Prevalence of <i>Coxiella burnetii</i> seropositivity and shedding in farm, pet and feral cats and associated risk factors in farm cats in Quebec, Canada

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Abstract

Cats represent a potential source of Coxiella burnetii, the aetiological agent of Q fever in humans. The prevalence and risk factors of C. burnetii infection in farm, pet and feral cats were studied in Quebec, Canada, using a cross-sectional study. Serum samples were tested using a specific enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for the presence of antibodies against C. burnetii, whereas rectal swabs were assayed using real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) for the molecular detection of the bacteria. Potential risk factors for farm cats were investigated using clinical examinations, questionnaires and results from a concurrent study on C. burnetii farm status. A total of 184 cats were tested: 59 from ruminant farms, 73 pets and 52 feral cats. Among farm cats, 2/59 (3.4%) were ELISA-positive, 3/59 (5.1%) were ELISA-doubtful and 1/59 (1.7%) was qPCR-positive. All pets and feral cats were negative to C. burnetii ELISA and qPCR. Farm cat positivity was associated with a positive C. burnetii status on the ruminant farm (prevalence ratio = 7.6, P = 0.03). Our results suggest that although pet and feral cats do not seem to pose a great C. burnetii risk to public health, more active care should be taken when in contact with cats from ruminant farms.

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From Q Fever to Coxiella burnetii Infection: a Paradigm Change.

Carole Eldin, Clea Melenotte, Oleg Mediannikov … (2017)

Coxiella burnetii is the agent of Q fever, or "query fever," a zoonosis first described in Australia in 1937. Since this first description, knowledge about this pathogen and its associated infections has increased dramatically. We review here all the progress made over the last 20 years on this topic. C. burnetii is classically a strict intracellular, Gram-negative bacterium. However, a major step in the characterization of this pathogen was achieved by the establishment of its axenic culture. C. burnetii infects a wide range of animals, from arthropods to humans. The genetic determinants of virulence are now better known, thanks to the achievement of determining the genome sequences of several strains of this species and comparative genomic analyses. Q fever can be found worldwide, but the epidemiological features of this disease vary according to the geographic area considered, including situations where it is endemic or hyperendemic, and the occurrence of large epidemic outbreaks. In recent years, a major breakthrough in the understanding of the natural history of human infection with C. burnetii was the breaking of the old dichotomy between "acute" and "chronic" Q fever. The clinical presentation of C. burnetii infection depends on both the virulence of the infecting C. burnetii strain and specific risks factors in the infected patient. Moreover, no persistent infection can exist without a focus of infection. This paradigm change should allow better diagnosis and management of primary infection and long-term complications in patients with C. burnetii infection.

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Q Fever

M. Maurin, D Raoult (1999)

Q fever is a zoonosis with a worldwide distribution with the exception of New Zealand. The disease is caused by Coxiella burnetii, a strictly intracellular, gram-negative bacterium. Many species of mammals, birds, and ticks are reservoirs of C. burnetii in nature. C. burnetii infection is most often latent in animals, with persistent shedding of bacteria into the environment. However, in females intermittent high-level shedding occurs at the time of parturition, with millions of bacteria being released per gram of placenta. Humans are usually infected by contaminated aerosols from domestic animals, particularly after contact with parturient females and their birth products. Although often asymptomatic, Q fever may manifest in humans as an acute disease (mainly as a self-limited febrile illness, pneumonia, or hepatitis) or as a chronic disease (mainly endocarditis), especially in patients with previous valvulopathy and to a lesser extent in immunocompromised hosts and in pregnant women. Specific diagnosis of Q fever remains based upon serology. Immunoglobulin M (IgM) and IgG antiphase II antibodies are detected 2 to 3 weeks after infection with C. burnetii, whereas the presence of IgG antiphase I C. burnetii antibodies at titers of ≥1:800 by microimmunofluorescence is indicative of chronic Q fever. The tetracyclines are still considered the mainstay of antibiotic therapy of acute Q fever, whereas antibiotic combinations administered over prolonged periods are necessary to prevent relapses in Q fever endocarditis patients. Although the protective role of Q fever vaccination with whole-cell extracts has been established, the population which should be primarily vaccinated remains to be clearly identified. Vaccination should probably be considered in the population at high risk for Q fever endocarditis.

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Is Q fever an emerging or re-emerging zoonosis?

Nathalie Arricau-Bouvery, Annie Rodolakis (2015)

Q fever is a zoonotic disease considered as emerging or re-emerging in many countries. It is caused by Coxiella burnetii, a bacterium developing spore-like forms that are highly resistant to the environment. The most common animal reservoirs are livestock and the main source of infection is by inhalation of contaminated aerosols. Although the culture process for Coxiella is laborious, advances on the knowledge of the life cycle of the bacterium have been made. New tools have been developed to (i) improve the diagnosis of Q fever in humans and animals, and especially animal shedders, (ii) perform epidemiological studies, and (iii) prevent the disease through the use of vaccines. This review summarizes the state of the knowledge on the bacteriology and clinical manifestations of Q fever as well as its diagnosis, epidemiology, treatment and prevention in order to understand what factors are responsible for its emergence or re-emergence.

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Author and article information

Journal

Journal ID (nlm-ta): Epidemiol Infect

Journal ID (iso-abbrev): Epidemiol Infect

Journal ID (publisher-id): HYG

Title: Epidemiology and Infection

Publisher: Cambridge University Press (Cambridge, UK )

ISSN (Print): 0950-2688

ISSN (Electronic): 1469-4409

Publication date (Electronic, collection): 2021

Publication date (Electronic): 15 February 2021

Volume: 149

Electronic Location Identifier: e57

Affiliations

[1 ]Faculté de médecine vétérinaire, Université de Montréal , Saint-Hyacinthe, QC, Canada

[2 ]Groupe de Recherche en Épidémiologie des Zoonoses et Santé Publique (GREZOSP), Université de Montréal , Saint-Hyacinthe, QC, Canada

[3 ]Faculté de médecine vétérinaire, Université de Montréal , Swine and poultry infectious diseases research center (CRIPA) – Fonds de Recherche du Québec, Saint-Hyacinthe, QC, Canada

[4 ]Service de diagnostic, Faculté de médecine vétérinaire, Université de Montréal , Saint-Hyacinthe, QC, Canada

[5 ]Ministère de l'Agriculture, des Pêcheries et de l'Alimentation du Québec , Quebec, QC, Canada

Author notes

Author for correspondence: Julie Arsenault, E-mail: julie.arsenault@ 123456umontreal.ca

Author information

M.-È. Turcotte https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1157-6681

J. Arsenault https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8382-7326

Article

Publisher Item ID: S0950268821000364

DOI: 10.1017/S0950268821000364

PMC ID: 8060820

PubMed ID: 33583452

SO-VID: 5ad39551-ed4d-478d-9776-955972b919ee

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This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution licence ( http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

History

Date received : 08 October 2020

Date revision received : 13 January 2021

Date accepted : 02 February 2021

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Figures: 1, Tables: 2, References: 46, Pages: 9

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Prevalence of Coxiella burnetii seropositivity and shedding in farm, pet and feral cats and associated risk factors in farm cats in Quebec, Canada

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European Journal of Microbiology and Immunology

Most cited references 44

From Q Fever to Coxiella burnetii Infection: a Paradigm Change.

Q Fever

Is Q fever an emerging or re-emerging zoonosis?

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