Laboratory Outbreak of Q Fever Acquired From Sheep

Hall, C. F.; Richmond, ShirleyJ; Caul, E.O.; Pearce, N. X.; Silver, IanA.

doi:10.1016/s0140-6736(82)92001-3

Cited by 69 publications

(26 citation statements)

References 5 publications

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“…These associations were consistent with previously reported sources of C. burnetii infection, which have included the products of conception and contaminated straw and dust [6][7][8][9][10][11][14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21]. Although the school goat kidded in April-July 1987, well before the identification of the school outbreak, symptoms predated diagnosis of Q fever in all clinical cases.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 88%

An epidemiological study of an outbreak of Q fever in a secondary school

1990

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SUMMARYFive cases of clinical Q fever were identified amongst students and staff of a Somerset secondary school between 23 October 1987 and 21 December 1987. Five goats which were kept at the school were found to have antibodies to Coxiella burnetii phase II.A cross-sectional study was conducted at the school in July 1988. A single CF test was used to identify evidence of prior infection, and a self-administered questionnaire was used to collect data on exposure variables and illness during 1987.Four hundred and ninety-nine eligible subjects took part in the study, and serological information was obtained from 461 of these. Eighty-seven subjects (18-9 %) had CF titres of 20 or greater. It was estimated that only 1 in every 30 individuals with evidence of past C. burnetii infection had been recognized as a clinical case of Q fever.Antibody positive subjects were more likely to have been off school sick and to report having suffered chest pain than negative subjects.Contact with school animals, specifically cleaning the school poultry, collecting their eggs and visiting a school goat on the day of kidding, was associated with the presence of antibodies to C. burnetii. However a large proportion of the antibody positives (24-2%) had no known contact with the school animals. Spread of organisms, either wind-borne or in straw or manure, may have been responsible for the high prevalence of unexplained infection. INTRODUCTION Q fever is a zoonosis caused by the rickettsia Coxiella burnetii. Human cases occur sporadically and in outbreaks primarily as a result of direct or indirect contact with infected animals or their products [1,2]. The infection is widespread amongst animal species including cattle, sheep and goats and is also seen in dogs, cats, birds and ticks. Serological surveys suggest that 2-3 % of cattle and 2-6 % of sheep in the United Kingdom have antibody to Q fever [3][4][5].

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 88%

An epidemiological study of an outbreak of Q fever in a secondary school

1990

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“…Valve replacement has frequently been required (31,39,73 (14,28). Since most animals are asymptomatic and some may shed the organism despite being seronegative (32), it is difficult to screen for or eradicate infection in all of them (63). Attempts at identifying disease-free herds for use in research facilities have therefore been unsuccessful.…”

Section: Pathogenesismentioning

confidence: 99%

Q fever

Reimer

1993

Clin Microbiol Rev

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Q fever is an acute febrile illness first described in 1935 and now seen in many parts of the world. Human infection follows exposure to animals, especially domestic livestock. Recent outbreaks in metropolitan areas have implicated cats as the carrier of disease to humans. The etiologic agent, Coxiella burnetti, belongs to the family Rickettsiaceae, although it has distinct genetic characteristics and modes of transmission. Most recent attention has been focused on a number of large outbreaks of Q fever associated with medical research involving pregnant sheep. Although most infections are self-limited, some patients require prolonged treatment. Recent vaccines have had encouraging success in the prevention of disease in individuals at high risk of exposure.

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“…It has the advantage of using standardized nomenclature and genotypes can be identified using a web-based MST database (http://ifr48.timone.univmrs.fr/mst/coxiella_burnetii/), enabling comparison of results between laboratories. (Johnson and Kadull 1966, Curet and Paust 1972, Hall et al 1982, Graham et al 1989, Wurtz et al 2016. Despite this, increasing numbers of isolates are now available.…”

Section: Genome and Genetic Chacterizationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Critical Aspects for Detection ofCoxiella burnetii

Mori

Mertens

Cutler

et al. 2017

Vector-Borne and Zoonotic Diseases

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Abstract:Coxiella burnetii is a global distributed zoonotic γ-proteobacterium with an obligatory intracellular lifestyle. It is the causative agent of Q fever in humans and of coxiellosis amongst ruminants, albeit the agent is also detected in ticks, birds and various other mammalian species. Requirements for intracellular multiplication together with the necessity for biosafety level 3 facilities restrict the cultivation of C. burnetii to specialized laboratories. Development of a novel media formulation enabling axenic growth of C. burnetii has facilitated fundamental genetic studies. This review provides critical insights into direct diagnostic methods currently available for C. burnetii. It encompasses molecular detection methods, isolation and propagation of the bacteria and its genetic characterization. Differentiation of C. burnetii from Coxiella-like organisms is an essential diagnostic prerequisite, particularly when handling and analyzing ticks.

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Laboratory Outbreak of Q Fever Acquired From Sheep

Cited by 69 publications

References 5 publications

An epidemiological study of an outbreak of Q fever in a secondary school

An epidemiological study of an outbreak of Q fever in a secondary school

Q fever

Critical Aspects for Detection ofCoxiella burnetii

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