causes globally distributed zoonotic Q fever. Ruminant livestock are common reservoirs of C. burnetii. Coxiella burnetii are shed in large numbers in the waste of infected animals and are transmitted by inhalation of contaminated aerosols. This study was conducted to evaluate the prevalence of C. burnetii infection in domestic animals and ticks in areas of Slovenia associated with a history of Q fever outbreaks. Results A total of 701 ticks were collected and identified from vegetation, domestic animals and wild animals. C. burnetii DNA was detected in 17 out of 701 (2.4%) ticks. No C. burnetii DNA was found in male ticks. Ticks that tested positive in the PCR-based assay were most commonly sampled from wild deer (5.09%), followed by ticks collected from domestic animals (1.16%) and ticks collected by flagging vegetation (0.79%). Additionally, 150 animal blood samples were investigated for the presence of C. burnetii-specific antibodies and pathogen DNA. The presence of pathogen DNA was confirmed in 14 out of 150 (9.3%) blood samples, while specific antibodies were detected in sera from 60 out of 150 (40.4%) animals. Conclusions Our results indicate that ticks, although not the primary source of the bacteria, are infected with C. burnetii and may represent a potential source of infection for humans and animals. Ticks collected from animals were most likely found to harbor C. burnetii DNA, and the infection was not lost during molting. The persistence and distribution of pathogens in cattle and sheep indicates that C. burnetii is constantly present in Slovenia.


2014 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 15-26
Author(s):  
Branka Vidić ◽  
Zorica Šeguljev ◽  
Sara Savić ◽  
Nadežda Prica

The significance of each domestic animal in the epidemiology of Q-fever is different in various regions and it depends on the number of animals, level of infection, herd size, type of breeding and the conditions of hygiene. Epizootiological studies in our country show greater prevalence in sheep, than in cattle. Q-fever is maintained in Vojvodina in endemo-epidemic form. In Q-fever management programs for control of in sheep and cattle, serological examination and vaccination of the animals is recommended. Efficiency of the application of these measures should be conducted by applying recommended serological tests and detection of causative agent should be done by PCR method. A study on the comparative examination of efficiency, of different vaccination protocols has not yet been conducted. This would refer primarily to the duration of vaccination program, animal categories that are supposed to be vaccinated and timing for vaccination. A significant decrease in the level of infection was found after vaccination during the first years upon application of vaccination program. When vaccination in heifers was done before pregnancy with vaccines containing C.burnetii phase I strains, it was five times less likely that the infection would occur. Vaccination of cows with chronic infection prevents shedding of riketsia via milk, regardless whether the shedding is constant or intermittent. Vaccination represents a new concept of suppression of this zoonozes in the terms of human protection, and also in the terms of creating areas free from Q-fever in endemic regions. General preventive measures applied in the case of Q-fever infection are: movement restriction, separation of animals, restriction of milk and wool, adequate hygiene, using the protective clothing, desinfection of equipement and vechicles, removing of placenta particles, removing of manure, quarantine after calving and lambing and not use common grazing. People proffesionally exposed to the risk from infection should be educated about the disease.


Author(s):  
Rita Cruz ◽  
Carmen Vasconcelos-Nobrega ◽  
Fernando Esteves ◽  
Catarina Coelho ◽  
Ana Sofia Ferreira ◽  
...  

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.


1956 ◽  
Vol 19 (11) ◽  
pp. 313-318 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. B. Enright ◽  
W. W. Sadler ◽  
R. C. Thomas

Q Fever is an infectious disease of man. Cattle, sheep and goats, who for the most part suffer inapparent infections with the organism, are the important sources of infection for man. These animals shed the organism in their milk. This manuscript reports on the cooperative studies designed to determine the times and temperatures needed to eliminate the causative rickettsiae, Coxiella burnetii, from cows milk. It is reported that the present minimum standard of pasteurization by the vat method of 143° F. for 30 minutes is inadequate, but the temperature of 145° F. for 30 minutes will eliminate the organism. The pasteurization of milk according to the present standards for HTST equipment of 161° F. for 15 seconds seems adequate to destroy C. burnetii.


Micromachines ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (7) ◽  
pp. 427 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bonhan Koo ◽  
Choong Eun Jin ◽  
Moonsuk Bae ◽  
Yoon Ok Jang ◽  
Ji Yeun Kim ◽  
...  

Blood plasma from patients is a powerful resource for diagnosing infectious disease due to it having many genetic materials as well as being relatively easy to obtain. Thus, various biosensors have been investigated for diagnosing diseases in blood plasma. However, there are no optimized and validated sensors for clinical use due to the low sensitivity, complexity, and difficulties of removing the inhibitors from plasma samples. In this study, we described a silicon microring resonator sensor used to detect Coxiella burnetii from the blood plasma of Q-fever patients in a label-free, real-time manner. Q-fever is an infectious disease caused by Coxiella burnetii via direct contact or inhalation aerosols. We validated this biosensor in the blood plasma of 35 clinical samples (including 16 Q fever samples infected with Coxiella burnetii and 19 samples infected with other febrile diseases. The biosensors are capable of rapid (10 min), highly sensitive (87.5%), and specific (89.5%) detection in plasma samples compared to the use of the conventional method.


2012 ◽  
Vol 33 (4) ◽  
pp. 170
Author(s):  
Robert Norton

Q fever is a zoonosis caused by the obligate intracellular bacterium Coxiella burnetii. North Queensland has some of the highest rates of Q fever notifications in Australia. The clinical diagnosis of Q fever can be difficult with non-specific symptoms. Up to 5% of cases will develop chronic Q fever with a high likelihood of endocarditis. Diagnosis is essentially by serology. In North Queensland cases have clustered in relatively new, semi-rural suburbs which lie adjacent to native bushland. Native mammals are attracted to new growth in these cleared areas, particularly after the wet season. There is little or no occupational contact with traditional sources of Q fever such as cattle. Seroprevalence studies on native mammals have shown higher levels of seropositivity in native mammals than in cattle. It is postulated that the increase in human cases seen from these areas are a direct effect of interaction between native mammals and humans. Further studies on environmental sampling is currently under way.


2019 ◽  
pp. 523-530

Tick-borne rickettsioses are emerging diseases in Europe. The Mediterranean region is endemic for rickettsioses, but the disease can also occur in other European countries. Ticks can be a vector of these bacteria. Spotted fevers caused by rickettsiae have nonspecific symptoms and are difficult to diagnose. The results of serological tests are positive many days after the onset of symptoms. PCR method can be useful in the diagnostic process. In the article we discuss the problem of rickettsia in Europe.


2012 ◽  
Vol 17 (6) ◽  
pp. 38-40
Author(s):  
A. A. Nafeev ◽  
V. V. Bezik

Coxiellosis (Q-fever) is a systemic natural focal zooanthroponosis disease, which has a very wide geographical area. A variety of clinical manifestations and the absence of pathognomonic signs of illness forces to use for making a definite diagnosis complex of techniques including epizootological, epidemiological data, clinical manifestations, and certainly the results of several serological tests designed to detect antibodies to Coxiella burnetii. There is presented a description of an acute case of Q - fever in a child in the subject, characterized as trouble-free of Coxiellosis from 70-ies of the last century.


Author(s):  
Julia González ◽  
Marta G. González ◽  
Félix Valcárcel ◽  
María Sánchez ◽  
Raquel Martín-Hernández ◽  
...  

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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