Overview:
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Q fever is found
around the world. It is an infection caused by the bacteria Coxiella
burnetii which can cause pneumonia and hepatitis (liver
inflammation) in its early stage, and infection of the heart
valves (endocarditis) in its chronic stage.
The incubation period
(time to development of symptoms) for early (acute) Q fever is
approximately 20 days. In acute Q fever, the 3 main types of
syndromes include flu-like syndrome, pneumonia, and hepatitis.
Flu-like syndrome is usually self- limited, lasts up to 3 wks,
and may involve high fevers, headaches, and muscle aches.
Pneumonia can occur in up to a third of individuals -- most
cases are relatively mild and include fever and cough, yet
some severe cases have been reported. Hepatitus is another
common consequence of Q Fever, which can occur alone or with
concurrent pneumonia. Other less common features of acute Q
fever include rashes, meningitis, myocarditis (inflammation of
the heart muscle), and pericarditis (inflammation of heart
lining).
Chronic Q fever
develops in individuals who have been infected for over 6
months. Its main feature is infection of the heart valves.
Individuals at highest risk include those with underlying
heart valve abnormalities, as well as people with weakened
immune systems. Other less common features of chronic Q fever
are infection of aneurysms, liver dysfunction (cirrhosis), and
lung scarring (interstitial pulmonary fibrosis).
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