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Front Vet Sci 2020 10;7:352. Epub 2020 Jul 10.

Animal Health Department, NEIKER-Instituto Vasco de Investigación y Desarrollo Agrario, Derio, Spain.

Progression of infection in four naturally infected sheep flocks, and in their farm environment, was monitored throughout four lambing seasons. Flocks with an active infection were selected based on the presence of DNA in bulk-tank milk (BTM) and a high seroprevalence in yearlings during the previous milking period (Spring 2015). During four consecutive lambing seasons (2015/16-2018/19), samples were collected within 1 week after each lambing period from animals (vaginal swabs, milk and feces from ewes, and yearlings) and the environment (dust indoor sheep premises). Read More

Am J Trop Med Hyg 2020 Aug 3. Epub 2020 Aug 3.

Department of Paediatrics, School of Medicine, Heraklion University Hospital, University of Crete, Heraklion, Greece.

Acute Q fever is usually asymptomatic or is associated with a mild self-limited course and a favorable outcome. The occurrence of endocarditis during acute infection by is an emerging clinical entity observed in adults that has been attributed to an autoimmune complication of early infection. Herein, we report the first case of a previously healthy 2-year-old child with endocarditis complicated by septic embolic stroke, in which the identified microbiological evidence was suggestive of acute rather than chronic infection. Read More

J Pharm Pract 2020 Jul 31:897190020942658. Epub 2020 Jul 31.

Department of Biomedical Sciences, Rocky Vista University, Parker, CO, USA.

With the emergence of a novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus, investigators worldwide are scrambling to identify appropriate treatment modalities, develop accurate testing, and produce a vaccine. To date, effective treatment remains elusive. Chloroquine phosphate and hydroxychloroquine sulfate (HCQ), well-known antimalarial drugs effective in the treatment of systemic lupus erythematosus, rheumatoid arthritis, porphyria cutanea tarda, and chronic Q fever, are currently under investigation. Read More

Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2020 Sep 18;11(5):101493. Epub 2020 Jun 18.

IHU-Méditerranée Infection, Marseille, France; Aix Marseille Univ, IRD, AP-HM, MEPHI, Marseille, France. Electronic address:

Coxiella-like bacteria are a large group of yet-to-isolate and characterize bacteria phylogenetically close to the agent of Q fever, Coxiella burnetii, and often associated with ixodid ticks worldwide. This study was designed to assess the presence of Coxiella-like endosymbionts (CLE) in ticks and to describe their genetic diversity in different tick species infesting cattle in Algeria. A total of 765 ticks were collected from three locations. Read More

Comp Immunol Microbiol Infect Dis 2020 Jul 23;72:101521. Epub 2020 Jul 23.

Department of Food Hygiene and Quality Control, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Urmia University, Urmia, West Azerbaijan, Iran.

Coxiella burnetii is a zoonotic bacterium that can infect a wide range of animals including horses. However, its circulation dynamics in and through horses are still unclear. The aim of this study was to evaluate prevalence of C. Read More

Cell Microbiol 2020 Jul 27:e13246. Epub 2020 Jul 27.

Institute of Medical Microbiology, University of Zurich, Zürich, Switzerland.

Intracellular bacterial pathogens harbor genes, the closest homologues of which are found in eukaryotes. Regulator of chormosome condensation 1 (RCC1) repeat proteins are phylogenetically widespread and implicated in protein-protein interactions, such as the activation of the small GTPase Ran by its cognate guanine nucleotide exchange factor, RCC1. Legionella pneumophila and Coxiella burnetii, the causative agents of Legionnaires' disease and Q fever, respectively, harbor RCC1 repeat coding genes. Read More

Hum Immunol 2020 Jul 24. Epub 2020 Jul 24.

Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Agriculture, Lorestan University, Khorramabad, Iran.

Query fever is a zoonotic disease caused by Coxiella burnetii. There is no universal method for the prevention of this disease. Recombinant vaccine is a potent strategy that can be utilized for this purpose. Read More

BMC Public Health 2020 Jul 25;20(1):1165. Epub 2020 Jul 25.

Department of Hygienic Toxicology, School of Public Health, Inner Mongolia Medical University, Hohhot, 010110, China.

Background: Obesity is a major risk factor for the global burden of disease in countries that are economically developed or not. This study aimed to investigate the association between diet quality and obesity indicators applying DASH and aMed.

Methods: This cross-sectional study on adult nutrition and chronic disease in Inner Mongolia (n = 1320). Read More

mSphere 2020 Jul 22;5(4). Epub 2020 Jul 22.

