Q Fever

Haley Medlen Reviewed 06/2021

BASICS

DESCRIPTION

Zoonotic disease caused by Coxiella burnetii, a hearty organism that can survive for years in soil.

Infected animals are usually asymptomatic, although repeated pregnancy losses can ...

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 (4)[C]. For patients at high risk for progression to chronic Q fever, a...

REFERENCES

Mertens K, Gerlach C, Heinrich N, et al. Q fever—an update. Curr Clin Micro Rpt. 2017;4:61–71. [View Abstract on OvidMedline]

Centers f...

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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