Short communication: prevalence of antibodies against Coxiella burnetii (Q fever) in children in The Gambia, West Africa.

OBJECTIVE

To estimate the prevalence of antibodies against Coxiella burnetii (Q fever) among children in eight villages in The Gambia, West Africa.

METHODS

Sera of 796 children aged 1-15 years were tested for presence of antibodies against phase II of C. burnetii by ELISA.

RESULTS

IgG and/or IgM phase II antibodies against C. burnetii were detectable in 8.3% (66/796) of all serum samples analysed with significant differences in seroprevalence between villages. Highest prevalence was found in the age group 1-4 years.

CONCLUSIONS

Exposure to C. burnetii is considerable in the early years of life in The Gambia, and further studies are warranted to estimate the role of Q fever in acute febrile illness in The Gambia and elsewhere in Africa.