Paul G. Allen School for Global Animal Health, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington, USA

, the causative agent of Query (Q) fever in humans, is a highly infectious obligate intracellular bacterium. Following uptake into a host cell, replicates within a phagolysosome-derived compartment referred to as the -containing vacuole (CCV). During infection, exhibits tropism for tissues related to iron storage and recycling (e. Read More

Iran J Microbiol 2020 Jun;12(3):256-260

Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Research Centre for Emerging and Reemerging Infectious Diseases, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran.

In this study the clinical manifestations, laboratory findings, and management of five patients diagnosed with Mediterranean spotted fever (MSF) from southeast of Iran are presented. All patients but one had recent tick-bite histories which were noticeable as black eschars (tache noire). Patients' samples were tested by real-time PCR and serology (IFA). Read More

Eur J Clin Microbiol Infect Dis 2020 Jul 13. Epub 2020 Jul 13.

Townsville Hospital and Health Service, Angus Smith Drive, Douglas, QLD, 4814, Australia.

The aim of this study was to systematically review the non-endocarditis manifestations of chronic Q fever and understand the significance of non-specific symptoms like pain and fatigue in chronic endovascular, osteomyelitis and abscess due to chronic Q fever. We performed a systematic review using Pub Med (the National Library of Medicine (NLM)) and Scopus databases. All studies in English on chronic Q fever that listed clinical manifestations other than infective endocarditis (IE) and chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). Read More

Comp Immunol Microbiol Infect Dis 2020 May 13;72:101489. Epub 2020 May 13.

Institute for Veterinary Medical Research, Centre for Agricultural Research, Hungária Körút 21, Budapest H-1143, Hungary; Department of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, University of Veterinary Medicine, Hungária Körút 23-25, Budapest H-1143, Hungary. Electronic address:

The aim of the present study was to assess the prevalence of Coxiella burnetii in dairy herds in Central and Eastern European countries based on ELISA and PCR tests. A total of 370 bulk tank milk samples were collected in 2019 originating from Croatia (n = 13), Czech Republic (n = 138), Hungary (n = 126), Serbia (n = 24), Slovakia (n = 53) and Slovenia (n = 16). Prevalence of C. Read More

Prev Vet Med 2020 Jun 29;181:105081. Epub 2020 Jun 29.

Sydney School of Veterinary Science, The University of Sydney, Camden, NSW, Australia.

The etiological agent Coxiella burnetii is a highly infectious gram-negative bacterium that can affect multiple species. Many reports confirm its presence in humans, domestic ruminants and rodents in India. This study was aimed to investigate the risk factors associated with C. Read More

Ecohealth 2020 Jul 10. Epub 2020 Jul 10.

Epidemiology Research Unit (EPIUnit), Institute of Public Health, University of Porto, 4050-313, Porto, Portugal.

Q fever is a zoonosis caused by Coxiella burnetii, and transmission to humans is often associated with contact with ovine and caprine livestock. Those exposed to sheep are particularly at high risk of infection. Recent studies show that Q fever is increasing in sheep farms in Portugal raising alerts on spillover to humans. Read More

Semin Respir Crit Care Med 2020 Aug 6;41(4):509-521. Epub 2020 Jul 6.

Department of Pneumology, Hospital Clinic of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.

Q fever is a zoonotic infectious disease caused by the bacterium. It is an obligate intracellular pathogen with a high infection capacity that proliferates exclusively in an acidified medium, forming a lysosome-like vacuole. It presents a peculiar phenomenon called "antigenic phase variation," produced by a modification in the complexity of the membrane lipopolysaccharides. Read More

EFSA J 2019 Dec 11;17(12):e05926. Epub 2019 Dec 11.

This report of the European Food Safety Authority and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control presents the results of zoonoses monitoring activities carried out in 2018 in 36 European countries (28 Member States (MS) and 8 non-MS). The first and second most commonly reported zoonoses in humans were campylobacteriosis and salmonellosis, respectively. The European Union (EU) trend for confirmed human cases of these two diseases was stable during 2014-2018. Read More

Clin Microbiol Infect 2020 Jun 29. Epub 2020 Jun 29.

Radboud Expertise Center for Q Fever, Radboud Center for Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands.

Objectives: Chronic Q fever is a persistent infection with the intracellular bacterium Coxiella burnetii. Development of chronic Q fever is associated with single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in genes encoding for pattern recognition receptors, for phagolysosomal pathway components and for matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs). We evaluated the association of SNPs in these innate-immunity and MMP genes with clinical outcomes. Read More

Braz J Infect Dis 2020 May - Jun;24(3):208-212. Epub 2020 Jun 18.

Embrapa Dairy Cattle, Juiz de Fora, MG, Brazil.

