Seroprevalence of Coxiella burnetii infections among cats in different living environments.

The seroprevalence of Coxiella burnetii infection among pet cats in Japan and Korea and stray cats in Japan was investigated by an indirect fluorescent antibody technique and PCR test. Forty-four (14.2%) of 310 pet cats in Japan were seropositive, as were 15 (41.7%) of 36 stray cats in Japan and 10 (8.6%) of 116 pet cats in Korea. The antibody positive rate in stray cats was significantly higher than that in pet cats, but there was no correlation between the rates in Japanese and Korean pet cats. In this study, the prevalence of C. burnetii infection among cats in different living environments was found and it is difficult to deny that stray cats would be one of the important sources of infection for human Q fever.