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Reactivation of Q fever following cardiac surgery

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Abstract

To determine whether reactivation of Q fever occurs following cardiac surgery 43 patients who had antibodies toCoxiella burnetii were identified pre-operatively. Serum samples were collected 1, 4 to 6, and 24 weeks post-operatively. One patient had active Q fever endocarditis. Seven of the remaining 42 (17 %) had a ≥ fourfold rise in titres for antibodies toCoxiella burnetii post-operatively. Only two of these seven had an increase in antibody titres for other agents suggesting that the fourfold titre rise forCoxiella burnetii was not part of a polyclonal response. It is concluded that self-limited reactivation of infection may occur amongCoxiella burnetii seropositive patients undergoing open heart surgery.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Medicine, Dalhousi University and Victoria General Hospital, 1278 Tower Road, B3H 2Y9, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada

    T. J. Marrie, J. Cunning & P. Durnford

  2. Department of Microbiology, Dalhousi University and Victoria General Hospital, 1278 Tower Road, B3H 2Y9, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada

    T. J. Marrie

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  1. T. J. Marrie
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  2. J. Cunning
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  3. P. Durnford
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Marrie, T.J., Cunning, J. & Durnford, P. Reactivation of Q fever following cardiac surgery. Eur. J. Clin. Microbiol. Infect. Dis. 11, 833–836 (1992). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01960885

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