Coxiella burnetii Infection Among Blood Donors From Baden-Wuerttemberg Province and Hesse Province, Germany: A Multicentre Cross-Sectional Serological Study.

In recent years, several large outbreaks have shown that Q fever is a serious disease that unfortunately is underreported in Europe. Furthermore, no seroprevalence data for Coxiella burnetii in the general German population are available. The aim of this study is to examine the seroprevalence of C. burnetii in a normal, non-risk population in Germany. To this end, blood donors in the federal states Baden-Wuerttemberg and Hesse were screened for C. burnetii-specific antibodies as well as associated risk factors. Of over 5000 participants without prior knowledge of a C. burnetii infection, 153 (2.96%) were seropositive for anti-C. burnetii antibodies. Place of residence and contact with animals represent increased risk factors, as do occupations closely related to animals. Furthermore, it was shown that in high-risk occupations, prevalence is higher in younger age groups than in older ones.