Background: Global publications on Q fever have increased after the 2007 epidemic in the Netherlands. However, the epidemiology of Q fever/coxiellosis in Brazil is still poorly understood. Accordingly, there have been few studies investigating the presence of Coxiella burnetii in dairy products around the world, especially in Brazil, where consumption of fresh cheese made from raw-milk is very high. Read More

BMC Infect Dis 2020 Jun 17;20(1):421. Epub 2020 Jun 17.

Division of Bacterial Disease Research, Center for Infectious Disease Research, Korea National Institute of Health, Osongsaengmyeong 2-ro, Cheongju-si, 28159, South Korea.

Background: The number of human Q fever cases in South Korea has been rapidly increasing since 2015. We report the first isolation of Coxiella burnetii in Korea in two patients who initially presented with non-specific febrile illness and were finally diagnosed with acute Q fever in South Korea.

Case Presentation: Two adult patients with fever had serologic tests against C. Read More

Trop Med Infect Dis 2020 Jun 11;5(2). Epub 2020 Jun 11.

Bacteriology, Sub-Department of Infectious Diseases, Department Biomedical Laboratory, Public Health Institute of Chile, Santiago 7780050, Chile.

Q fever and rickettsial diseases occur throughout the world and appear to be emergent zoonoses in Chile. The diagnosis of these diseases is currently uncommon in Chile, as their clinical presentations are non-specific and appropriate diagnostic laboratory assays are of limited availability. During a recent outbreak of undiagnosed human atypical pneumonia, we serologically investigated a series of 357 cases from three regions of southern Chile. Read More

Commun Dis Intell (2018) 2020 Jun 15;44. Epub 2020 Jun 15.

Children's Health Research Centre, University of Queensland, South Brisbane, Queensland.

Q fever is a notifiable zoonotic disease in Australia, caused by infection with . This study has reviewed 2,838 Q fever notifications reported in Queensland between 2003 and 2017 presenting descriptive analyses, with counts, rates, and proportions. For this study period, Queensland accounted for 43% of the Australian national Q fever notifications. Read More

Int J Food Microbiol 2020 Jun 5;331:108716. Epub 2020 Jun 5.

Department of Food Hygiene and Quality Control, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Urmia University, Urmia, West Azerbaijan, Iran.

Q fever is a common zoonotic disease with worldwide distribution. The causative agent of Q fever is Coxiella burnetii, a gram-negative and polymorphic rod bacterium. Sheep and goats are the primary reservoirs of this disease, although a variety of animal species can be infected. Read More

PLoS One 2020 10;15(6):e0234360. Epub 2020 Jun 10.

Escuela de Ciencias de la Salud, Facultad de Medicina, Grupo Biología de Sistemas, Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana, Medellín, Antioquia, Colombia.

Coxiella burnetii causes Q fever in humans and coxiellosis in animals. In humans, it causes acute febrile illnesses like influenza, pneumonia, hepatitis, and chronic illnesses such as endocarditis, vascular infection, and post-infectious fatigue syndrome. It is widely distributed worldwide, and its main reservoirs are sheep, goats, and cattle. Read More

Am J Trop Med Hyg 2020 06;102(6):1168-1169

Research Institute of Clinical Medicine of Jeonbuk National University-Biomedical Research Institute of Jeonbuk National University Hospital, Jeonju, Republic of Korea.

Curr Opin Microbiol 2020 Jun 4;57:13-21. Epub 2020 Jun 4.

Infection and Immunity Program, Biomedicine Discovery Institute and Department of Microbiology, Monash University, Clayton, 3800 Victoria, Australia. Electronic address:

Many bacterial pathogens rely on dedicated secretion systems to translocate virulence proteins termed 'effectors' into host cells. These effectors engage and manipulate host cellular functions to support bacterial colonization and propagation. The secretion systems are molecular machines that recognize targeting 'features' in these effector proteins in vivo to selectively and efficiently secrete them. Read More

BMC Infect Dis 2020 Jun 5;20(1):397. Epub 2020 Jun 5.

Department of Medical Psychology, Donders Center for Medical Neuroscience, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands.

Background: Primary aim of this study was to compare cognitive performance of patients with chronic Q fever or Q fever fatigue syndrome (QFS) to matched controls from the general population, while taking performance validity into account. Second, we investigated whether objective cognitive performance was related to subjective cognitive complaints or psychological wellbeing.

Methods: Cognitive functioning was assessed with a neuropsychological test battery measuring the domains of processing speed, episodic memory, working memory and executive functioning. Read More

Przegl Epidemiol 2020 ;74(1):43-48

Medical University of Bialystok, Department of Infectious Diseases and Neuroinfections.

