title: Role of goats in epizootiology and epidemiology of Q fever.
abstract: Numerous data show that the epizootics of Q fever in goats can be particularly related to cases of this disease in humans. The aim of the study was to examine 98 goat serum samples from the farm where abortions, early parturition and parturition of weak goatlings were noted. The microaglutination method was used in this study. Serum dilution 1:8 was defined as a positive titre. The study revealed that 79.6% of serum samples were positive and numerous high titres suggested an acute form of infection. It could be supposed that Q fever was the reason of abortions in the herd. The results obtained point to the necessity of examinations for Q fever in goats, because of the possibility of infection in people who have a contact with these animals. Goats seem to be the animal species especially sensitive to C. burnetii infection. Q fever should be taken into consideration in the differential diagnosis of the goat diseases, when abortions occur.
authors.affiliation: Chair of Infectious and Invasive Diseases, Division of Epizootiology with Clinic of Infectious Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Warmia and Mazury, Oczapowskiego 13, 10-719 Olsztyn, Poland. platt@uwm.edu.pl
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Platt-Samoraj
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ciecierski
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Michalski
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015511:Goat Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006041:Goats; D006801:Humans; D011778:Q Fever / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000635:transmission / Q000662:veterinary*; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D015047:Zoonoses / Q000635:transmission