Role of Coxiella burnetii in the development of fever of unknown origin: А mini review

Abstract

Q fever is a widespread zoonosis throughout the world in the form of numerous natural and agricul-tural outbreaks. C. burnetii infects various hosts, including humans, ruminants and pets and in rare cases, reptiles, birds, and ticks. This bacterium is excreted in urine, milk, faeces, and birth products. In humans Q fever occurs as acute or chronic disease with diverse clinical presentation, as isolated cases and epidemics. It affects various organs and systems, and in pregnant women can cause miscar-riage or premature birth. Untreated Q fever can become chronic with adverse effects on patients. Di-versity in the clinical picture in the absence of specific pathological syndrome often hinders accurate diagnosis and proper etiological significance. Therefore, improvement of diagnostic methods and in particular the development and introduction of new molecular diagnostic methods is the basis of ef-fective therapeutic and prophylactic approach. Тhe purpose of the review is to renew the interest to Q fever – on one hand, because of its serious impact on human health and agricultural systems, and on the other, the ability for development and introduction of new molecular diagnostic methods.

Keywords

• Coxiella burnetii
• clinical manifestation
• diagnostics
• fever of unknown origin