Adesiyun Abiodun, Dookeran Shakti, Stewart-Johnson Alva, Rahaman Saed, Bissessar Sham
School of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of the West Indies, St. Augustine, Trinidad and Tobago.
New Microbiol. 2011 Apr;34(2):219-24. Epub 2011 Apr 30.
Coxiella burnetii is a zoonotic, rickettsial pathogen which causes mild and severe diseases often referred to as Q-fever in humans, particularly those occupationally exposed. This study determined the seropositivity for Coxiella burnetii IgM immunoglobulins using the enzyme immunoassay (EIA) in livestock and abattoir workers in Trinidad and related to selected personal characteristics to seroprevalence. Overall, of the 455 humans whose serum samples were tested, 20 (4.4%) were seropositive for C. burnetii IgM immunoglobulin, comprising 13 (4.6%) out of 283 livestock workers, 4 (4.7%) out of 85 abattoir workers and 3 (3.4%) out of 87 office workers (P>0.05; Chi 2). The age, sex and race of workers were not significantly associated with the occurrence of acute Q-fever (P>0.05; Chi 2). This is considered the first documentation of Q-fever in the human population in Trinidad. It is difficult to assess the impact of the disease in the country since the disease is not routinely tested for in the local hospitals or diagnostic laboratories.
伯氏考克斯氏体是一种人畜共患的立克次氏体病原体，可导致人类出现轻症和重症疾病，通常称为Q热，尤其是职业暴露人群。本研究采用酶免疫分析法（EIA）测定了特立尼达岛家畜和屠宰场工人中伯氏考克斯氏体IgM免疫球蛋白的血清阳性率，并将其与选定的个人特征与血清阳性率相关联。总体而言，在455名接受血清样本检测的人中，20人（4.4%）伯氏考克斯氏体IgM免疫球蛋白呈血清阳性，其中283名家畜工人中有13人（4.6%），85名屠宰场工人中有4人（4.7%），87名办公室工作人员中有3人（3.4%）（P>0.05；卡方检验）。工人的年龄、性别和种族与急性Q热的发生无显著关联（P>0.05；卡方检验）。这被认为是特立尼达岛人群中Q热的首次记录。由于当地医院或诊断实验室未对该疾病进行常规检测，因此很难评估该疾病在该国的影响。