Q fever is an emerging infectious disease in Europe. Q fever is a zoonosis and infected animals are the main source of infection. Ticks may act as a vector and transmit the pathogen to animals and humans. Read More

Lett Appl Microbiol 2020 Jun 3. Epub 2020 Jun 3.

College of Public Health, Biomedicine and Veterinary Science, James Cook University, Douglas, Qld, Australia.

A Coxiella sp. closely related to the agent of Q-fever, Coxiella burnetii, has been associated with mortalities in redclaw crayfish, (Cherax quadricarinatus), in farms and experimental facilities for three decades. Limited sequence data including 16S rRNA have placed the rickettsial species as a new species, candidatus C. Read More

Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2020 Jun 1;117(24):13708-13718. Epub 2020 Jun 1.

Institut de Recherche en Infectiologie de Montpellier (IRIM) UMR 9004, CNRS, Université de Montpellier, 34293 Montpellier, France;

The Q fever agent uses a defect in organelle trafficking/intracellular multiplication (Dot/Icm) type 4b secretion system (T4SS) to silence the host innate immune response during infection. By investigating effector proteins containing eukaryotic-like domains, here we identify NopA (nucleolar protein A), which displays four regulator of chromosome condensation (RCC) repeats, homologous to those found in the eukaryotic Ras-related nuclear protein (Ran) guanine nucleotide exchange factor (GEF) RCC1. Accordingly, NopA is found associated with the chromatin nuclear fraction of cells and uses the RCC-like domain to interact with Ran. Read More

Am J Med 2020 May 29. Epub 2020 May 29.

Department of Neurology.

Vet Res 2020 May 29;51(1):74. Epub 2020 May 29.

Department of Infection Biology, Wageningen Bioveterinary Research, Lelystad, The Netherlands.

Q fever is a zoonosis caused by the intracellular bacterium Coxiella burnetii. In Europe, small ruminants are the main source of human Q fever. Small ruminant herds can be infectious during several lambing seasons. Read More

Trop Anim Health Prod 2020 May 26. Epub 2020 May 26.

Department of Animal Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Kafrelsheikh, Kafr El Sheikh, Egypt.

Q-fever is a worldwide spread zoonotic disease associated with severe illness in humans and abortions and stillbirths in ruminants. Ruminants are major sources of human infection where subclinical carriers shed the bacteria in various secretions and excreta. The goal of the current study was to investigate the prevalence and risk factors of Coxiella burnetii infection among cattle, sheep, and goats in the eastern province of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). Read More

Acta Cardiol 2020 May 26:1-2. Epub 2020 May 26.

Department of Cardiovascular Disease, CHU UCL Namur, Université Catholique de Louvain, Yvoir, Belgium.

BMC Vet Res 2020 May 20;16(1):145. Epub 2020 May 20.

National Anima Health Diagnostic and Investigation Center (NAHDIC), P. O. Box 04, Sebeta, Ethiopia.

Background: Abortion is considered an important disease problem of small ruminants in Borana pastoral area. A cross-sectional study was conducted to estimate the prevalence and risk factors of chlamydiosis, coxiellosis (Q-fever) and brucellosis in small ruminants in selected districts of Borana zone.

Results: A total of 506 sheep and goats were tested using serological tests. Read More

Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2020 5;10:127. Epub 2020 May 5.

Biodetector Development Test and Evaluation Division, Defence Research and Development Establishment, Gwalior, India.

Q fever is an important zoonotic disease caused by the bacterium . The agent is considered as a potential agent for bioterrorism because of its low infectious dose, aerial route of transmission, resistance to drying, and many commonly used disinfectants. Humans are largely infected by the inhalation of aerosols that are contaminated with parturition products of infected animals as well as by the consumption of unpasteurized milk products. Read More

J Obstet Gynaecol Can 2020 05;42(5):644-653

Halifax, NS.

Objective: Lyme disease is an emerging infection in Canada caused by the bacterium belonging to the Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato species complex, which is transmitted via the bite of an infected blacklegged tick. Populations of blacklegged ticks continue to expand and are now established in different regions in Canada. It usually takes more than 24 hours of tick attachment to transfer B. Read More

BMC Infect Dis 2020 May 12;20(1):334. Epub 2020 May 12.

Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, E-Da Hospital, I-Shou University, No.1, Yi-Da Road, Jiao-Su Village, Yan-Chao District, Kaohsiung City, 824, Taiwan.

Background: Although C-reactive protein (CRP) and procalcitonin (PCT) are widely used inflammatory markers for infectious diseases, their role and potential application for rickettsioses were rarely studied.

