Exposure of South African Abattoir Workers to Coxiella burnetii.

ABSTRACT: Abattoir workers may contract Q fever by inhalation of Coxiella burnetii bacteria in aerosols generated by slaughtering livestock, or in contaminated dust. We estimated the seroprevalence of C. burnetii and examined the associated factors in a survey of South African abattoir workers. Coxiella burnetii seropositivity was determined by detection of IgG antibodies against C. burnetii phase II antigen. Logistic regression, adjusted for clustering and sampling fraction, was employed to analyze risk factors associated with C. burnetii seropositivity. Among 382 workers from 16 facilities, the overall seroprevalence was 33% (95% confidence interval (CI): 28-38%) and ranged from 8% to 62% at the facility level. Prolonged contact with carcasses or meat products (odds ratio (OR): 4.6, 95% CI: 1.51-1

SUBMITTER: De Boni L 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8879252 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature