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

Trop Med Int Health. 2013 Jul;18(7):850-3. doi: 10.1111/tmi.12116. Epub 2013 Apr 19.

Abstract

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.

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Age Factors
  • Antibodies / blood*
  • Antibodies, Bacterial / blood*
  • Child
  • Child, Preschool
  • Coxiella burnetii / immunology*
  • Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay
  • Female
  • Gambia / epidemiology
  • Humans
  • Immunoglobulin G / blood*
  • Immunoglobulin M / blood*
  • Male
  • Q Fever / blood
  • Q Fever / epidemiology*
  • Q Fever / immunology
  • Q Fever / microbiology
  • Seroepidemiologic Studies

Substances

  • Antibodies
  • Antibodies, Bacterial
  • Immunoglobulin G
  • Immunoglobulin M