Methods: A retrospective chart review and serological study were conducted in patients with rickettsioses. The clinical presentations, characteristics, laboratory data, and treatment responses were recorded and their associations with CRP and PCT values were analyzed. Read More

Folia Microbiol (Praha) 2020 May 8. Epub 2020 May 8.

IHU-Méditerranée Infection, Marseille, France.

Q fever is a zoonosis. Humans are infected through the inhalation of Coxiella burnetii particles that are dispersed into the air from the birth products or faeces of ruminants. Major outbreaks can occur in association with farming activities. Read More

Zoonoses Public Health 2020 06 29;67(4):443-452. Epub 2020 Apr 29.

Sydney School of Veterinary Science, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.

The discovery of antibodies against Coxiella burnetii in cattery-confined breeding cats indicating prior or current exposure (Shapiro et al., 2015) prompted an investigation into possible sources of infection. One hypothesis was that raw meat diets containing reservoir species may provide a source of C. Read More

J Infect 2020 Jul 21;81(1):90-97. Epub 2020 Apr 21.

Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences (IRAS), Division Environmental Epidemiology and Veterinary Public Health, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands.

Background/aim: From 2007 through 2010, the Netherlands experienced the largest recorded Q fever outbreak to date. People living closer to Coxiella burnetii infected goat farms were at increased risk for acute Q fever. Time spent outdoors near infected farms may have contributed to exposure to C. Read More

Front Immunol 2020 7;11:442. Epub 2020 Apr 7.

EpiVax, Inc., Providence, RI, United States.

Computational vaccinology includes epitope mapping, antigen selection, and immunogen design using computational tools. Tools that facilitate the prediction of immune response to biothreats, emerging infectious diseases, and cancers can accelerate the design of novel and next generation vaccines and their delivery to the clinic. Over the past 20 years, vaccinologists, bioinformatics experts, and advanced programmers based in Providence, Rhode Island, USA have advanced the development of an integrated toolkit for vaccine design called iVAX, that is secure and user-accessible by internet. Read More

Emerg Infect Dis 2020 May;26(5):993-997

We investigated a Q fever outbreak that occurred in an isolated area of the Amazon Rain Forest in French Guiana in 2014. Capybara fecal samples were positive for Coxiella burnetii DNA. Being near brush cutters in use was associated with disease development. Read More

Mo Med 2020 Mar-Apr;117(2):89-94

Christian Rojas-Moreno, MD, William Salzer, MD, and Gordon Christensen, MD is in the Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri.

Background: There is lack of specific data on imported infections in the mid-west United States (U.S.). Read More

J Biol Chem 2020 May 17;295(21):7391-7403. Epub 2020 Apr 17.

Laboratory of Pathogen Host Interactions, Université de Montpellier, CNRS, UMR 5235, Montpellier, France

The intracellular bacterial pathogen is the etiological agent of the emerging zoonosis Q fever. Crucial to its pathogenesis is type 4b secretion system-mediated secretion of bacterial effectors into host cells that subvert host cell membrane trafficking, leading to the biogenesis of a parasitophorous vacuole for intracellular replication. The characterization of prokaryotic serine/threonine protein kinases in bacterial pathogens is emerging as an important strategy to better understand host-pathogen interactions. Read More

Vector Borne Zoonotic Dis 2020 Aug 16;20(8):580-585. Epub 2020 Apr 16.

State Key Laboratory of Virology, School of Health Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China.

is the causative agent of query fever (Q fever), and distributes broadly in environment. Livestock are identified as main reservoirs, which may infect people through their contaminative urine, feces, milk, and birth products. Wild animals can also be the potential carriers and transmitters of . Read More

Infect Immun 2020 Jun 22;88(7). Epub 2020 Jun 22.

Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, Arkansas, USA

is the causative agent of human Q fever, eliciting symptoms that range from acute fever and fatigue to chronic fatal endocarditis. is a Gram-negative intracellular bacterium that replicates within an acidic lysosome-like parasitophorous vacuole (PV) in human macrophages. During intracellular growth, delivers bacterial proteins directly into the host cytoplasm using a Dot/Icm type IV secretion system (T4SS). Read More

Int J Infect Dis 2020 06 10;95:113-114. Epub 2020 Apr 10.

Department of Hepato-Gastroenterology, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), CHU Saint-Pierre, Rue Haute 322, 1000 Brussels, Belgium.

J Med Vasc 2020 Apr 29;45(2):93-95. Epub 2020 Jan 29.

Intensive care unit, Saint André Hospital, 1, rue Jean-Burguet, 33075 Bordeaux cedex, France.