Q Fever

Daniela Lobo, MD Reviewed 05/2023

BASICS

DESCRIPTION

Zoonotic disease caused by the bacteria Coxiella burnetii, it is found in the birth products (placenta, amniotic fluid),urine, feces, and milk of infected animals, and it can survive...

DIAGNOSIS

Diagnosis requires high degree of clinical suspicion. The presentation is often insidious, with variable clinical manifestations. Often, there is an unclear history of direct exposure to inf...

TREATMENT

GENERAL MEASURES

Hospitalization for severe infections, symptoms of congestive heart failure, or respiratory distress

MEDICATION

Antibiotic therapy used only for symptomatic illness

First Line

ONGOING CARE

FOLLOW-UP RECOMMENDATIONS

Patient Monitoring

Follow-up serology at 3 and 6 months in all patients with acute Q fever [C].
Monitor patients at high risk for progression to chronic Q fever, us...

REFERENCES

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Q fever. Epidemiology and Statistics. https://www.cdc.gov/qfever/stats/index.html. Accessed March 13, 2023.

Mertens K, G...

ADDITIONAL READING

Manchal N, Adegboye OA, Eisen DP. A systematic review on the health outcomes associated with non-endocarditis manifestations of chronic Q fever. Eur J Clin Micr...

CODES

ICD10

A78 Q fever

SNOMED

186788009 Q fever
409552002 Chronic Q fever
409553007 Acute Q fever
409554001 Q fever hepatitis
32286006 Pneumonia in Q fever
95890006 Q fever endocarditis
409556004 Q fever ence...

CLINICAL PEARLS

Q fever requires a high degree of clinical suspicion for diagnosis.
Consider Q fever in patients presenting with flulike symptoms in the setting of a known exposure.
Doxycycline is the t...

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