Q Fever Query Fever

What is Q fever and what Can I get Q fever? How can I protect my animal causes it? Yes. People usually get Q fever by from Q fever? Q fever (the Q stands for query) is breathing (aerosol) contaminated Keep pregnant livestock separate a disease caused by the bacterium, barnyard dust or by direct contact from other animals. Burn or bury the Coxiella burnetii (Cox-EE-ell-uh bur- with infected animals while assisting remaining reproductive tissues after net-EE-eye). The disease is found with the delivery of newborn animals. abortions or delivery of newborn ani- worldwide, except for New Zealand. Occasionally people can get Q fever mals to reduce the spread of the dis- It can cause reproduction problems by drinking (oral) contaminated milk ease between animals. Take great care in livestock and severe respiratory or from tick bites (vector). when handling these tissues to avoid (lung) and liver disease in humans. Symptoms of Q fever include fever, your exposure to Q fever. If you sus- chills, night sweats, headache, fatigue pect Q fever contact your veterinarian What animals get Q fever? and chest pains. Pneumonia (lung for information on how properly to Sheep, goats and cattle are most infection) and hepatitis (infl amma- dispose of possibly infected tissue. likely to get Q fever. Other animals tion of the liver) can occur in serious How can I protect myself that can get the disease include dogs, cases. In pregnant women, infections cats, rabbits, horses, pigs, camels, buf- can cause premature delivery, abor- from Q fever? falo, rodents, and some birds. tion and infection of the placenta. In Avoid contact with the placenta, birth tissues, fetal membranes and How can my animal get people with pre-existing heart valve disease, endocarditis (infl ammation aborted fetuses of sheep, cattle and Q fever? of the heart valves) may occur. goats. If you are assisting the deliv- Animals get Q fever through con- ery of newborn animals, wear gloves, tact with body fl uids or secretions Who should I contact, if I masks and eye protection. People (milk, urine, feces or birthing prod- suspect Q fever? with heart valve disease, who have ucts [amniotic fl uid, placenta]) from In Animals – had valve replacements or pregnant infected animals. This may occur from Contact your veterinarian. women should be especially careful direct contact, ingestion (oral), or In Humans – around pregnant sheep, cattle and indirect contact through objects con- Contact your physician. goats. Eat and drink only pasteur- taminated with these materials (fomi- ized milk and milk products. There is tes). The bacteria is very hardy in the a vaccine available (in some areas) for environment and can survive for long people who work around pregnant periods. This can lead to infection by sheep and goats. inhaling (aerosol) the bacteria from Q Fever contaminated barnyard dust. Ticks is caused by the bacterium, For More Information (vector) can also spread infection Coxiella burnetii CFSPH Technical Fact Sheets. Q Fever between animals. which causes reproductive problems in at http://www.cfsph.iastate.edu/ DiseaseInfo/ How does Q fever affect many animal species. my animal? CDC website. Q Fever at http://www. cdc.gov/ncidod/diseases/submenus/ The most common sign of infec- sub_q_fever.htm tion in animals is abortion during late pregnancy. However, most animals do not show any signs of illness with Q fever.

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