Tracking the Source of Human Q Fever from a Southern French Village: Sentinel Animals and Environmental Reservoir.

ABSTRACT: Coxiella burnetii, also known as the causal agent of Q fever, is a zoonotic pathogen infecting humans and several animal species. Here, we investigated the epidemiological context of C. burnetii from an area in the Hérault department in southern France, using the One Health paradigm. In total, 13 human cases of Q fever were diagnosed over the last three years in an area comprising four villages. Serological and molecular investigations conducted on the representative animal population, as well as wind data, indicated that some of the recent cases are likely to have originated from a sheepfold, which revealed bacterial contamination and a seroprevalence of 47.6%. However, the clear-cut origin of human cases cannot be ruled out in the absence of molecular data from the patients

SUBMITTER: Laidoudi Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10142994 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature