Intracellular Life of Coxiella burnetii in Macrophages: Insight into Q Fever Immunopathology

Coxiella burnetii, an obligate intracellular bacterium, causes Q fever, a severe infectious disease. Its high infectivity results in large outbreaks and makes C. burnetii a potential biological weapon. C. burnetii survives within monocytes/ macrophages through a strategy based on the subversion of receptor-mediated phagocytosis and the prevention of phagosome maturation. In addition, the intracellular life of C. burnetii clearly depends on modulation of the cytokine network. This review describes how C. burnetii circumvents the normal trafficking routes from uptake to phagosome maturation and the role of immunoregulatory cytokines on C. burnetii survival in macrophages.