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Detection of phase I IgG antibodies to Coxiella burnetii with EIA as a screening test for blood donations

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Abstract

The presence of a high phase I IgG antibody titre may indicate chronic infection and a risk for the transmission of Coxiella burnetii through blood transfusion. The outbreak of Q fever in the Netherlands allowed for the comparison of an enzyme immunoassay (EIA) with the reference immunofluorescence assay (IFA) in a large group of individuals one year after acute Q fever. EIA is 100 % sensitive in detecting high (≥1:1,024) phase I IgG antibody titres. The cost of screening with EIA and confirming all EIA-positive results with IFA is much lower than screening all donations with IFA. This should be taken into account in cost-effectiveness analyses of screening programmes.

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Acknowledgements

Bart Versteeg organised the laboratory database.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centre for Infectious Disease Control, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, A. van Leeuwenhoeklaan 9, P.O. Box 1, 3720 BA, Bilthoven, The Netherlands

    W. van der Hoek, C. C. H. Wielders, B. Schimmer & P. M. Schneeberger

  2. Department of Medical Microbiology and Infection Control, Jeroen Bosch Hospital, ‘s-Hertogenbosch, The Netherlands

    C. C. H. Wielders, J. Meekelenkamp & P. M. Schneeberger

  3. Laboratory for Pathology and Medical Microbiology (PAMM), Veldhoven, The Netherlands

    M. C. A. Wegdam-Blans

  4. Department of Blood-borne Infections, Sanquin Blood Supply Foundation, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

    H. L. Zaaijer

  5. Medical Microbiology, Academic Medical Centre, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

    H. L. Zaaijer

Authors
  1. W. van der Hoek
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  2. C. C. H. Wielders
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  3. B. Schimmer
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  4. M. C. A. Wegdam-Blans
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  5. J. Meekelenkamp
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  6. H. L. Zaaijer
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  7. P. M. Schneeberger
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to W. van der Hoek.

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van der Hoek, W., Wielders, C.C.H., Schimmer, B. et al. Detection of phase I IgG antibodies to Coxiella burnetii with EIA as a screening test for blood donations. Eur J Clin Microbiol Infect Dis 31, 3207–3209 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10096-012-1686-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10096-012-1686-7

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