Prevalence of Coxiella burnetii DNA in vaginal and uterine samples from healthy cats of north-central Colorado

Q fever is a zoonotic disease caused by the bacterium Coxiella burnetii. It is usually linked to livestock, but people have also been infected through contact with cats giving birth. In this study, Dr. Kelly Cairns and colleagues at Colorado State University tested vaginal and uterine samples from healthy client-owned and shelter cats in north-central Colorado for C. burnetii DNA.

The bacterium was not found in any vaginal sample or in the uterine samples from shelter cats. But DNA closely matching C. burnetii turned up in uterine samples from 4 of 47 client-owned cats (8.5%). Clinically normal cats can carry the organism, so veterinary teams and owners attending a cat giving birth should avoid contact with birth fluids.

Citation: Cairns K, Brewer M, Lappin MR. Prevalence of Coxiella burnetii DNA in vaginal and uterine samples from healthy cats of north-central Colorado. Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery. 2007;9(3):196–201. doi:10.1016/j.jfms.2006.11.006

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