Abstract
Coxiella burnetii is an interesting example of obligate intracellular bacteria that has uniquely evolved to thrive in the harshest conditions. The bacterium can infect a wide range of host species and also exhibit a wide spectrum of clinical manifestations. C. burnetii infection can cause abortions in small ruminants, reproductive problems in cattle, and acute or chronic disease in humans. The high infectivity and zoonotic potential of C. burnetii was recently witnessed in the unprecedented Q fever outbreak in the Netherlands (2007-2010). A complete understanding of how C. burnetii can cause disease requires an appreciation of the host immune responses. This may in turn help to improve diagnostics tests, develop effective vaccines and pharmacological agents against infection, and reduce health-care burden by controlling the disease.
Original language | English |
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Title of host publication | The Principles and Practice of Q Fever: The One Health Paradigm |
Editors | João Carlos Caetano Simoes, Sofia Ferreira Anastácio, Gabriela Jorge da Silva |
Publisher | Nova Science Publishers |
Pages | 91-106 |
ISBN (Electronic) | 9781536108682 |
ISBN (Print) | 9781536108514 |
Publication status | Published - 2017 |
Keywords
- Immune response
- Adaptive immunity
- Antimicrobials
- Clinical symptoms
- Innate immunity
- Pathophysiology
- Q fever fatigue syndrome