Potential Q Fever Infection in Travelers
May 21, 2010
IDPH says physicians should consider Q fever in patients with febrile illness, pneumonia or hepatitis who have recently been in Iraq or the Netherlands. Q fever, caused by Coxiella burnetii, usually occurs after inhalation of aerosolized organisms from placental material, birth fluids, and excreta of infected animals. Direct animal contact is not required; the organism can be spread by dust or wind. Rarely, infections occur after ingestion of contaminated dairy products and human-to-ill human sexual contact.
An unexplained febrile illness, sometimes accompanied by pneumonia or hepatitis or both, is the most common clinical presentation. Illness onset typically occurs within two to three weeks of exposure.
Serologic testing for Q fever is available at the University Hygienic Laboratory. Doxycycline (100mg twice a day for two to three weeks) is the treatment of choice for acute Q fever. For additional information on Q fever, visit www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvrd/qfever/index.htm.