Coxiella burnetii: Hiding in Plain Sight

Abstract

The intracellular bacterial pathogen Coxiella burnetii causes the zoonotic disease Q fever. Due to the combined traits of a very low infectious dose, significant environmental resistance, and the debilitating consequences of infection, this pathogen is considered source material for a potential biological weapon. Q fever has non-specific clinical presentation and can include both acute and life-threatening chronic sequelae. A recent outbreak of Q fever in the Netherlands, propagated by widespread infection of farmed goats, has highlighted that C. burnetii represents an important biological threat to public health but can also have a significant economic and environmental impact on agricultur..