Q fever

Abstract

Q fever is a zoonosis caused by the obligate intracellular bacterium Coxiella burnetii. North Queensland has some of the highest rates of Q fever notifications in Australia. The clinical diagnosis of Q fever can be difficult with non-specific symptoms. Up to 5% of cases will develop chronic Q fever with a high likelihood of endocarditis. Diagnosis is essentially by serology. In North Queensland cases have clustered in relatively new, semi-rural suburbs which lie adjacent to native bushland. Native mammals are attracted to new growth in these cleared areas, particularly after the wet season. There is little or no occupational contact with traditional sources of Q fever such as cattle. Seroprevalence studies on native mammals have shown higher levels of seropositivity in native mammals than in cattle. It is postulated that the increase in human cases seen from these areas are a direct effect of interaction between native mammals and humans. Further studies on environmental sampling is currently under way.