BibTeX
@MISC{Burnetii_•section,
author = {Agent Coxiella Burnetii},
title = {• Section IV: Rickettsial Agents},
year = {}
}
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Abstract
Coxiella burnetii is the etiologic agent of Q fever. C. burnetii is a bacterial obligate intracellular pathogen that undergoes its developmental cycle within an acidic vacuolar compartment exhibiting many characteristics of a phagolysosome. The developmental cycle consists of a large (approximately 1 μm in length) cell variant that is believed to be the more metabolically active, replicative cell type and a smaller, more structurally stable cell variant that is highly infectious and quite resistant to drying and environmental conditions. 1‐4 The organism undergoes a virulent (Phase I) to avirulent (Phase II) transition upon serial laboratory passage in eggs or tissue culture. The infectious dose of virulent Phase I organisms in laboratory animals has been calculated to be as small as a single organism. 5 The estimated human infectious dose for Q fever by inhalation is approximately 10 organisms. 6 Typically, the disease manifests with flu‐like symptoms including fever, headache, and myalgia but can also cause pneumonia and hepatomegaly. Infections range from sub‐clinical to severe although primary infections respond readily to antibiotic treatment. Although rare, C. burnetii is known to cause chronic infections such as endocarditis or granulomatous hepatitis. 7 OCCUPATIONAL INFECTIONS
Keyphrases
section iv rickettsial agent developmental cycle environmental condition phase ii chronic infection cell variant replicative cell type human infectious dose virulent phase laboratory animal etiologic agent primary infection occupational infection acidic vacuolar compartment antibiotic treatment bacterial obligate intracellular pathogen single organism serial laboratory passage many characteristic coxiella burnetii stable cell variant granulomatous hepatitis tissue culture infectious dose
