Follow-up of 686 Patients With Acute Q Fever and Detection of Chronic Infection

Background. Recent outbreaks in the Netherlands allowed for laboratory follow-up of a large series of patients with acute Q fever and for evaluation of test algorithms to detect chronic Q fever, a condition with considerable morbidity and mortality. Methods. For 686 patients with acute Q fever, IgG antibodies to Coxiella burnetii were determined using an immunofluorescence assay at 3, 6, and 12 months of follow-up. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was performed after 12 months and on earlier serum samples with an IgG phase I antibody titer $1:1024. Results. In 43 % of patients, the IgG phase II antibody titers remained high ($1:1024) at 3, 6, and 12 months of follow-up. Three months after acute Q fever, 14 % of the patients had an IgG phase I titer $1:1024, which became negative later in 81%. IgG phase I antibody titers were rarely higher than phase II titers. Eleven cases of chronic Q fever were identified on the basis of serological profile, PCR results, and clinical presentation. Six of these patients were known to have clinical risk factors at the time of acute Q fever. In a comparison of various serological algorithms, IgG phase I titer$1:1024 at 6 months had the most favorable sensitivity and positive predictive value for the detection of chronic Q fever. Conclusions. The wide variation of serological and PCR results during the follow-up of acute Q fever implies that the diagnosis of chronic Q fever, necessitating long-term antibiotic treatment, must be based primarily o