Coxiella burnetii 12-well

Coxiella, the etiologic agent of Q-fever, are gamma-proteobacteria of the family Legionellaceae. The antibody response to infections by Coxiella burnetii is directed against both lipopolysaccharide and outer-membrane protein antigens, and is most often detected using standard MIF methods. The phase variation in this agent is utilized, as well as immunoglobulin class-specific assays (IgG, IgM and IgA), to differentiate serologically between acute, convalescent and chronic infections. Whereas reactivity to phase I antigen is dominant in chronic disease, reactivity to phase II antigen is dominant in primary acute-convalescent sera.