Seroprevalence of Q Fever in Lorestan Province Veterinary Staff Using IFA Method

Abstract

Background: Q fever is caused by the bacterium Coxiella burnetii. To date, no studies have been conducted on the rate of Q fever infection among the veterinary staff in Lorestan province. Objectives: The present study aimed to investigate the seroprevalence of infection in the veterinary staff. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted from April to July 2019 on 92 samples collected randomly from Lorestan province on veterinary staff who had a history of contact with livestock and were tested via indirect immunofluorescence kit. Results: In this study, 77 (83/69%) samples were positive, and 15 (16/3%) samples were negative. There were no statistically significant relationships between residence, contact with livestock, and work experience. Conclusions: According to the results of this study, the high seroprevalence of a Q fever was observed among Veterinary staff, which further reveals the necessitates of diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of the disease in order to prevent unwanted complications in people in contact with livestock.