Frequency of Seropositivity for anti-Coxiella Burnetii (Phase II) among Veterinary Staff in Southern Khorasan, Iran, in 2014

Background and Aims: Q fever is a public health concern in many countries especially in recent years. There are a few studies in Iran. This study aimed to determine the seropositivity for Q fever among veterinary staff in southern Khorasan, Iran. Methods: 92 serum samples were obtained from all veterinary employees and tested using an indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The data including age, sex, education, having contact with the secretion of cattle abortion, and keeping animal in house were analyzed using descriptive statistics and confidence interval of 95%, and chi-square and logistic regression tests. Results: Totally, 54.3% of serum samples were positive (57.1% in men and 40.0% in women). The results of logistic regression showed that in people who had contact with the secretions of cattle abortion the odds ratio was 2.3 times more than those who had not contact with livestock abortion. Other factors did not show any significant relationship. Conclusion: These data indicate high seropositivity in veterinary staff of southern Khorasan. Thus, training this high-risk group of people looks to be necessary to prevent the disease. In addition, complementary studies in other parts of Iran are suggested to clarify the epidemiological aspects of Q fever in this group.