All Posts Tagged With: "Coxiella burnetii"

Excerpt:

“Q fever epidemic in the Chamonix valley” (France), is a recent headline from ProMed-mail.1 To date, 79 clinical cases have been identified with a further 22 seropositive individuals. This report has been followed by an outbreak affecting up to 86 people from Newport, South Wales.2 The causative organism, Coxiella burnetii has its reservoir in a broad range of vertebrates and arthropods.3 It is typically transmitted by the aerosol route, where it causes a zoonotic infection, but the source of this current outbreak remains elusive, as is often the case in retrospective epidemiological investigations.

Primary infection in human beings is symptomless in more than half of those infected.4,5 Signs of acute disease have no typical presentation, but tend to manifest as a self-limiting debilitating febrile illness for 2—14 days, non-typical pneumonia, or hepatitis.3 It is estimated that less than 5% of those with acute Q fever will develop chronic disease, the most common presentation of which is endocarditis. C burnetii accounts for 35% of all cases of infective endocarditis after infection with slow-growing or fastidious bacterial species (3% of total endocarditis cases), especially in those with prosthetic valves, previous valve injury, or rheumatic heart disease.6 Other cases are associated with immuno-suppression through corticosteroid use, cancer, AIDS, or lymphoma.6Manifestation of chronic disease may be delayed for several years possibly requiring C burnetii reactivation from a persistent latent form.

Among the various species of hard ticks, Ixodes ricinus is the most frequently
found tick throughout Europe. As with other ixodid ticks, the developmental
cycle runs through three stages. In each stage a blood meal is required in order
to develop to the next stage. Ixodes ricinus has been found to feed on more than
300 different vertebrate species. Usually, larval ticks feed on small mammals
such as mice and become infected with various microorganisms and viruses, of
which some are substantial pathogens to humans. The pathogens remain in the tick
during molting and are thus transstadially transmitted to the next developmental
stage. Pathogens transmitted to humans are the agents of Lyme borreliosis, the
tick-borne encephalitis virus, Rickettsia species, Anaplasma phagocytophilum,
occasionally Francisella tularensis, and protozoal Babesia species. Within the
scope of an EU project Ixodes ricinus ticks from all federal states of Austria
were searched by means of PCR methods for bacterial pathogens such as Anaplasma
phagocytophilum, Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato, Coxiella burnetii, Ehrlichia
spp., Francisella tularensis, Rickettsia spp., and protozoal Babesia.
Additionally, the prevalence of Bartonella spp. in this tick species was also
determined. Besides the singular detection of Coxiella burnetii and Francisella
tularensis in one tick collection site the overall prevalence of Anaplasma
phagocytophilum, borreliae, rickettsae and babesiae in Ixodes ricinus amounted
to 15%, 14%, 6% and surprising 36% and 51%, respectively. Bartonellae were
detected in about 7%.

Among the various species of hard ticks, Ixodes ricinus is the most frequently found tick throughout Europe. As with other ixodid ticks, the developmental cycle runs through three stages. In each stage a blood meal is required in order to develop to the next stage. Ixodes ricinus has been found to feed on more than 300 different vertebrate species. Usually, larval ticks feed on small mammals such as mice and become infected with various microorganisms and viruses, of which some are substantial pathogens to humans. The pathogens remain in the tick during molting and are thus transstadially transmitted to the next developmental stage. Pathogens transmitted to humans are the agents of Lyme borreliosis, the tick-borne encephalitis virus, Rickettsia species, Anaplasma phagocytophilum, occasionally Francisella tularensis, and protozoal Babesia species. Within the scope of an EU project Ixodes ricinus ticks from all federal states of Austria were searched by means of PCR methods for bacterial pathogens such as Anaplasma phagocytophilum, Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato, Coxiella burnetii, Ehrlichia spp., Francisella tularensis, Rickettsia spp., and protozoal Babesia. Additionally, the prevalence of Bartonella spp. in this tick species was also determined. Besides the singular detection of Coxiella burnetii and Francisella tularensis in one tick collection site the overall prevalence of Anaplasma phagocytophilum, borreliae, rickettsae and babesiae in Ixodes ricinus amounted to 15%, 14%, 6% and surprising 36% and 51%, respectively. Bartonellae were detected in about 7%. Continued