How Q Fever Invades and Replicates Inside Killer Immune Cells
As part of its life cycle Coxiella burnetii, the bacterial pathogen responsible for Q fever, replicates inside a membrane-bound compartment or "parasitophorous vacuole" (PV) within immune cells. The organism manipulates macrophages to create the PV as well as optimal conditions for growth.
Circumstantial evidence has suggested that C. burnetii is able to exert this control using proteins that are delivered via a mechanism called a Dot/Icm type IVB secretion system (T4BSS) which is critical for successful parasitism of macrophages by the organism.
Using new genetic tools, researchers from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and the University of Arkansas for Medical Science have finally verified that Dot/Icm function is in fact essential for productive infection of human macrophages by C. burnetii.
The research was published in mBio, an open access online journal published by the American Society for Microbiology to make microbiology research broadly accessible.
The CDC at a Crossroads: Budget Cuts, Public Health, and the Growing Threat of Infectious Diseases
March 12th 2025Budget cuts to the CDC threaten disease surveillance, outbreak response, and public health programs, increasing risks from measles, avian flu, and future pandemics while straining health care infrastructure nationwide.
Standing Up for Science: A Rally Participant’s Perspective
March 11th 2025Infection Control Today's Editorial Advisory Board member and contributing editor, Heather Stoltzfus, MPH, RN, CIC, recently joined the Stand Up for Science rally in Washington, DC. She gives a first-person perspective on the rally and the rally-goers' strong message.
