Q Fever Studies. XII. Certain Observations on the Relationships Between Serologic Tests for Brucellosis, Syphilis and Q Fever

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Abstract
Of 451 persons whose sera contained antibodies to Coxiella burnetii, the serum of only 1 was also found to contain Brucella antibody. This person was a veterinarian engaged in work with large animals. Of 38 persons with a "diagnostically significant" (1:80 or greater) Brucella agglutinating antibody titer, only 1 also had complement-fixing antibody, in low titer (1:16), to C. burnetii. This individual was a dairy worker. In the case of brucellosis and Q fever, therefore, difficulties in specific diagnosis due to the presence of anamnestic or non-specific reactions were rarely encountered. Antibodies to C. burnetii were no more frequently encountered in syphilitic sera than in nonsyphilitic sera. On the other hand, false positive complement-fixations for syphilis were observed in 32 (7.5%) of 427 ill individuals in whom antibodies to C. burnetii were present. A definitive diagnosis of Q fever had been made in all but 2 of the 32 patients in whom false positive tests for syphilis were observed.