Seroepidemiology of Q fever in Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island

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Abstract
The prevalence of Coxiella burnetti infection (Q fever) was determined among Nova Scotia (N.S.) and Prince Edward Island (P.E.I.) blood donors by using the complement fixation and microimmunofluorescence (IF) test. The complement fixation and IF antibody tests measured antibody prevalence for the phase II or phase I and II antigens, respectively. Complement-fixing antibodies to phase II antigen were detected in 4.1% of 997 N.S. and 5.0% of 219 P.E.I. blood donors. Anti-phase II antibodies were detected by microimmunofluorescence in 11.8 and 14.6% of the blood donors in the two provinces, respectively. Anti-phase I antibodies were detected among 2.8% of the N.S. blood donors and 6.3% of the P.E.I. blood donors. Comparison of rates of anti-phase II IF by counties in N.S. revealed that there was at least one county where infection by C. burnetti is hyperendemic. Rates of antibody prevalence were similar in all three areas of P.E.I. examined. We conclude that "Q fever" is endemic in N.S. and P.E.I. and that the microimmunofluorescence test is more suitable than the complement fixation test for seroepidemiologic studies.