Q Fever Seroepidemiology and Associated Risk Factors in Veterinarians and Vet Staff in Southern Khorasan, Iran, 2014

Q fever is a zoonosis with a worldwide distribution; this disease is a public health concern in many countries. The aim of this study was to determine the association between risk factors with Q fever seropositivity among veterinarians and vet staff in Southern Khorasan.
Questionnaires were prepared and 92 blood samples were obtained from all veterinary staff in the South Khorasan (East of Iran). The serum samples were tested with an indirect ELISA kit (anti body phase II); then, SPSS version 19.0 was employed to analyze the data using descriptive statistics and a confidence interval of 95%, chi-square test, and logistic regression.
The results showed that 50 serum samples (54.35%) were positive and the results of data analysis with logistic regression indicated an association between seropositivity and contact with animal secretions and abortive materials. There was no correlation between seroprevalence and age, gender, work experience, education, use of unpasteurized dairy products, knowledge of disease, and clinical findings.
In conclusion, the present study showed a high seropositivity rate among vet staff which indicates that further attention should be paid to this disease in these groups.