1026. Following the Hoof Prints: Detecting Coxiella and Brucella infections with A Plasma-based Microbial Cell-Free DNA Next-generation Sequencing Test

Abstract

Background Coxiella burnetii and Brucella spp. are zoonotic bacterial pathogens responsible for Q fever and Brucellosis, respectively. Both pathogens have a global distribution and Brucellosis is the most common zoonosis in the world. However, the CDC reports only 80-120 cases of human brucellosis and ~150 cases of acute Q fever annually. The diagnosis of these infections can be limited by: (1) their difficulty to culture; (2) the insensitivity and nonspecificity of serology; (3) the clinical overlap with other infections; and (4) the unreliability of epidemiological exposure history for these zoonoses. Unbiased microbial cell free DNA (mcfDNA) next-generation sequencing (NGS) offers a potential solution to overcome these limitations.MethodsThe Karius TestTM (KT) developed and validated in Karius’s CLIA certified/CAP accredited lab in Redwood City, CA detects mcfDNA in plasma. After mcfDNA is extracted and NGS performed, human reads are removed, and remaining sequences are aligned to a curated database of > 1500 organisms. McfDNA from organisms present above a statistical threshold are reported and quantified in molecules/µL (MPM). KT detections of Coxiella and Brucella were reviewed from August 2017 - present; clinical information was obtained with test requisition or consultation upon result reporting.ResultsKT detected 8 cases of Coxiella burnetii (1735 MPM +/- 3000) and 5 cases of Brucella melitensis (avg 296 MPM +/- 223) (Table 1), representing approximately 1-2% of all detections in the US during this period. All of the Coxiella detections were in adults (100% male) with 5 cases of fever of unknown origin, 2 cases of culture-negative endocarditis and one case of endovascular graft infection. Brucella detections occurred in 3 adults and 2 children (60% male), 3 with exposure to unpasteurized dairy and included 3 cases of spine infection (2 vertebral osteomyelitis, 1 epidural abscess). ConclusionOpen-ended, plasma-based mcfDNA NGS provides a rapid, non-invasive test to diagnose diverse clinical manifestations of zoonotic infections such as Q fever and Brucellosis against competing broad differential diagnoses. Furthermore, these cases highlight the potential of the KT to diagnose infections caused by fastidious/unculturable pathogens with cryptic clinical presentations.Disclosures Nicholas R. Degner, MD, MPH, MS, Karius Inc. (Employee, Shareholder) Ricardo Castillo-Galvan, MD MPH, Karius Inc. (Consultant) Jose Alexander, MD, D(ABMM), FCCM, CIC, SM, MB(ASCP), BCMAS, Karius (Employee) Aparna Arun, MD, Karius (Employee) Ann Macintyre, DO, Karius, Inc. (Employee) Bradley Perkins, MD, Karius, Inc. (Employee) Asim A. Ahmed, MD, Karius, Inc. (Employee) Matthew Smollin, PharmD, Karius, Inc. (Employee)