2. Overview
• Organism
• History
• Epidemiology
• Transmission
• Disease in Humans
• Disease in Animals
• Prevention and Control
• Actions to Take
Center for Food Security and Public Health, Iowa State University, 2011
4. The Organism
• Coxiella burnetii
– Obligate intracellular pathogen
– Proteobacteria
– Stable and resistant
– Killed by pasteurization
– Two antigenic phases
• Phase 1: virulent
• Phase 2: less pathogenic
Center for Food Security and Public Health, Iowa State University, 2011
6. History
• 1935
– Queensland, Australia (abattoir worker)
– Montana, USA (ticks)
• Outbreaks
– Military troops
• When present in areas
with infected animals
– Cities and towns
• Downwind from farms
• By roads traveled by animals
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8. Transmission
• Aerosol
– Parturient fluids
• 109 bacteria released
per gram of placenta
– Urine, feces, milk
• Direct contact
• Fomites
• Ingestion
• Arthropods (ticks)
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9. Transmission
• Person-to-person (rare)
– Transplacental (congenital)
– Blood transfusions
– Bone marrow transplants
– Intradermal inoculation
– Possibly sexually transmitted
Center for Food Security and Public Health, Iowa State University, 2011
11. Epidemiology
• Worldwide
– Except New Zealand
• Reservoirs
– Domestic animals
• Sheep, cattle, goats, dogs, cats
– Birds
– Reptiles
– Wildlife
Center for Food Security and Public Health, Iowa State University, 2011
12. Epidemiology
• Occupational and
environmental hazard
– Farmers
– Livestock producers
– Veterinarians
and technicians
– Meat processors/
abattoir workers
– Laboratory workers
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13. Center for Food Security and Public Health, Iowa State University, 2011
14. Q Fever in the U.S., 2010
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16. Human Disease
• Incubation: 2 to 5 weeks
• One organism may cause disease
• Humans are dead-end hosts
• Disease
– Asymptomatic (50%)
– Acute
– Chronic
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17. Acute Infection
• Flu-like, self limiting
• Atypical pneumonia (30 to 50%)
• Hepatitis
• Skin rash (10%)
• Other signs (< 1%)
– Myocarditis, meningoencephalitis,
pericarditis
• Death: 1 to 2%
Center for Food Security and Public Health, Iowa State University, 2011
18. Chronic Disease
• 1 to 5% of those infected
– Prior heart disease, pregnant women,
immunocompromised
• Endocarditis
• Other
– Granulomatous hepatitis
– Cirrhosis
– Osteomyelitis
• 50% relapse rate after antibiotic therapy
Center for Food Security and Public Health, Iowa State University, 2011
19. Risk to Pregnant Women
• Most asymptomatic
• Transplacental transmission
• Reported complications
– In-utero death
– Premature birth
– Low birth weight
– Placentitis
Center for Food Security and Public Health, Iowa State University, 2011
20. Prognosis
• Usually self-limiting
• Only 2% develop severe disease
• Active chronic disease
– Usually fatal if left untreated
– Fatality for endocarditis: 45 to 65%
– 50 to 60% need valve replacement
• Case-fatality rate: <1 to 2.4%
Center for Food Security and Public Health, Iowa State University, 2011
21. Diagnosis
• Serology (rise in titer)
– IFA, CF, ELISA, microagglutination
• DNA detection methods
– PCR
• Isolation of organism
– Risk to laboratory personnel
– Rarely done
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22. Treatment
• Treatment
– Doxycycline
– Chronic disease – long course
• 2 to 3 years of medication
• Immunity
– Long lasting (possibly lifelong)
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23. Dairy Farmer Case
• Male dairy farmer
– Age 46
– Sudden onset of fever,
chills, cough
– Initially diagnosed as influenza
– Symptoms persisted for 2 weeks
– Presented to emergency room
– Again diagnosed as influenza
Center for Food Security and Public Health, Iowa State University, 2011
24. Dairy Farmer Case
• Referral to infectious disease specialist
– Tested positive for Q fever
– Antibiotics for 5 days
– Resolved in 2 weeks
• Epidemiology
– No recent calvings on his farm
– Two beef cattle herds across the road
• 2 out of 14 tested positive for Q fever
Center for Food Security and Public Health, Iowa State University, 2011
25. Urban Outbreak Case
• 1985, Nova Scotia, Canada
– 33 cases of Q fever
• 25 were exposed to cat
• 17 developed cough
• 14 developed pneumonia
– Symptoms
• Fever, sweats, chills, fatigue,
myalgia, headache
– Cat tested positive for C. burnetii
Center for Food Security and Public Health, Iowa State University, 2011
27. Animal Disease
• Sheep, cattle, goats
– May be asymptomatic
– Reproductive failure
• Abortions
• Stillbirths
• Retained placenta
• Infertility
• Weak newborns
• Low birth weights
– Carrier state
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28. Animal Disease
• Other animal species
– Dogs, cats, horses, pigs
– Most other mammals
– Fowl species
• Often asymptomatic
• Reproductive failure may occur
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29. Post Mortem Lesions
• Placentitis
– Leathery and thickened
– Purulent exudate
• Edges of cotyledons
• Intercotyledonary areas
• Aborted fetus
– Non-specific
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30. Diagnosis and Treatment
• Diagnosis
– Identification of organism
– PCR
– Serologic tests: IFA, ELISA, CF
– Isolation of organism
• Hazardous - Biosafety level 3
• Treatment
– Tetracycline prior to parturition
Center for Food Security and Public Health, Iowa State University, 2011
31. Morbidity and Mortality
• Prevalence unknown
• Endemic areas
– 18 to 55% of sheep with antibodies
– 82% of dairy cattle
• Morbidity in sheep: 5 to 50%
• Death is rare
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33. Prevention and Control
• Good husbandry
– Tick prevention
– Disposal of birth products
• Separate new or sick animals
• Vaccination
– Human and animal
– Not available in U.S.
Center for Food Security and Public Health, Iowa State University, 2011
34. Prevention and Control
• Pasteurization
• Disinfection
– 10% bleach
• Eradication not practical
– Too many reservoirs
– Constant exposure
– Stability of agent in environment
Center for Food Security and Public Health, Iowa State University, 2011
35. Q Fever as a Biological Weapon
• Accessibility
• Low infectious dose
• Stable in the environment
• Aerosol transmission
• WHO estimate
– 5 kg agent released on 5 million persons
• 125,000 ill - 150 deaths
• Could travel downwind for over 20 km
Center for Food Security and Public Health, Iowa State University, 2011
36. Additional Resources
• World Organization for Animal Health (OIE)
– www.oie.int
• U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)
– www.aphis.usda.gov
• Center for Food Security and Public Health
– www.cfsph.iastate.edu
• USAHA Foreign Animal Diseases
(“The Gray Book”)
– www.usaha.org/Portals/6/Publications/FAD.pdf
Center for Food Security and Public Health, Iowa State University, 2011
37. Acknowledgments
Development of this presentation was made possible
through grants provided to
the Center for Food Security and Public Health at Iowa
State University, College of Veterinary Medicine from
the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,
the U.S. Department of Agriculture,
the Iowa Homeland Security and
Emergency Management Division, and the
Multi-State Partnership for Security in Agriculture.
Authors: Radford Davis, DVM, MPH; Glenda Dvorak, DVM, MS, MPH, DACVPM;
Ann Peters, DVM, MPH
Reviewers: Kerry Leedom Larson, DVM, MPH, PhD
Center for Food Security and Public Health, Iowa State University, 2011
