Q Fever

Description

Q Fever is a zoonotic infection caused by Coxiella burnetii. Infections can occur in man as well as ruminants (e.g. abortion in sheep and goats).

Diagnosis and tests available

Diagnosis

Use of histopathology and special stains to see causative organisms in fixed placenta is diagnostic. The complement fixation test is not a reliable test for Q Fever and is used only for export certification.

Tests available

Test	Sample(s) required	Species	Days of the week test is conducted	Turnaround time^1,2
Q fever CFT	Clotted blood (red top tube)	Caprine, Canine, other species	Monday to Friday	Up to 5 days
Q fever ELISA	Clotted blood (red top tube), lithium heparin blood (green top tube)	Bovine, Ovine, Caprine	Thursday and Friday	Up to 5 days
Q Fever ab ELISA (Multispecies)*	Clotted blood, Lith Hep	Camelid	Monday to Friday	Up to 5D
Q Fever C. burnetti IFAT < 8 samples*	Clotted blood	Camelid	Monday to Friday	Up to 5D
Q Fever C. burnetti IFAT 1-16 samples*	Clotted blood	Camelid	Monday to Friday	Up to 5D
Q Fever C. burnetti IFAT 17-32 samples*	Clotted blood	Camelid	Monday to Friday	Up to 5D
Q Fever C. burnetti IFAT >33 samples*	Clotted blood	Camelid	Monday to Friday	Up to 5D
Q-Fever (Coxiella burnetii) PCR*	Placental tissue, semen, faeces	Bovine, Ovine, Caprine, Equine	Monday to Friday	Up to 5D
Histopathology	Fixed tissue or aborted foetus	All species	Monday to Friday	Up to 5 days
Histopathology-special stains	Fixed tissue or aborted foetus	All species	Monday to Friday	2-5 days

¹Turnaround times are provided as a guide only. For specific information about your submission please contact Customer Service.

²D (number of working days) and W (number of weeks). Test TAT does not include weekends and public holidays.

Note

Blood samples collected in vacutainer containing separation gel are not suitable for CFT. The high background titres in gel serum samples can result in false positive reactions. Plain tubes are recommended for blood collection.

Additional Information

Specimen requirements

Aborted foetus
Sheep/goat foetus and placenta. Submit chilled.
Blood (with anti-coagulant)
10 ml of blood collected into a lithium heparin treated tube. Submitted chilled.
Blood (without anti-coagulant)
10 ml of blood (including at least 2ml of serum) collected into a plain red top tube. Submit chilled.
Fixed tissue
Range of foetal tissues and placental membranes. Submit fixed in neutral buffered formalin at a 10:1 ratio of formalin: tissue.

Customer Service

Contact Customer Service for enquiries relating to testing and results, quotations and pricing, couriers, sample submission and invoicing.

NSW DPI's laboratories are committed to continual improvement of services. If you would like to provide feedback, please fill in and submit the online feedback form.

CONTACT DETAILS
Phone	1800 675 623
Email	laboratory.services@dpi.nsw.gov.au
Operating Hours	8:30am-4:30pm Monday-Friday (excluding public holidays) 8:30am-12:00pm Saturday (for deliveries only)
Postal Address	Private Bag 4008, Narellan NSW 2567

Quotations

For Animal export, Plant health or Veterinary quotations, please complete the online quotation request

For Edible oil & oilseed or Feed quality quotations and pricing enquiries, please contact DPI AgEnviro Labs at Wagga Wagga on (02) 6938 1957

For Plant nutrition, Soil health or Water quality quotations and pricing enquiries, please contact DPI AgEnviro Labs at Wollongbar on (02) 6626 1103

Submission Forms

Veterinary Specimen Advice Form

Please Note: These documents are not fully web accessible, please contact Customer Service (laboratory.services@dpi.nsw.gov.au) for more information.

Courier services and specimen delivery

For NSW submissions, please contact the relevant Customer Service team for courier account details and to order consignment notes.

For submitters outside of NSW, Couriers can be contacted directly to make bookings and arrange collection of packages at the submitters own cost.

Commercial couriers may use either road or air transport and specimens should therefore be packed in accordance with International Air Transport Association (IATA) requirements. Most submission sent by veterinarians to the SVDL for testing are defined as “Biological Substance Category B” and must be packed according to the IATA packing instructions 650 (Biological Substance Category B). As requirements for transport can change, customers should consult with their transport agent to obtain current requirements.

Samples may also be hand delivered to the site during normal business hours (8.30am - 4.30pm).

Sample Type	Laboratory	Street Address
Animal (including aquatic animals)	NSW Animal and Plant Health Laboratories (APHL)	EMAI, Woodbridge Road, Menangle NSW 2568