Abstract
This small study reports on a non-pyrogenic response of five different Australian isolates of Coxiella burnetii (C. burnetii). They were all members of Genomic Group IV and obtained from three cases of acute human infection, one case of chronic human infection and one case of goat abortion. The guinea pigs infected with these isolates did not develop fever (temperature ≥ 40.0 °C), which is consistent with other members of this genomic group that were isolated from elsewhere in the world. In contrast, guinea pigs infected with the classical USA tick isolate, Nine Mile phase 1 (RSA 493) of Genomic Group I, experienced a four-day febrile period.
Highlights
IntroductionGuinea pigs are an excellent small animal model of acute Q fever (infection with Coxiella burnetii or C. burnetii) in humans [1,2,3]
Guinea pigs are an excellent small animal model of acute Q fever in humans [1,2,3]
Recent Australian isolates of C. burnetii belong to a unique subset of genomic group IV; most were isolated from patients with acute Q fever, many of whom had presented with fever [5]
Summary
Guinea pigs are an excellent small animal model of acute Q fever (infection with Coxiella burnetii or C. burnetii) in humans [1,2,3]. Not all isolates of C. burnetii will cause fever (pyrogenicity) in guinea pigs. This feature of the bacterium appears to be related to the genomic group to which the isolate belongs, with group IV and VI known to be non-pyrogenic [4]. Recent Australian isolates of C. burnetii belong to a unique subset of genomic group IV; most were isolated from patients with acute Q fever, many of whom had presented with fever [5]. The question investigated in this small study was whether a selection of these Australian isolates were pyrogenic in guinea pigs
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