Q Fever

Cause: Bacterium Coxiella burnetii.

Illness and treatment: Acute Q fever symptoms are fevers, chills, retrobulbar headache, malaise, weakness, and severe sweats. Chronic Q fever manifests primarily as endocarditis. Treatment is with antibiotics.

Sources: The most common reservoirs are sheep, cattle, and goats. Infected animals are usually asymptomatic, but shed the organism in birth products as well as urine, feces, and milk. A common exposure mechanism is inhalation of dust from premises contaminated by placental tissues, birth fluids, or excreta of infected animals.

Prevention: Consume only pasteurized milk and dairy products. Appropriately dispose of animal birth products. Restrict access to barns and facilities housing potentially infected animals.

Recent Washington trends: Each year there are 0 to 2 reports.

Purpose of Reporting and Surveillance

To identify the source of infection (e.g., an outbreak at a rendering plant or farm) and prevent further transmission from that source to others.
To educate potentially exposed persons about signs and symptoms of disease, thereby facilitating early diagnosis.

Legal Reporting Requirements

Health care providers and Health care facilities: notifiable to local health jurisdiction within 24 hours.
Laboratories: notifiable to local health jurisdiction within 24 hours; submission required – specimen associated with a presumptive positive result, within 2 business days
Veterinarians: animal cases notifiable to Washington State Department of Agriculture (see: https://app.leg.wa.gov/wac/default.aspx?cite=16-70)
Local health jurisdictions: notifiable to DOH Office of Communicable Disease Epidemiology (CDE) within 7 days of case investigation completion or summary information required within 21 days.