Prevalence of serum antibodies toCoxiella burnetiiin Alaska Native Persons from the Pribilof Islands

Background Q fever is a febrile illness caused by infection with the bacterium Coxiella burnetii . It is most often transmitted by inhalation of the bacteria after it is shed by infected livestock. Recent studies have found very high C. burnetii infection rates among marine mammals, but it is not known if shedding by marine mammals creates a risk of Q fever among humans. To better understand infection of humans with exposure to marine mammals,...