Coxiella burnetii (PCR)

Puncture liquide, 1ml

Q fever is an acute disease which is caused by the bacterium Coxiella burnetii. The bacterium is mainly transmitted by inhaling infectious dust particles or by direct contact with infected animals and livestock such as dogs, cats, cattle, sheep, goat and also tick bites (very rare). Infected animals often show no symptoms, but excrete the pathogen in faeces, urine or milk.
The pathogen is highly infectious (only one bacterium can cause an infection), and it can survive for years as its permanent form as spores (e.g. in dust, on hay or on wool).

In about half of the cases, the infection causes no or only mild flu-like symptoms. However, in the other half of cases, after 2-3 weeks symptoms like high fever, chills, sweating, myalgia, fatigue and headaches appear. A dry cough and chest pain are frequent companions of the disease. In some patients, complications such as heart, lung or liver inflammation or forms of encephalitis can develop. Reactivations can occur during pregnancy or under immunosuppression.