title: Q fever outbreak in a goat herd--diagnostic investigations and measures for control.
abstract: This is a case report about a Q fever infection of a goat herd with abortions and excretions of pathogens accompanied by human infection and disease. Following a diagnosis of Q fever in a goat herd, all animals were vaccinated with an inactivated phase 1 vaccine. The herd was kept isolated and animals were neither removed nor introduced so that monitoring of the course of the Q fever infection of the individual dam was possible. Over a period of two years following the diagnosis of a Q fever infection (abortion), diagnostic investigations on detection of Coxiella (C.) burnetii were performed using quantitative Real-Time PCR (qPCR) and for serological studies complement fixation test (CFT) and ELISA. Excretion of pathogens decreased from > 500 000 units per genital swab in the first year to < 50 units in the second year after the initial diagnosis. Serological studies of the dams using CFT revealed a dominance of phase 2 antibodies with a proportion of 35.4% (17/48) positive animals in 2006. This level decreased to a value of 2.3% (2/87) two years later. The mixed phase 1 and 2 ELISA initially yielded 20.8% (10/48) positive dams with an increase to 98.9% (86/87) two years later. The control measures which were implemented after a round table meeting are illustrated and discussed.
authors.affiliation: Chemisches und Veterinäruntersuchungsamt, Stuttgart, Germany. reinhard.sting@cvuas.bwl.de
authors.forename: Reinhard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sting
authors.forename: Kerstin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Molz
authors.forename: Christiane
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Benesch
mesh_terms: D000034:Abortion, Veterinary / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D000818:Animals; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000097:blood; D001428:Bacterial Vaccines / Q000008:administration & dosage; D001723:Birth Rate; D003168:Complement Fixation Tests / Q000662:veterinary; D016997:Coxiella burnetii / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000302:isolation & purification; D004196:Disease Outbreaks / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000662:veterinary*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay / Q000662:veterinary; D005260:Female; D015511:Goat Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D006041:Goats; D006801:Humans; D007279:Injections, Subcutaneous / Q000662:veterinary; D008297:Male; D011247:Pregnancy; D011778:Q Fever / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000662:veterinary*; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000662:veterinary; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014611:Vaccination / Q000662:veterinary
chemical_list: D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D001428:Bacterial Vaccines; D004269:DNA, Bacterial