title: Serological and molecular evidence of Coxiella burnetii in samples from humans and animals in China.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Coxiella burnetii is the agent of Q fever, a worldwide zoonosis. To add to the available knowledge of the disease in China, C. burnetti infections were investigated in convenience samples from five animal species and humans from Yangzhou, Jiangsu province, eastern China.
  
  
  METHODS
  Commercial ELISA kits were used to detect antibodies to phase I and II C. burnetii. A FRET-qPCR targeting the outer membrane protein com1 gene was also developed to detect C. burnetii DNA in blood samples from animals and humans, and bovine milk samples.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Seropositive cattle (44/150; 29%), goats (33/150; 22%), humans (45/180; 25%) and pigs (4/130; 3%) were found, while dogs (0/136; 0%) and cats (0/140; 0%) were seronegative. Seropositivity in humans was associated with increasing age, but there was no gender difference. DNA was amplified from two milk samples (2/150, 1.3%), while none of the blood samples were positive. The sequences of the obtained amplicons were identical to those of the com1 gene of the universal C. burnetii RSA 493 strain and other stains from China.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The findings indicaten that C. burnetii is endemic in Yangzhou, China, and therefore human and animal health workers should be aware of the possibility of infections and the occurrence of outbreaks of Q fever.
authors.affiliation: Jiangsu Co-innovation Centre for the Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, Yangzhou University College of Veterinary Medicine, Jiangsu, China; Department of Animal Hygiene, Zoonoses and Animal Behavior and Management, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Suez Canal University, Egypt.
authors.forename: Heba S
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: El-Mahallawy
authors.affiliation: Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine, West Indies.
authors.forename: Patrick
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Kelly
authors.affiliation: Jiangsu Co-innovation Center for the Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, Yangzhou University College of Veterinary Medicine, Yangzhou 225009, Jiangsu, China.
authors.forename: Jilei
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Jiangsu Co-innovation Centre for the Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, Yangzhou University College of Veterinary Medicine, Jiangsu, China.
authors.forename: Yi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Jiangsu Co-innovation Centre for the Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, Yangzhou University College of Veterinary Medicine, Jiangsu, China.
authors.forename: Lanjing
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wei
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Zoonosis, China Animal Health and Epidemiology Centre, Shandong, China.
authors.forename: Lili
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Tian
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Zoonosis, China Animal Health and Epidemiology Centre, Shandong, China.
authors.forename: Weixing
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Fan
authors.affiliation: Yangzhou University College of Medicine, Yangzhou 225009, Jiangsu, China.
authors.forename: Zhenwen
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Yangzhou University College of Medicine, Jiangsu, China.
authors.forename: Chengming
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000818:Animals; D000829:Animals, Domestic; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D016997:Coxiella burnetii / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay / Q000662:veterinary; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D011778:Q Fever / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000662:veterinary; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D055815:Young Adult