Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Cara C. Cherry, Kristen Nichols Heitman, Nicolette C. Bestul, Gilbert J. Kersh
Summary: The article summarizes the incidence, demographics, and distribution of acute and chronic Q fever in the United States from 2008 to 2017. Males accounted for a majority of cases in both acute and chronic forms, with the highest incidence among individuals aged 60-69. Despite its rarity, the incidence of Q fever in the United States doubled during the study period.
ZOONOSES AND PUBLIC HEALTH
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Sandra Madariaga Zarza, Muriel Militello, Laetitia Gay, Anthony Levasseur, Hubert Lepidi, Yassina Bechah, Soraya Mezouar, Jean-Louis Mege
Summary: In this study, the pathogenicity of different C. burnetii isolates from human placentas was compared with a reference strain. The Cb122 isolate exhibited distinct genetic characteristics and increased virulence. It showed lower internalization by monocyte-derived macrophages (MDM) compared to the reference strain, but similar internalization by placental macrophages. The Cb122 isolate also showed enrichment in placental tissue. These findings highlight the specific infectious profile of the placental isolate but suggest a lesser pathogenic role compared to the host immune response.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Immunology
Daphne F. M. Reukers, Pieter T. de Boer, Alfons O. Loohuis, Peter C. Wever, Chantal P. Bleeker-Rovers, Arianne B. Van Gageldonk-Lafeber, Wim van der Hoek, Aura Timen
Summary: Early detection and treatment of chronic Q fever through screening program can prevent potentially life-threatening complications. In the Netherlands, 10 years after a large Q fever outbreak, targeted screening in general practitioner practices still detected patients with chronic Q fever and is estimated to be cost-effective.
EMERGING INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2022)
Article
Veterinary Sciences
Valentina Virginia Ebani, Lisa Guardone, Fabrizio Bertelloni, Stefania Perrucci, Alessandro Poli, Francesca Mancianti
Summary: Wild avifauna can serve as a potential fecal source of bacterial and parasitic zoonotic pathogens, posing a threat to farm animals. Despite low prevalence rates, the results confirm the importance of monitoring and controlling pathogen transmission from wild birds to other species.
VETERINARY SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Veterinary Sciences
Dimitrios G. Patsatzis, Nick Wheelhouse, Efstathios-Al Tingas
Summary: This article investigates the dynamics of Q fever infection in dairy herds and explores the impact of different shedding routes on environmental contamination through a mathematical model. The study also identifies data gaps for model optimization and suggests that the developed model can be used to assess interventions for controlling Q fever infection.
VETERINARY SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Robert Barigye, Nabeeha Abdelgaleel D. Hassan, Ibrahim M. Abdalla-Alfaki, Hamda Khalfan Khamis Al Alawi, Afra Mohammed Balhayema Aldhaheri, Fatma Mohammed Ghanim, Maryam Ali Sumail Alkhateri, Nouf Saeed Ali Alalawi, Mohamed Elfatih H. Mohamed, Khaja Mohteshamuddin
Summary: This study evaluated the seroprevalence of Coxiella burnetii in goats and sheep in the UAE, and found that the seropositivity rate was significantly higher in goats than sheep.
