There is no effective treatment to stop shedding Coxiella burnetii.

• A. False
• B. True
• C. Only in goats
• D. Only during gestation

Answer: (B)

Coxiella burnetii shedding is not reliably stopped by treatment. Antibiotics can treat clinical illness in humans and may reduce bacterial load temporarily, but they do not guarantee elimination of the organism from the animal or consistent cessation of shedding. As a result, there isn’t a practical therapy that stops shedding across infected herds. Control relies more on preventive measures—like vaccination and good farm management—to reduce shedding and environmental contamination rather than relying on cures after infection. Shedding is not limited to goats or to a gestational window; it occurs across multiple ruminants and is especially associated with parturition, not exclusively during gestation.