title: PCR for rapid diagnosis of acute Q fever at a combat support hospital in Iraq.
abstract: Acute Q fever is occasionally seen in U.S. military service members deployed to Iraq. Diagnosis relies on serology, which is not available in the combat zone. Improved diagnostic modalities are needed. We performed a pilot study investigating whether Joint Biological Agent Identification and Diagnostic System (JBAIDS), a ruggedized, deployable polymerase chain reaction (PCR) platform, might be useful in the diagnosis of acute Q fever. Patients presenting to a Combat Support Hospital in Iraq with undifferentiated fever had blood drawn for Q fever PCR and these results were compared with serology. PCR was positive in 6 of 9 patients with acute Q fever by serology and negative in all 9 patients with negative serology. These results suggest that PCR using the JBAIDS platform could be of use in the diagnosis of Q fever in deployed settings. Further research into this modality is warranted.
authors.affiliation: Tripler Army Medical Center, MCHK-DP, Microbiology Rm 2H211, 1 Jarrett White Road, Honolulu, HI 96859-5000, USA.
authors.forename: Lanette R
authors.initials: LR
authors.lastname: Hamilton
authors.forename: Dena L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: George
authors.forename: Stephanie L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Scoville
authors.forename: Duane R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Hospenthal
authors.forename: Matthew E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Griffith
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006772:Hospitals, Military; D006801:Humans; D007493:Iraq / Q000453:epidemiology; D054542:Iraq War, 2003-2011; D008297:Male; D008889:Military Personnel; D010865:Pilot Projects; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods*; D011778:Q Fever / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D014481:United States