Gert van der Hoek
In Memoriam - Editor, Senior Moderator
Appl Environ Microbiol. 2011 Jan 21. [Epub ahead of print]
SNP-genotyping of a Coxiella burnetii outbreak in the Netherlands.
Huijsmans CJ, Schellekens JJ, Wever PC, Toman R, Savelkoul PH, Janse I, Hermans MH.
Abstract
Coxiella burnetii is the etiological agent of Q-fever. Currently, The Netherlands is facing the largest Q-fever epidemic ever with almost 4,000 notified human cases. Although the presence of a hypervirulent strain is hypothesized, epidemiological evidence, such as animal reservoir(s) and genotype of C. burnetii strain(s) involved, is still lacking.
We developed a Single Nucleotide Polymorphism (SNP)-genotyping assay directly applicable to clinical samples. Ten discriminatory SNPs were carefully selected and detected by real time PCR. SNP-genotyping appeared highly suitable for discrimination of C. burnetii strains and easy to perform on clinical samples. With this new method we show that the Dutch outbreak is caused by at least 5 different C. burnetii genotypes. SNP-typing of 14 human samples from the outbreak revealed the presence of 3 dissimilar genotypes.
Two genotypes were also present in livestock at 9 farms in the outbreak area. SNP analyses of bulk milk from 5 other farms, commercial cow milk and cow colostrum revealed 2 additional genotypes that were not detected in humans. SNP-genotyping data from clinical samples clearly demonstrate that at least 5 different C. burnetii genotypes are involved in the Dutch outbreak.
Pubmed
SNP-genotyping of a Coxiella burnetii outbreak in the Netherlands.
Huijsmans CJ, Schellekens JJ, Wever PC, Toman R, Savelkoul PH, Janse I, Hermans MH.
Abstract
Coxiella burnetii is the etiological agent of Q-fever. Currently, The Netherlands is facing the largest Q-fever epidemic ever with almost 4,000 notified human cases. Although the presence of a hypervirulent strain is hypothesized, epidemiological evidence, such as animal reservoir(s) and genotype of C. burnetii strain(s) involved, is still lacking.
We developed a Single Nucleotide Polymorphism (SNP)-genotyping assay directly applicable to clinical samples. Ten discriminatory SNPs were carefully selected and detected by real time PCR. SNP-genotyping appeared highly suitable for discrimination of C. burnetii strains and easy to perform on clinical samples. With this new method we show that the Dutch outbreak is caused by at least 5 different C. burnetii genotypes. SNP-typing of 14 human samples from the outbreak revealed the presence of 3 dissimilar genotypes.
Two genotypes were also present in livestock at 9 farms in the outbreak area. SNP analyses of bulk milk from 5 other farms, commercial cow milk and cow colostrum revealed 2 additional genotypes that were not detected in humans. SNP-genotyping data from clinical samples clearly demonstrate that at least 5 different C. burnetii genotypes are involved in the Dutch outbreak.
Pubmed