Q Fever

Overview

Q fever is an illness transmitted from animals to humans. It causes mild flu-like symptoms which typically appear after two to three weeks after contracting the disease. However, in several cases, it can also become fatal an damage an individual's vital organs like lungs, heart and liver.

What is Q fever?

It is a disease caused by a bacteria called coxiella burnetii, which is found in birth products (i.e. placenta, amniotic fluid), urine, poop, and milk of infected animals as well as dust and dirt. The infected animals carry the bacteria, which can sneak into the ground where they live, reaching people.

Interestingly, back in the old days, when people started getting sick from this infection, doctors were puzzled. They had lots of questions about what was causing the fever. So, they called it "query fever," which got shortened to Q fever.

In many cases, Q-fever can get serious (called chronic Q-fever), which can damage a person's heart, blood vessels, bones, and other body parts. Only 1 to 5 out of 100 people with regular Q fever end up with this chronic one. The tricky part is it might show up months or even years after you first felt sick, and it can be dangerous. .

Symptoms of Q fever

Q fever is a sickness that can give you a lot of different problems, but the most common ones are the flu. The thing that makes it happen is a tiny germ called C. burnetii. This germ can go into your lungs, heart, brain, bones, or other parts of your body and make you feel sick there. Some people feel tired and have other problems for a long time.

It usually takes about 2 to 3 weeks after coming in contact with the bacteria for the sickness to start. Notable signs that you have Q fever include fever, feeling cold or sweaty, being super tired, having a headache, muscle aches, and feeling sick in your stomach or diarrhoea. Some people also get chest or stomach pain, lose weight, or have a cough without anything coming out.

For some people, especially pregnant women, Q fever could be lethal. If a pregnant woman gets this sickness, it can lead to a miscarriage or the baby being born prematurely. In Chronic Q fever, heart valves get infected (endocarditis). People infected with chronic Q fever, have night sweats, get really tired, have trouble breathing, lose weight, or their limbs swell up.

Causes of Q fever

Q fever comes from a bacteria named coxiella burnetii. This germ can infect animals like cows, sheep, and goats. Infected animals don't show any signs of being sick, however, the infection spreads through animal fluids like pee, poop, milk, and things from birth, like amniotic fluid. When these fluids mix with the soil, they can turn into dust or mist that people can breathe in. Breathing in this contaminated dust or mist is the most common way to catch Q fever. You might get it if you live or work around animals, especially on farms. The tricky part is, even if you don't touch the animals, the germ can still travel in the air and reach you.
There are other, less common ways to get Q fever too. One is by eating or drinking things like milk, cheese, or ice cream that haven't been pasteurized. Getting bitten by a tick that carries the germ is another way. It can also pass from a pregnant person to their baby during pregnancy or birth. In rare cases, it might happen through a blood transfusion, but that doesn't usually occur.

Prevention of Q fever

To keep yourself safe from Q fever, there are some simple things you can do. Firstly, if you're working with animals or dealing with their fluids, like when they're giving birth, it's good to wear a mask and gloves. This helps to protect you from breathing in the germ or touching things that might have it. Next, be careful about what you eat and drink. It's better not to have dairy products that haven't been pasteurized, like raw milk or cheese.
For those who've had Q fever before, some studies say that checking and treating problems with your heart valves can stop chronic Q fever from happening. If your job puts you at risk and you live where they have a Q fever vaccine, like in Australia, it's a good idea to ask your doctor about getting vaccinated.
Talk to your doctor if you live or work around farm animals and you might be at a higher risk of Q fever. This is especially important if you've had heart or blood vessel issues before, if you're pregnant, or if your immune system isn't very strong. Unfortunately, the Q fever vaccine is not available in the United States.

Lastly, stay away from raw milk and products made from raw milk. It's safer to choose pasteurized ones.
If you've been told you have Q fever and have had heart valve problems, weird blood vessels, a weak immune system, or are pregnant, it's crucial to talk to your doctor. They can help you understand your risk of getting chronic Q fever and what steps to take to stay healthy.

Test and Diagnosis of Q Fever

If your doctor thinks you might have Q fever, they will ask you about how you're feeling and your medical history. They might also check if you spend time around animals. To be sure, they will take take your blood sample for testing. This would be sent to a special lab, and it may take a few weeks for them to tell if you have C. burnetii in your body. In some cases, if your doctor suspects Q fever, they might start treating you even before the test results are back. This is because waiting for results can take some time.
To test for Q fever, they'll look for signs of the germ in your blood, like special proteins that your body makes when it's fighting the infection. They might also try to grow the germ from your blood sample in a lab.
Sometimes, you might need to give more than one blood sample to be sure about the diagnosis.

Treatment of Q Fever

If it turns out you have Q fever, the treatment depends on how serious it is. For the regular kind, called acute Q fever, antibiotics can usually make you feel better. But for the more serious type, chronic Q fever, it's a bit harder to treat. It might need a mix of antibiotics and medications to reduce inflammation. Your doctor will decide the best plan for you based on how sick you are.

If you have a history of heart or blood vessel problems and get Q fever, your doctor might suggest treatment even if you're not feeling very sick. This can help lower the risk of chronic Q fever. Overall, antibiotics can cure most people with Q fever, but for some, especially with chronic Q fever, it might be more challenging to get better.