Emerging Aspects of Coxiella burnetii and Molecular Identification along with Treatment Approaches
Arslan Habib *
Laboratory of Molecular Immunology, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
Zeeshan Ashraf
Department of Fisheries & Aquaculture, University of Veterinary and Animals Sciences, Lahore, Pakistan.
Muhammad Nabeel
Knowledge Unit of Science and Technology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Management and Technology, Pakistan.
Dominic Kwesi Quainoo
Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Biosciences, University for Development Studies, Ghana.
Umutumwa Eric Principe
School of Biotechnology, East China University of Science & Technology, Shanghai, China.
Naeem Ullah Khalil
Centre of Biotechnology and Microbiology, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Peshawar, Pakistan.
Muhammad Rizwan Ullah
Department of Zoology, University of Lakki Marwat, Pakistan.
Bilal Khalid
Institute of Zoology, University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Q fever is an infectious disease caused by Coxiella burnetii which is an obligatory intracellular parasite. Globally Q fever is a widespread zoonosis. It is characterized by headaches, sudden fever and atypical pneumonia. In the rural environment, the main reservoir includes goats, sheep, cows, dogs, cats and rabbits. The main reservoir of this bacteria is considered domestic animals. They produce in a large number in amniotic fluid and placenta during childbirth. The main route of infection is inhalation. Q fever can cause both acute and chronic infection, mostly asymptomatic in humans and animals. Inactivated whole-cell bacteria vaccination strategy has been performed which provides effective outcomes in humans and animals but many side effects have been observed. The recombinant vaccine has been developed and provides many effective results in experimental conditions. One of the major challenges is the lack of accurate diagnosis facilities if it becomes possible, the prognosis of disease development can be reduced. Direct detection of bacteria is the accurate test for the diagnosis. Different procedures are involved in this method such as immunodetection, PCR amplification and shell vial cell culture. Due to the severe infectivity of C. burnetii all these procedures require a biosafety level 3 lab and qualified staff. Q fever is a challenging disease for scientists to reduce its burden globally. The review discloses the Coxiella burnetii genome, the clinical manifestation of Q fever as well as emerging issues, diagnosis, treatment, prevention and future directions.
Keywords: Coxiella burnetii, diagnosis, Q fever, prevention, treatment