Proximity to Goat Farms and Coxiella burnetii Seroprevalence among Pregnant Women

Wim van der Hoek

, Jamie C.E. Meekelenkamp, Frederika Dijkstra, Daan W. Notermans, Ben Bom, Piet Vellema, Ariene Rietveld, Yvonne T.H.P. van Duynhoven, and Alexander C.A.P. Leenders

Author affiliations: National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, Bilthoven, the Netherlands (W. van der Hoek, F. Dijkstra, D.W. Notermans, B. Bom, Y.T.H.P. van Duynhoven); Jeroen Bosch Hospital, ’s-Hertogenbosch, the Netherlands (J.C.E. Meekelenkamp, A.C.A.P. Leenders); Animal Health Service, Deventer, the Netherlands (P. Vellema); Municipal Health Service “Hart voor Brabant,” ’s-Hertogenbosch (A. Rietveld)

Abstract

During 2007–2009, we tested serum samples from 2,004 pregnant women living in an area of high Q fever incidence in the Netherlands. Results confirmed that presence of antibodies against Coxiella burnetii is related to proximity to infected dairy goat farms. Pregnant women and patients with certain cardiovascular conditions should avoid these farms.

Dairy goat farms were implicated in the large Q fever epidemic (>3,500 human cases) in the Netherlands during 2007–2009 (1,2). However, most human infections remain asymptomatic or appear as a self-limiting febrile illness and are therefore not reported. Seroprevalence studies are needed to discover the true infection pressure in the population. We aimed to establish whether the presence of antibodies to Coxiella burnetii, the etiologic agent of Q fever, is associated with physical proximity to infected small ruminant (dairy sheep and goat) farms.

Suggested citation for this article: van der Hoek W, Meekelenkamp JCE, Dijkstra F, Notermans DW, Bom B, Vellema P, et al. Proximity to goat farms and Coxiella burnetii seroprevalence among pregnant women. Emerg Infect Dis [serial on the Internet]. 2011 Dec [date cited]. http://dx.doi.org/10.3201/eid1712.110738