{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,27]],"date-time":"2026-07-27T06:01:56Z","timestamp":1785132116750,"version":"3.55.0"},"reference-count":36,"publisher":"Frontiers Media SA","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,27]],"date-time":"2026-07-27T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1785110400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["frontiersin.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Front. Epidemiol."],"abstract":"<jats:p>\n                    <jats:italic>Coxiella burnetii<\/jats:italic>\n                    is a zoonotic bacterial agent responsible for Q fever in both humans and animals. Ruminants are the most common livestock species associated with Q fever infections in humans. The disease presentation in humans range from asymptomatic, non-specific symptoms to fatal illness. In Kenya, no healthcare indicators seek to clinically diagnose and report Q fever because there are no readily available diagnostic technologies. We conducted a prospective observational study with paired serological sampling leveraging on the existing equipment in the Kajiado County referral laboratory to demonstrate antibodies to\n                    <jats:italic>Coxiella burnetii<\/jats:italic>\n                    in sera of febrile patients presenting with Brucella-like symptoms using the indirect immunofluorescent assay (IFA) and a fluorescent microscope provided for diagnosis of tuberculosis. A total of 100 paired blood samples were obtained from consenting and assenting study subjects. A pilot-tested questionnaire was used to collect patient's socio-demographic information, knowledge of Q fever disease, and community practices that put them at risk of exposure.\n                    <jats:italic>Coxiella burnetii<\/jats:italic>\n                    phase I (IgG) and phase II (IgM) antibodies were characterized, while Brucella spp. IgG antibodies were demonstrated using an indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (iELISA) and febrile Brucella agglutination test (FBAT). The overall seroprevalence of\n                    <jats:italic>C. burnetii<\/jats:italic>\n                    IgG and IgM antibodies was 49% and 27%, respectively, compared to only 13% reactivity with Brucella ELISA. Q fever prevalence substantially exceeded that of brucellosis in patients presenting with brucellosis-like symptoms in this pastoral community, suggesting a substantial burden of undiagnosed Q fever.\n                  <\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3389\/fepid.2026.1824266","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,27]],"date-time":"2026-07-27T05:41:29Z","timestamp":1785130889000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["High prevalence of Q fever among patients clinically diagnosed with brucellosis in a Kenyan pastoralist community"],"prefix":"10.3389","volume":"6","author":[{"given":"Esther","family":"Lemarkoko","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Medical Services and Public Health, Kajiado County Referral Hospital","place":["Kajiado, Kajiado County, Kenya"]},{"name":"Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, Medical School, Mount Kenya University","place":["Thika, Kenya"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Pauline","family":"Gitonga","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Centre for Epidemiological Modelling and Analysis (CEMA), The University of Nairobi","place":["Nairobi, Kenya"]},{"name":"Department of Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University","place":["Fort Collins, CO, United States"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Stanley","family":"Kang\u2019ethe","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, Medical School, Mount Kenya University","place":["Thika, Kenya"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Aggrey","family":"Keya","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Medical Services and Public Health, Kajiado County Referral Hospital","place":["Kajiado, Kajiado County, Kenya"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Luciano","family":"Wairungu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Medical Services and Public Health, Kajiado County Referral Hospital","place":["Kajiado, Kajiado County, Kenya"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Ryan","family":"Musasia","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Centre for Epidemiological Modelling and Analysis (CEMA), The University of Nairobi","place":["Nairobi, Kenya"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Brian","family":"Ogoti","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Centre for Epidemiological Modelling and Analysis (CEMA), The University of Nairobi","place":["Nairobi, Kenya"]},{"name":"Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, The University of Nairobi","place":["Nairobi, 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