Q fever: A neglected zoonosis in Saudi Arabia

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 burnetiispecific IgG antibodies was performed by immunofluorescence assay, and a titer of >1:64 was considered positive. RESULTS: Phase II C burnetiispecific 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 antiC burnetii IgG antibodies. The proportion of positive results among the patients was significantly higher than the controls (P