Q-FEVER (COXIELLA-BURNETII) RESERVOIR IN WILD BROWN-RAT (RATTUS-NORVEGICUS) POPULATIONS IN THE UK

Seroprevalence of Coxiella burnetii, the causal agent of Q fever in hu mans, was examined in wild brown rat populations from 4 Oxfordshire fa rmsteads (n = 127), 9 Somerset homesteads (n = 98), and 1 captive encl osure (n = 88) in the UK. Seroprevalence ranged between 7 and 53 %, th e lowest being within the captive population and the highest on dairy farmsteads with sheep present. This is the first reported investigatio n of C. burnetii in wild rats outside India. We suggest that the high seroprevalence among rats (i) provides evidence that wild rats constit ute an important reservoir for C. burnetii in the UK, and (ii) explain s why cats, as frequent predators of rats, are so important in the epi demiology of this disease.