Work-Related Diseases
Find information on occupational work-related diseases including diseases, category and group, synonyms, severity, latency, risk factors, signs and symptoms, diagnosis, prognosis, and treatments and options.
Q fever
Occupational Disease Q fever
Q fever Category Infection, Occupational
Q fever Severity
Acute-Severe
Q fever Synonyms
Query fever; Coxiella burnettii infection
Information on Q fever Symptoms, Diagnosis, Prognosis, Screening and Imaging
Q fever is an occupational hazard for laboratory workers, veterinarians, meat packers, and sheep handlers. "Infected animals, including sheep and house cats, are usually asymptomatic, but shed massive numbers of organisms in placental tissues at parturition." Contaminated clothing may transmit the infection from person to person. Use of an investigational vaccine is recommended for laboratory workers handling the pathogen. The case-mortality rate may be as high as 2.4 % in untreated cases. [Chin, p. 407-11] Q fever is usually a 1-2 week self-limited febrile illness. One half of patients have pneumonia by chest x-ray, but only 1/2 of these have a nonproductive cough. Hepatitis develops in 1/3 of cases. ELISA testing can detect specific antibodies 2 weeks into the illness. About 1/3 of patients have leucocytosis. [http://www.usamriid.army.mil/education/bluebook.html] Transient thrombocytpenia occurs in some patients. [CDC - Q Fever]
Q fever Latency
2-3 weeks
Q fever References
http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvrd/qfever/index.htm