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Q fever--selected issues

Agata Bielawska-Drózd1, Piotr Cieślik, Tomasz Mirski

  • 1Biological Threats Identification and Countermeasure Center of the Military Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology, Pulawy, Poland. abdr@wp.pl

Annals of Agricultural and Environmental Medicine : AAEM
|June 19, 2013
PubMed

Insights

Q fever, caused by Coxiella burnetii, is detailed, covering its genome, infection mechanisms, and treatments like tetracyclines. Vaccines and new culture methods offer control, but more research is needed in Poland.

Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Genomics

Background:

  • Q fever is an infectious disease caused by Coxiella burnetii, a Gram-negative coccobacillus.
  • The study examines the genome of C. burnetii, including its chromosome and plasmids (QpH1, QpRS, QpDG, QpDV).
  • Understanding the pathomechanism, from bacterial internalization to release from infected cells, is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To compare selected features of the C. burnetii genome.
  • To provide a comprehensive overview of Q fever, including its pathogenesis, treatment, and diagnostics.
  • To highlight the need for further research on Q fever in Poland.

Main Methods:

  • Genomic analysis of C. burnetii chromosome and plasmids.
  • Review of current treatment options, including tetracyclines, macrolides, and quinolones.
  • Discussion of diagnostic methods such as immunofluorescence (IF) and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) modifications.
  • Mention of microarray techniques for protein identification and development of artificial culture media.

Main Results:

  • Identification of approximately 50 potential vaccine candidate proteins using microarrays.
  • Development of an artificial culture medium enabling C. burnetii growth in 6 days under reduced oxygen.
  • Established serological titers for IgM (>1:64) and IgG (>1:256) using IF.
  • Commonly used molecular diagnostic targets include htpAB, IS1111, com1, plasmid-specific genes, and transposase genes.

Conclusions:

  • Current treatments for acute Q fever include tetracyclines, macrolides, and quinolones.
  • Vaccines like Q-VAX and Coxevac offer protection and disease reduction in humans and animals.
  • Despite Q fever being diagnosed in Poland since 1956, data on its occurrence remain incomplete.
  • Comprehensive studies on reservoirs, vectors, infection sources, and molecular characteristics of C. burnetii in Poland are essential.

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