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Generation and Multi-phenotypic High-content Screening of Coxiella burnetii Transposon Mutants
Published on: May 13, 2015
Concomitant or consecutive infection with Coxiella burnetii and tickborne diseases
J M Rolain1, F Gouriet, P Brouqui
1Unité des Rickettsies, Faculté de Medecine, Université de la Mediterranée, Marseille, France.
Background:
Q fever is a worldwide zoonosis caused by Coxiella burnetii, which can be isolated from ticks. Reports of people with both Q fever and other tickborne diseases are rare. In this study, we describe 6 patients with Q fever who were infected with 1 of the following tickborne pathogens: Rickettsia conorii (2 patients), Rickettsia slovaca (2), Rickettsia africae (1), and Francisella tularensis (1).
Methods:
Diagnoses were made on the basis of results of microimmunofluorescence assays for detection of C. burnetii, R. conorii, R. slovaca, R. africae, and F. tularensis antigens. Cross-adsorption studies and Western blots were used to confirm dual infections.
Results:
Among the 6 cases presented, 3 were probably due to a concomitant infection after a tick bite, whereas the remaining 3 were more likely consecutive infections.
Conclusions:
Because acute Q fever is often asymptomatic, we recommend that patients infected with the tickborne pathogens mentioned above also undergo routine testing for concurrent infections with C. burnetii.
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