Q fever (early)

Causes and Risks:
Q fever is caused by the organism Coxiella burnetii. This organism primarily lives in domestic animals (cattle, sheep, and goats), cats, wild animals, and ticks .

The organism is not usually transmitted directly from animals or ticks to humans. Instead, indirect transmission of the organism occurs. Humans contract the disease after having contact with contaminated materials (materials that have been contaminated with the animal's feces, blood, placenta, etc.), after inhaling contaminated dust or droplets, or after ingestion of contaminated food or raw (unpateurized) milk.

The incubation period is 2 to 3 weeks (sometimes as short as 1 week). The disorder may range from no symptoms to moderately severe symptoms resembling influenza . If symptoms occur, they may last for several weeks.

Occupations that involve a risk for infection include slaughterhouse workers, veterinarians, researchers, food processors, and sheep and cattle workers.

This disorder is occasionally seen in children, especially those who live on a farm. It is usually found in children less than 3 years old during a work-up to discover tha cause of pneumonia .

Prevention:
Pasteurization of mild destroys Coxiella organisms. Adequate cooking of foodstuffs renders them safe.

Domestic animals should be inspected for signs of the disease.

Symptoms:
Common symptoms include:

Other symptoms that may develop include:



Signs and Tests:
Physical examination may reveal an enlarged liver and spleen.

Tests:

This disease may also alter the results of a febrile/cold agglutinins test.

Treatment:
Treatment with antibiotics can suppress the symptoms and shorten the length of the illness. Antibiotics that are commonly used include any of the tetracycline derivatives, doxycycline, rifampin, and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole. Chloramphenicol may also used.

Note: oral tetracycline is usually not prescribed for children until after all the permanent teeth have erupted; it can permanently discolor teeth that are still forming.

Prognosis:
As a general rule, recovery occurs even with out treatment. However, complications, when they occur, can be very serious and sometimes even life-threatening. It is recommended that this disorder be treated any time that it is recognized as the cause of symptoms.

Complications:



Call Your Healthcare Provider:
Call your health care provider if symptoms of Q fever develop.

Also call if you have been treated for this disorder and symptoms return, or if new symptoms develop.


This is a magnified photograph of a mite. Mites are carriers (vectors) of many important diseases including typhus (scrub and murine) and rickettsialpox. (Courtesy of the Centers for Disease Control.)