Q fever is a zoonosis caused by Coxiella burnetii, an obligate intracellular bacterium. Domestic ungulates and parturient cats are the primary reservoirs of infection. The animals excrete the bacterium in urine, faeces, milk and amniotic fluid. After desiccation the micro-organism spreads via aerosols. After inhalation or ingestion and an incubation period of 2-6 weeks acute Q fever may develop with atypical pneumonia and hepatitis as major clinical symptoms. The infection also may present as a flu-like illness or remain asymptomatic. Generally, the prognosis is favourable. However, endocarditis or another chronic form of Q fever occasionally develops with possibly fatal outcome. Diagnosis relies upon serologic testing with an indirect immunofluorescence method. Doxycycline is the antibiotic of choice in the treatment of Q fever. Endocarditis needs therapy for years with the addition of rifampin or hydroxychloroquine. Q fever is poorly recognised due to the variety of clinical presentations.
Download full-text PDF |
Source |
|---|
Publication Analysis
Top Keywords
Similar Publications
A Rare Q-Fever Infection Diagnosed Using Metagenomic Next-Generation Sequencing in Liver Transplantation Patient: A Case Report and Literature Review.
Infect Drug Resist
January 2025
Department of Organ Transplantation, The Third Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, People's Republic of China.
Q fever is a zoonotic disease caused by the Gram-negative bacterium , typically transmitted through exposure to infected animal secretions. As the clinical signs of Q-fever are largely non-specific in humans, a definitive diagnosis can often be overlooked, particularly when physicians fail to consider on the list of differentials. This case report describes Q-fever in a male patient who had previously undergone orthotopic liver transplantation.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFReal-time PCR detection of Coxiella burnetii in dairy products in Kwara State, Nigeria: a public health concern.
BMC Vet Res
January 2025
Department of Food Hygiene and Environmental Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
Background: Coxiella burnetii is the etiological agent of Q fever in humans, a zoonosis of increasingly important public health concern. The disease results in significant economic losses to livestock farmers and its presence in ready-to-eat dairy products poses a public health threat to consumers.
Aim: This study aimed to detect Coxiella burnetii in dairy products in Kwara State, Nigeria.
Molecular Testing of Zoonotic Bacteria in Cattle, Sheep, and Goat Abortion Cases in Botswana.
Microorganisms
December 2024
Animal Production and Health Laboratory, Joint FAO/IAEA Centre of Nuclear Techniques in Food and Agriculture, Department of Nuclear Sciences and Applications, International Atomic Energy Agency, Wagramer Strasse 5, P.O. Box 100, 1400 Vienna, Austria.
Abortion is one of the major causes of economic losses in livestock production worldwide. Because several factors can lead to abortion in cattle, sheep and goats, laboratory diagnosis, including the molecular detection of pathogens causing abortion, is often necessary. Bacterial zoonotic diseases such as brucellosis, coxiellosis, leptospirosis, and listeriosis have been implicated in livestock abortion, but they are under diagnosed and under-reported in most developing countries, including Botswana.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFComparison of Paired Immunofluorescent Antibody Serology and Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction Testing for the Detection of Acute Q Fever among Febrile Patients in Kilimanjaro, Tanzania, 2012-2014.
Am J Trop Med Hyg
December 2024
Division of Infectious Diseases and International Health, Department of Medicine, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina.
Acute Q fever diagnosis via paired serology is problematic because it requires follow-up for convalescent sample collection; as such, it cannot provide a diagnosis to inform a treatment decision at the time of acute presentation. Real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) may be a useful approach for the diagnosis of acute Q fever in endemic settings. Among febrile patients enrolled in a sentinel surveillance study for Q fever at two referral hospitals in Moshi, Tanzania, from 2012 to 2014, we analyzed those with paired sera for IgG to Coxiella burnetii (C.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFTaqMan Array Card real-time polymerase chain reaction panel to detect pathogens in whole blood of febrile inpatients in northern Tanzania, 2016-2019.
Trop Med Int Health
December 2024
Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Centre, Moshi, Tanzania.
Background: Acute febrile illness is a common reason for seeking healthcare in low- and middle-income countries. We describe the diagnostic utility of a TaqMan Array Card (TAC) real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) panel for pathogen detection in paediatric and adult inpatients admitted with febrile illness.
Methods: In this prospective cohort study, we screened medical admissions for a tympanic temperature ≥38.
Want AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?
Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!