Q fever (Coxiella burnetii) among man and farm animals in North Sinai, Egypt.

Antibodies against Coxiella burnetii were estimated among sheep, goats and camels (190), their owners (150 patients with pyrexia of unknown origin) and 30 normal individuals in North Sinai over the 2006 by indirect immounofluorescence assay. Nested polymerase chain reaction was used to detect Com-1 gene (genetic target of C. burnetii) encoding a 27-kDa outer membrane protein in the samples. C. burnetii IFA antibodies (IgM & IgG) in patients were 8 (5.3%) and a healthy control (3.3%). The overall was 9 of 180 (5.0%). C. burnetii IgM were detected in 3/150 (2%) patients with positive genome, while IgG were detected in 5/150 patients, only the three who had IgM and IgG had positive genome suffered high fever. C. burnetii antibodies were detected in 20 (22.5%), 12 (16.8%) & 4 (13.3%) of sheep, goats, camels, which total 36/190 (18.9%). The positive genome of these IFA positive animals was 10 (50.0%), 4 (33.3%) & zero (0.0%) respectively. On the other hand, Rhipicephalus sanguineus (dog tick) and Dermacentor andersoni (wood tick) were identified on some Q fever infected animals. The results were discussed.