TROPICAL ANIMAL HEALTH AND PRODUCTION
(2022)
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
David Gonzalez-Barrio, Isabel Jado, Javier Vinuela, Jesus T. Garcia, Pedro P. Olea, Fernando Arce, Francisco Ruiz-Fons
Summary: Coxiella burnetii is a zoonotic infectious bacterium that can replicate in multiple host species, with a study in Spain showing Microtus arvalis has the highest infection rates and may have led to human infection during handling.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Brett R. Gardner, John Stenos, Jasmin Hufschmid, John P. Y. Arnould, Rebecca R. McIntosh, Mythili Tadepalli, Anita Tolpinrud, Marc Marenda, Michael Lynch, Andrew Stent
Summary: The Australian fur seal has been experiencing a slower population recovery than expected, with a high rate of third trimester abortions. The cause of this phenomenon is currently unknown. This study found evidence of Coxiella burnetii, a well-known cause of abortion, in Australian fur seals. This is the first description of this pathogen in a marine mammal from the southern hemisphere and highlights the need for further research on its potential risks to fur seals and other marine mammals.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Mingxing Huang, Jinmin Ma, Jun Jiao, Chunna Li, Luan Chen, Zhongyi Zhu, Feng Ruan, Li Xing, Xinchun Zheng, Mengjiao Fu, Binyin Ma, Chongjie Gan, Yuanchen Mao, Chongnan Zhang, Ping Sun, Xi Liu, Ziliang Lin, Lu Chen, Zhiyu Lu, Dongsheng Zhou, Bohai Wen, Weijun Chen, Xiaolu Xiong, Jinyu Xia
Summary: This study utilized clinical metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) and mobile phone location data to confirm an epidemic of Q fever in Zhuhai, China, identifying Cb-infected goats and cattle at the official slaughterhouse as the likely source of infection. This is the first confirmed epidemic of Q fever in a contemporary city in China, showcasing the usefulness of mNGS for rapid and effective public health responses to acute bacterial infections.
PLOS NEGLECTED TROPICAL DISEASES
(2021)
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Robert Barigye, Nabeeha Abdelgaleel D. Hassan, Ibrahim M. Abdalla Alfaki, Mike B. Barongo, Mohamed Elfatih H. Mohamed, Khaja Mohteshamuddin
Summary: This study assessed the serostatus of Coxiella burnetii in a dairy cattle herd from the Al Ain region, UAE. Results showed apparent C. burnetii infections in cattle from the UAE, with the risk of abortion appearing to increase with cattle age.
TROPICAL ANIMAL HEALTH AND PRODUCTION
(2021)
Article
Microbiology
Freeha Amin, Shahzad Ali, Arshad Javid, Muhammad Imran, Muhammad Imran Rashid, Katja Mertens-Scholz, Heinrich Neubauer
Summary: This study investigated the seroprevalence of Q fever in sheep and goats in three districts of Punjab, Pakistan. The results showed a significant seropositive rate in the randomly selected small ruminants, with goats having a higher prevalence than sheep. Species, age, breed, tick infestation, contact with fomites and other animals, production system, and health status were all found to significantly affect the prevalence of Q fever.
Review
Microbiology
Valentina Virginia Ebani, Francesca Mancianti
Summary: Birds may play a role in the epidemiology of infectious and parasitic diseases affecting mammals, including humans, but their exact role is not fully understood.
Article
Food Science & Technology
Sun Min Park, Changsun Choi, Min Suk Rhee
Summary: This study developed a method to detect Coxiella burnetii in meat and successfully detected the pathogen in high and low contaminated meat samples. The method has the potential to reveal the risk of meat-borne Q fever in humans.
FOOD RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL
(2023)
Review
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
A. M. Hasanthi Abeykoon, Nicholas Joshua Clark, Ricardo Jorge Soares Magalhaes, Gemma Anne Vincent, Mark Anthony Stevenson, Simon Matthew Firestone, Anke Katrin Wiethoelter
Summary: The study systematically reviewed sampling methods for detecting Coxiella burnetii in different environmental samples, finding that dust, air, and soil were most commonly tested sample types, with ruminant livestock populations most commonly associated with environmental positivity. Soil was the only sample type for which a validated laboratory protocol was established.
ZOONOSES AND PUBLIC HEALTH
(2021)
Article
Microbiology
Younes Laidoudi, Elodie Rousset, Anne-Sophie Dessimoulie, Myriam Prigent, Alizee Raptopoulo, Quentin Huteau, Elisabeth Chabbert, Catherine Navarro, Pierre-Edouard Fournier, Bernard Davoust
Summary: Thirteen cases of Q fever in a area in southern France were likely linked to a sheepfold, which had widespread bacterial contamination. This highlights the need for stronger and improved surveillance of Q fever.