[Review on the laboratory diagnosis of Q-fever]

ABSTRACT

Coxiella burnetii is the etiologic agent of a zoonotic disease which named Q-fever in humans and coxiellosis in animals. This bacterium can survive in the environment out of the specific host. Accordingly, it categorized by the CDC in bioterrorism agents 'category B. Consequently, rapid detection of the bacterium administrates the treatment of disease. A review study on the different researches on laboratory diagnosis field in the world and Iran scientific databases was conducted. This paper includes biological safety, cultivation and detection assays. Detection of Coxiella burnetii can be done by classical methods [isolation, cultivation in the appropriate cell line such as P388D1, J774, and L929], serologic tests [immunofluorescence, micro immunofluorescence, complement fixation test and ELISA] and molecular biology methods [PCR, Nested PCR and Real Time PCR]. While have existed kinds of detection methods for this agent, costly, need to specific laboratory and time consuming are the limitation of the mentioned techniques. Molecular methods due to accuracy and high rapidity in detection can be effective