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Coxiella burnetii in the environment: A systematic review and critical appraisal of sampling methods
Author(s) -
Abeykoon A. M. Hasanthi,
Clark Nicholas Joshua,
Soares Magalhaes Ricardo Jorge,
Vincent Gemma Anne,
Stevenson Mark Anthony,
Firestone Simon Matthew,
Wiethoelter Anke Katrin
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
zoonoses and public health
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.87
H-Index - 65
eISSN - 1863-2378
pISSN - 1863-1959
DOI - 10.1111/zph.12791
Subject(s) - coxiella burnetii , q fever , outbreak , sampling (signal processing) , airborne transmission , transmission (telecommunications) , environmental health , veterinary medicine , biology , environmental science , microbiology and biotechnology , disease , virology , medicine , pathology , covid-19 , infectious disease (medical specialty) , computer science , filter (signal processing) , computer vision , telecommunications
Q fever is a zoonotic disease caused by the intracellular bacterium, Coxiella burnetii . Its primary mode of transmission is by inhalation of aerosols originating from infected animals and contaminated environments. The organism has a very low infective dose, can persist in the environment for long periods of time and large outbreaks fuelled by windborne spread have been previously reported. Detection of C. burnetii in the environment is therefore important during human and animal outbreak investigations and for the control and prevention of Q fever. This study aimed to systematically review and critically appraise the published literature on sampling methods used to detect C. burnetii from different environmental samples. A search of four electronic databases with subsequent hand searching identified 47 eligible articles published since 1935. These articles described sampling of dust, air, soil and liquids in attempts to detect C. burnetii during 19 Q fever outbreaks and in 28 endemic settings. Environmental positivity was most commonly associated with ruminant livestock populations. Evidence describing spatio‐temporal characteristics and associated geographical dispersion gradients was limited. The most commonly tested sample type was dust which also yielded the highest bacterial loads of >10 8 bacteria/cloth. The MD8 (Sartorius) air sampler was used widely for air sampling. Soil was the only sample type for which a validated laboratory protocol was established specifically for C. burnetii . Each environmental sample type has its advantages and limitations which are discussed in detail and a simplified framework to guide decisions around environmental sampling for C. burnetii is provided. In any type of environmental sampling, it is recommended to use standardized and validated methods and to match the most ideal sampling strategy and timing with the research context. These conditions are essential to be considered when designing future Q fever management plans that involve environmental sampling for C. burnetii .