Q fever: a neglected zoonosis in Saudi Arabia
TLDR
The evidence of C burnetii infection in a sizable number of patients emphasizes the need for inclusion of serologic investigations for Q fever in patients with PUC.Abstract:
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Infection due to Coxiella burnetii (C burnetii), the causative agent of Q fever is rarely sought for in clinical practice. This study was performed to detect C burnetii infection in patients with pyrexia of undetermined cause (PUC). DESIGN AND SETTINGS: This is a prospective study conducted at King Khalid University Hospital, Riyadh between March 2011 and January 2013. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A total of 3 mL venous blood was collected from 51 patients with PUC at King Khalid University Hospital, Riyadh. This group of patients included 30 males and 21 females (mean age 33.9 [21.3] years) with the history of febrile illness ranging between 4 and 8 weeks. A control group of 50 healthy individuals comprising 39 males and 11 females (mean age 27 [9] years) was also included in the study. Detection of phase II C burnetii–specific IgG antibodies was performed by immunofluorescence assay, and a titer of >1:64 was considered positive. RESULTS: Phase II C burnetii–specific IgG antibodies were detected in 18 (35.2%) patients out of the total 51 tested. Two (4%) individuals out of 50 in the control group tested positive for anti–C burnetii IgG antibodies. The proportion of positive results among the patients was significantly higher than the controls (P<.0002, 95% CI, 15.09-46.25). The antibody titer range was between 1:128 and 1:1024 where 6 patients had titers of 1:256, 5 had 1:512, 4 had 1024, and 3 had 1:128. CONCLUSION: The evidence of C burnetii infection in a sizable number of patients emphasizes the need for inclusion of serologic investigations for Q fever in patients with PUC.read more
Citations
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Mass gathering and globalization of respiratory pathogens during the 2013 Hajj
Ziad A. Memish,Abdullah M. Assiri,Abdulhafeez Turkestani,Saber Yezli,M. al Masri,Rémi N. Charrel,Tassadit Drali,Jean Gaudart,Sophie Edouard,P. Parola,Philippe Gautret +10 more
TL;DR: The results strongly suggest that, given the particularly crowded conditions during the rituals, an international mass gathering such as the Hajj may contribute to the globalization of respiratory pathogens after the cross-contamination of pilgrims harbouring pathogens that easily spread among participants.
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Coxiella burnetii in Dromedary Camels (Camelus dromedarius): A Possible Threat for Humans and Livestock in North Africa and the Near and Middle East?
TL;DR: A proper screening of herds and breeding farms for C. burnetii is urgently needed in countries where camel breeding is on the rise and because of possible long-term persistence of C.Burnetii in camel hump adipocytes, this pathogen could represent a threat for herds andbreeding farms and ultimately for public health.
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Vaccination against Q fever for biodefense and public health indications.
Sara Ruiz,Daniel N. Wolfe +1 more
TL;DR: The combination of biodefense- and public health-related issues associated with Q fever warrant the development of a safer and more effective vaccine against this disease.
Journal ArticleDOI
Seroprevalence of Q fever among high-risk occupations in the Ilam province, the west of Iran
Ehsan Mostafavi,Leila Molaeipoor,Saber Esmaeili,Saber Esmaeili,Ahmad Ghasemi,Ahmad Ghasemi,Maedeh Kamalizad,Manijeh Yousefi Behzadi,Razi Naserifar,Mehdi Rohani,Abdolrazagh Hashemi Shahraki +10 more
TL;DR: The high seroprevalence of endemic Q fever in rural and nomadic areas and a higher concentration of occupations who are directly engaged with livestock demonstrate the critical need for preventive medicine education and training in regards to mitigating risk for disease contraction in susceptible groups.
Journal ArticleDOI
Seroprevalence of Q fever in farm animals in Saudi Arabia
Abdulrahman A. Jarelnabi,M. A. Alshaikh,A. O. Bakhiet,Sawsan A. Omer,Riyadh S. Aljumaah,Gordon D Harkiss,Osama B. Mohammed,Mansour F. Hussein +7 more
TL;DR: The results indicate that the domestic livestock and the camel are the source of Q fever endemicity in Saudi Arabia.
References
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Diagnosis and management of Q fever--United States, 2013: recommendations from CDC and the Q Fever Working Group
Alicia D. Anderson,H.A. Bijlmer,Pierre-Edouard Fournier,Stephen Graves,Joshua D. Hartzell,Gilbert J. Kersh,Gijs J M Limonard,Thomas J. Marrie,Robert F. Massung,Jennifer H. McQuiston,William L. Nicholson,Christopher D. Paddock,Daniel J. Sexton +12 more
TL;DR: The first national recommendations issued by CDC for Q fever recognition, clinical and laboratory diagnosis, treatment, management, and reporting for health-care personnel and public health professionals are provided.
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Serological cross-reactions between Bartonella quintana, Bartonella henselae, and Coxiella burnetii.
B. La Scola,Didier Raoult +1 more
TL;DR: Serology testing for both agents is performed, and cross-reactivity between C. burnetii antibodies and B. henselae antigen in cases of Q fever endocarditis should not lead to misdiagnosis.
Journal ArticleDOI
Q fever: a biological weapon in your backyard
TL;DR: Effective antibiotic treatment is available for the acute form of disease but not for the chronic complications, and vaccination and chemoprophylaxis in selected individuals may be used in the event of bioterrorism.
Journal ArticleDOI
Risks Factors and Prevention of Q Fever Endocarditis
Florence Fenollar,Pierre-Edouard Fournier,M. Patrizia Carrieri,Gilbert Habib,Thierry Messana,Didier Raoult +5 more
TL;DR: The results of a retrospective study of patients diagnosed as having Q fever during 1985-2000 should encourage physicians to detect valvular lesions in patients with acute Q fever and to search for acute Q Fever in patientsWith a valvulopathy and unexplained fever.
Journal ArticleDOI
Q fever (coxiellosis): epidemiology and pathogenesis.
TL;DR: An overview of the epidemiology and pathogenesis of Q fever (coxiellosis) is provided, characterized by endocarditis, chronic hepatitis and chronic fatigue syndrome in animals.