Review on Q fever in Small Ruminants and its Public Health Importance

Abstract

Query fever is caused by Coxiella burnetii, it’s a worldwide zoonotic infectious disease where domestic small ruminants are the main reservoirs for human infections. Coxiella burnetii, is a Gram-negative obligate intracellular bacterium, adapted to thrive within the phagolysosome of the phagocyte. Humans become infected primarily by inhaling aerosols that are contaminated with C. burnetii. Ingestion (particularly drinking raw milk) and person-to-person transmission are minor routes. Animals shed the bacterium in urine and feces, and in very high concentrations in birth by-products. The bacterium persists in the environment in a resistant spore-like form which may become airborne and transported long distances by the wind. It is considered primarily as occupational disease of workers in close contact with farm animals or processing their products, however, it may occur also in persons without direct contact. Doxycycline drug is the first line of treatment for Q fever. Treatment should be commenced immediately whenever Q fever is suspected. To prevent both the introduction and spread of Q fever infection, preventive measures should be implemented including immunization with currently available vaccines of domestic small ruminant animals and humans at risk. And controlling environmental contamination through the control of infected ticks and biosecurity measures may reduce introduction of C. burnetii to the farms. To sum up, the objective of this seminar paper is to give highlight on various aspects of Q fever in small ruminants with emphasis on its epidemiology, diagnosis, and its public health importance.